Evening star., 1909-07-01
TEST IS A FAILURE
0rviIIe Wright's AeropIane
Comes to the Ground.
THR0NG IS DISAPPOINTED
Flight Not Started Until Nearly Z
O'Clock.
POWER FOUND INSUFFICIENT
Brothers Apparently Satisfied With
Trial-Merely Engine Trouble.
Course Chosen for Test.

The testing flight of the new Wright
aeroplane at Fort Myer yesterday after
noon again proved a failure. More power
was put into the fall of the starting
weight at the monorail and the machine
Went into the air at a faster pace than
it has yet used. The flight continued
TO the lower end of the field but when
the aviator started to make the turn
and come back up the field on the other
side the machine naturally slowed down
and the speed was not enough to keep 1t
up. The straight fight was about 200
yards and almost as much more ground
was covered on the turn. Then came
the landing or the fall, whichever one
elects to call it, and the machine came
down with a jar that broke the right
skid. There was no other damage done
and this can be repaired in few hours
work if there is nothing else to do to
the machine. The brothers promised an
other flight this afternoon at or g.
weather being favorable.
Late in Making Flight.
The crowd at the fort yesterday was
almost as large as it has been any day
since the trials began. 1t was very late
before the machine was brought out, as
the monthly muster of the troops at the
post was being held and occupied the
ground until $50. Then the aeroplane
was brought to the starting rail and at
$50 the weight was released for the
flight.
A new section had been added to the
starting rail, and this gave a greater fall
TO the weight and sent the machine into
the air at Increased speed. The engine
had been speeded up also, and between
the two forces the aeroplane took the air
on the first trial. 1t flew very low prob
ably not being more than twenty feet
from the ground Al any time, and seemed
to slow down as the fight progressed and
the impetus from the rail died out.
Naturally the turn at the lower end of
the field further reduced the speed and
before the machine Strengthened out
for the return up the drill ground the
speed died 10 such an extent that the ma
chine came to the earth with a thump.
Ii was the hardest fall that the new
machine has yet been called on to with
stand. and undoubtedly would have seri-
ously crippled the old machine. But the
new one has been built to stand more
rough handling, and the broken skid was
the only damage done.
Orville Wright was asked if the jar
did not hurt him, but he said the most of
the shock was absorbed by the frame of
the machine and that he hardly felt the
nding.
Power insufficient
He also said that there was not enough
power and that there was trouble with.
the control. How serious the trouble
will be remains to be seen. 1t was
great disappointment to the big crowd
to see the Wrights fail again. The
public has not been used to expecting
anything but successes from them, and
what would be a successful attempt for
other people is rank failure when one
has journeyed as far as Fort Myer to
see the notable brothers fly.
Both Orville and Wilbur seemed well
enough satisfied with the result of the
trial. They remarked that it was sim
ply a matter Of engine trouble. and that
skid as serious. The same thing hap
pened last year after a longer flight. but
was soon remedied. The brothers both
said that there was nothing to do but
work over the engine till it developed
more power. Just how much power the
engine will develop is question; also
why it has not been run at full power
from the start. There may be technical
up gradually. but the Wrights are not
very communicative as to the technical
details of their work.
Different From Other Machine.
There is no question that the machine
uSeu lHlS ear Is uGciQculy UlIISTcut lTOul
that with which Orville Wright made his
record-breaking flights last year. The
length of the main planes is three feet
less and the planes are six inches narrow
err The brothers have said that the
curves used on the main planes are the
same as last year; that is to say, the ribs
giving the arch to the planes were shaped
over the same form. But even if this
were SO and the six inches width were
removed from the front edge of the
planes this would have the practical eff
feet of fiattening the curves and, while
adding to the speed of the machine, would
largely decrease its lifting power.
There were no accurate measurements
taken of the speed of the aeropIane last
year, but the nearest estimate that could
be made of it was that it was a fraction
over thirty y-eight miles an hour. Orville
Wright says that the present machine
needs a speed of three miles an hour
more than the old one TO keep 1t In the
air, and the problem seems to be whether
the old engine which Is being used will
develop power enough to give this addi
tion speed.
Course for Speed Trial.
The Wrights have decided on the Alex
andria course for their speed trial. They
have looked over the surrounding coun-
try all of which is rough, and have con-
cluded that the Alexandria course is no
worse than anything else and has the
advantage of terminating at town
where it will be easier to install the tele-
phone and signal balloon.
Orville Wright went to Alexandria this
morning with Lieut.. Lahm to see about
putting up the signal balloon marking the
end of the five-mile speed course If
this signal balloon cannot be put up so
as to be visible from the starting point
at Fort Myer another will be put up mid
way the course. The confidence with
which the Wrights are going ahead with
the preparations for the official trials
seems 10 indicate that they feel no doubt
about ultimately getting the machine to