Evening star., 1909-07-18
MAGNESS OUT OF QUOD AEROPLANE STAYS UP
Serves His Term for Deserton Flight of is Minutes 53 Sec
From the Navy. onds Accomplished at Last
LEAVES FOR WASHINGTON DIFFICULTY IN STARTING
Receives His Discharge Balance of for
Portsmouth Navy Yard Failure to Rise Properly
TAKES DEPARTURE SECRETLY WRIGHTS SPEED PREDICTION
Four Months Dropped From His Promise to Make
Popular Associates. Course
Flight of is Minutes 53 Sec.
onds Accomplished at Last.
DIFFICULTY IN STARTING
Balance of Machine Blamed for
Failure to Rise Properly.
wR1GHTs' SPEED PREDICTION
Promise to Make Forty Miles an
Hour on Straightaway
Course.


With Just two weeks left in which to
complete his official tests. Orville Wright
went into the air at Fort Myer yestAr-
DAY afternoon and made a flight OF six
teen minutes and fifty-three seconds
1t was the best flight that had been
made in the trials this year The ma
chine showed more as 1t was expected
to do before the brothers came to Wash
ington for their Unexpectedly long-drawn-
out battle with adverse conditions
Probably 1000 people were around the
drill field. in spite of the many previous
disappointments.
Orvflle looked more solemn than usual
In dark brown suit and a green cloth
cap. Wilbur. the inscrutable. had on a
light gray suit and straw hat
Though the postponed trials of the air
ship have surely become a serious trial
on their serenity. both smiled quietly over
the feats Of Glenn Curtiss in New York
and noted in the comments that fiights
over an unmeasured course were not tho
thing by which to judge tho performance
Of machine.
Chance to Compare Fliers-
Asked what they thought of the chances
Of the American entrant in the interna-
tional aeroplane races at Reims. they said
he would have to meet there at least one
OF their own type of machines. and that
1t would be a good chance to judge of
the difference between them.
It had been rumOred among the crowd
that Orvtlle would try to beat the years
record established yesterday by Curtiss.
Ptyf fha hrn onf Shn,, ,,o1,
were no other aeroplanes flying.
They have q new machine to deliver
to the government. They are taking no
chances with it.
was simply going to work out the bear
ings a little more. He would be up
about fifteen minutes" he said.
AS a matter of fact. he was up nearly
seventeen minutes and made fifteen and
three-quarter circles Of the field. His
course varied in size from time to time
and 1t was useless to try to estimate the
speed.
Forty Miles Predicted
But the machine unquestionably Jew
faster than 1t has done In any previous
trials. After the fight, when Orvile
was asked il he had been doing forty
miles an hour. he replied that the aero
plane would do better than forty miles
on a straightaway flight.
This is about the first prediction that
has ever been wrung from the aviators.
The fight showed the brothers have
built close to the line In producing a
fast machine with the engine power at
their command. The machine will ny
when it gets into the air, and when it
to not rising In the restricted space OF
the drill field was shown by the failure
In making the first start.
The starting rail had been heightened
to about eighty feet The weight dropped
from the top Of the starting derrick had
165 pounds added to It When the ma
chine was brought to the rail for the
first trial the front rldders were as
usual. except that they had two little
semi circles of canvas on them instead
Of one.
These small, vertical planes act some
thing like the centerboard on a boat
and prevent the machine from making
too much leeway when a turn is made.
Difficulty in Starting.
The aeroplane was started at go
o'clock and rushed down the rail- with
the added impetus of the heavy falling
weight to what looked like good start.
But 1t was not.
Oryille Wright, explaining 1t afterward.
said the front of the machine was too
light and that it left the starting rail be-
fore the falling weight had reached the
ground, thus robbing him of something
OF the initial impetus. HC I6SUiI VIII
the machine flew low and as it reached
the lower end of the drill field touched
on high point In the ground and had
to be landed.
The landing was gentle enough and no
injury was done to the mechanism. The
machine was promptly wheeled around
and carried back to the rail for fresh
start.
This time the front runners were
weighted by two pieces of iron. weighing
al nine mounds together Stranna6 n
the downward rods controlling the hori-
zontal rudders. The start this time was
a little better than before and the aviator
managed to clear the high point at the
lower end of the field. although he seemed
70 be flying perilously low to stay in the
air at all.
He swept south. past the guard tent.
and made a turn below the aeroplane
shed and not nearly so high as the root
of the building. Then he Strengthened
out on his flight back up the field and
climbed to a safe altitude above the
trees marking the edge OF Arlington
cemetery.
Once he was safely IN the air there
seemed to be no further difficulty. The
machine, robbed of three feet of length i'll
it's main planes. tilted. however. on the
curves in a decidedly disconcertins way
Making Good Time.
Passing the starting derrick, it was seen
that the machine was making good time.
When it again bore away down the field
1t was doing close to forty miles an hour,
if not better.
Unfortunately for the speed feature OF
the display the straightaway course was
hardly long enough for the machine to
get into Its stride before another turn
had to be made, slowing down the aero
plane. But there was no question OF its
ability to stay aloft to the extent of its
gasoline supply.
Round after round was made OF the big
field at an average height Of seventy
five feet Each time the machine came
south it seemed to be going faster than
on the northern journey.
Considerable hope was expressed I'm the
crowd that the machine would stay aloft
for full hour. But Orville Wright was
apparently oblivious to anything except
the need of gently working out the new
engine bearings.
He stayed up a little over his promised
fifteen minutes. Then he made q land
ing on the east side of the field on ground
that had been picked out by Wilbur be-
forehand.
Beyond saying he was satisfied the
machine could do more than forty miles
in a straight fight the aviator refused 10
talk of the trial. 1t was easy to see that
both brothers were exceedingly satisfied
with the showing that had been made.
Distinguished Observers.
There were some distinguished visitors
at the flight President Taft, who had