Evening star., 1909-06-23
SECURE AN EXTENSION
Wriqht Brothers Obtain More
Time for Their Tests.
MAY BE READY IN TEN DAYS
Preparations for Aeroplane Flight
Proceeding Rapidly.
SECRETARY OF WAR APPROVES
Senators and Representatives Among
Those Who Will Witness
Trials at Fort Myer.
OF WAR APPROVES

Announcement was made by the War
Department today that the Wright
brothers had applied for an extension OF
time in which to complete the official
tests OF their aeroplane at Fort Myer
| and that an extension of thirty days had
been granted This does not mean that
there has been any especial hitch in
the ARRANGEMENTS. The .Wrights say
they probably will not want more than
| ten days additional time, but to prevent
asking for repeated extension In case
any more time is wanted they have
taken the full thirty days.
The request for the time has been ap-
proved by the Secretary Of War. with
the understanding that the preparations
for the flight shall proceed with all pos
sible speed and that the aviators will
not ask for more time, except in case
of an emergency over which they have
no control.
The Wrights have their machine on the
ground, and there is said to be little
doubt they will need only a few days
additional to do all required of them,
but the fact that there has been an ex-
tension granted them may mean that
A. NJ. Herring, the other aeroplane con-
| tractor, perhaps will request an extern
| sion of month.
Looks Like Finished Product.
The aeroplane which is being assembled
at. Fort Myer is beginning to look as
| though it were finished. The front and
rear rudders and the propellers are on,
| and there is nothing to indicate to the
outsider that the machine is not In con-
dition to go for trial. The chances are
| that the engine will be tried out late this
| evening or tomorrow, but there is still
large amount of detail work to be done,
and 1t is a question If even tuning-up
flight car be made tomorrow. There nat
| urally will be at least one flight OF this
sort before the official trials. But there
will be nothing like the extended series
of flights that were made when the ma
chine was at Fort Myer last summer.
| The propellers are now in place, and
there is no doubt that they are larger
| than the ones used last summer In the
| first trials. They are quite as large as
the S11-foot ones that caused the accident
| The guy wires that run from the rear rud-
der have been supported. however. so that
there is no possibility of repetition of
| the accident.
The machine probably is faster than
| any other bi-piane that the Wrights have
| turned out. It is not expected that 1t
will prove as fast as the monoplanes of
Bleriot and Latham. but there probably
will be new speed record established for
machines OF the bi-plane type.
| 0eIt1uS ElclO III NOAu1t1oA.
The War Department is doing all 1t
can to get the field in shape for the trials.
The telephone wire to which the Wrights
objected when they first came here has
been buried and the drill field has been
cleared of some of the hurdles and other
obstructions. These. of course, would
not make much difference to Orvil1e
Wright who made all his flights at a
greater height than had ever before been
made in an aeroplane, but If the training
| of the army officers is to be carried out
| at Fort Myer, the first flights probably
will be made low and the removal of OBJ
stacles in the restricted field will be a
| consideration.
1t has not been officially announced by
| the War Department what officers of the
aerial squad will be given the first train
| ing. Probably however. Lieut.. Lahm.
4 by virtue OF seniority and larger expert
ence. will claim the first flights. and
Lieut.. Foulois, who is lightweight,
physically, and who stands next to him
| on the list. probably will be another.
/ A number of senators and representa-
tiyes have expressed a desire to witness
the official flights. The officials of the
War Department who are impressed with
! the possibilities of aerial navigation in
time of war. are also anxious that the
congressman should see the Wright ma
| chine in the air. as they think II will give
i them a better idea of the subject