Evening star., 1909-06-06

The father OF aeronauticS in America.
limit to the size to which it can be con-
structed.
The difficulty that is experienced in de-
veloping the aeroplane of the Wright
brothers type is that the weight increases
more rapidly than the lifting power. This
is not true with the tetrahedral cell type
of machine. as the weight and lifting
power increase equally as fast as the
size of the machine is increased.
x
AT present the Wright machine carries
two. men. and this is more than ANY
heavier-than-a machine has been able
to accomplish. Those who have so sue
cessfully brought about this stage of de-
velopment are now turning their minds
to the future progress that is to be made
There is nearly as much difference re-
garding the future development of the
aeroplane as there is regarding the ef-
ficiency of the various types of machines
of the present day.
Octave Chanute. who is known as the
father of aeronautics in America, believes
that the aeroplane of the future VIII
have as many as six superposed surfaces.
working on the same principle as the
present two-surfaced machine. Alexan-
der Graham Bell still believes that the
limitations of the bi-pane will event
ually result in the adoption of the tetra
hedFal cell construction, although he has
expressed the belief that 1t may be found
practical to combine several hl-plane ma
chimes into one and thus increase the
weight-carrying capacity or the aero
plane. Glenn H. Curtiss, who achieved
SO much success with the aeroplanes of
the Aerial Experiment Association, places
his faith in the aeroplane combined Win
the features of the helocopter. Emile
Berliner. who is experimenting with
model in Washington. is depending en-
tirely upon the heliocopter.
Strange tn say, the Wright brothers
are taking less interest In the aeroplane
of, the future than any other aviators.
They are understood to have completed
an invention for controlling their aero
plane automatically. and they claim that
accident such as occurred at Fort
Myer last summer cannot occur again
with the Improvements that they nave
added to their machine.
Il don't think aeroplanes will ever be
used to carry cattle or freight Orville
Wright has said in discussing the future
of the heavier-than-a machine. put
think they will be improved so that they
will be able to carry five or six persons:
II is not probable that the aeroplane VIII
ever become of great importance commS-
cialls-"
Tn Austria. however. there is an expert
who takes different view. His name Is
Wilhelm kress. and he is well known on
the continents as an authority on aviation.
He believes that the aeroplane of the
future will have a number of surfaces at
different levels. on the principle advo-
Gated by Langley. THE future aeroplane
will have four propellers inclined through
an angle of 90 degrees he says. ION the
nrinciple of the heliocopter, the propellers
forcing the machine straight up from the
Ground and also moving it forward. The
machine will travel at the rate OF ninety
miles an hour, the motor developing at
least one hundred horsepower. The ma
chine will lift 1900 pounds direct from
the earth. The weight of the aeroplane
will be $50 pounds. leaving 2,I5O pounds
for fuel, provisions and passengers"
JEROME S. FANCIULLl.