Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-13
Mistellaneuas 8sading.
AERIAL PROBLEMS.
An Automatic 6aIaneer the Greatest
Need,

An Automatic BaIaneer tho Greatest
Need.
Already human beings can fly
with some ditficulty-and enterprIslng
manufacturers are now offering to
Duild aeroplanes for any one who cares
to risk his neck In one. You can buy
a machine OF the Wright or Farman
type, guaranteed to fly minimum of
ten miles at trial, for the price OF a
ngh-powered motorcar.
but how long will it be before aero
planes become as universal as motor
carsY Not until some genius comes
along and solves one or two problems
which are now hampering progress.
The greatest problem of all is the
invention Of some means Of automat-
ically balancing flying machine when
1t meets a cross current Of air, for
there are far more adverse currents
in the skies than are met with in the
sea.
The difficulties of the man on the
aeroplane may be realized by compar-
ing them with those of a bicyclist.
The latter has only two forms Of
equilibrium to study-that Of the
right and that of the left.
But the man in the flying machine
has besides this to allow for plung-
ing movement forward and a fitting
movement behind.
Nor is this all, for besides these
four cardinal points the machine may
take a plunge or suddenly move up
at any angle, and all these things have
to be watched for while also handling
the motor and. the steerage appara-
tus, for the aeroplane as at present
constructed can only carry one man.
For the solution of this problem in
ventors are now looking for some
subtle adaptions Of the gyroscope.
Inc gyroscope, the invention VI Mr..
brennan, the man who invented the
torpedo OF that name, was onIy per-
tected about two years ago. by its
means trains can run on single rail-
and maintain their balance, and ships
can be prevented from rolling at sea.
1t is not too much to hope tnat it will
soon enable aeroplanes to brave the
currents OF the air without mishap.
Another thing which would be use
full would be an aerial compass to
show automatically on the dial the
angle at which the aeroplane Is trav-
elling, so that the man on board can
ADJUST his planes accordingly.
=. minor problem which is at pres
ent troubling the experts is the ques-
ton of propellers. Most imaginative
pictures of the airships of the future
present them careering about with
screws and rudders like ship, but
many engineers doubt whether the
screw will not have to give place to
something more specially adapted for
locomotion in the air, for 1t must be
remembered that the properties Of air
differ widely from those or water.
In a stream running from so to 60
miles an hour a screw would be USE
less.
Another danger-which has been
pointed out by Mr.. Farman-lies In
the propeller blades becoming de-
tached, for those blades turn at the
tremendous rate Of 1,4o0 revolutions
a minute. He says: "Quite recently
one of my blades, 6 feet in length, Of
aluminium, snapped while moving at
full speed. Happily it happened to
snap off in a downward direction, so
no harm was done, the blade burying
itself three feet deep in the ground,
thus showing the tremendous force of
its projection.
"Supposing, however, the blade had
snapped off in an upward direction?
What would have happened? One Of
my wings would have been smashed
to pieces and I should have come
heavily to the ground. If the blade
broke off horizontally instead Of ver-
tically it would travel like a cannon
shot for a short distance and inevita-
bly, kill any living being on its trajec-
tory"
There Is considerable discussion
abroad about the best way to fly,
whether by monoplane or biplane. Up
to the present there is an unquestion-
able superiority in the Wright biplane
owing to the fact that it is designed
to carry two persons. Many believe,
however, that the monoplane will be
improved and has a great future be-
fore it. The great objection to the
monoplane up to the present day has
been its lack of stability. Whatever
may have been the grounds upon
which such a theory was founded,
most conclusive proofs have been CIV
en- that II 1t does not surpass its rivals
1t equals them in the points Of stabil-
ity and safety. 1t is impossible, ac-
cording to one expert, to relax ones
hold on the levers in any type of BIZ
plane, whereas 1t is quite an easy feat
on certain monoplanes, and one that
can be continued for quite d long
space ftime.
Safety is being aimed at in the con-
struction Of all flying machines. The
driver IS better protected than for
merly. Tie wings can carry now an
enormous weight on any point with
out giving way and they are strength
ened by stout halyards.-Boston Daily
Globe.
ESCAPES FROM SUNKEN BOAT.