The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-29
Is THIS AVIATOR
A0AX|NG NATION
BY HIS SECRECY?
New Englanders Think Wallace E
Tilhnghast, Expert Mechanical
Engineer, Has Wonderful Air
ship-Flights Concealed.
Young Inventor Says He Has Gore
Faster Than 100 Miles an Hour
In His Strange Craft.

editors Note--Either Wallace f.
Tillinghast the Worcester. Mass. in
ventor. has made the greatest airship
The strange moving lights seen by
thousands OF persons I'm New England
were made by his airship. Tillinghast
says. Yet he IL unwilling To exhibit IL
by daylight. and has given only nimsy
excuses for his secrecy. Why does all
linghast hesitate TO show his invention
TO the public; And why did he sup
says. he really flew from Boston to
New York In less than i've hours?
Whether Tillinghast is a Joker or not.
cester correspondent has written the
FOLLOWING story giving some new facts
about him and his machlne)
WORCESTER. Mass. Dec. 29.-The
claims made for his new airship by
Inventor Wallace E. Tillinghast are
no more startling than the airship's
design There isn't an airship any
where like 1t.
Il can fly as no one has ever flown
before" he said to The Times CORE
spondent here. My airship will make
40 miles an hour II can be stopped
In midair. and Is as safe-even safer
than an auto. When | get good and
ready will show II to the world"
The fact that not once. but several
times. people In dozen cities have
seen strange moving lights In the sky,
seems TO bear out what Tillinghast
says. But even his closest friends do
not know why he has kept his wonder
iul invention such secret.
Who Is Tillinghast? Does his rec
ord indicate that he would perpetrate
a hoax on the world OF aeronautics?
Decidedly II does not He Is a Chi
cago Tech" school graduate. an ex.
pert mechanical and electrical en-
gineer. He has seen service with the
Northern Pacific railroad. the West
inghouse concern and Alien & Redd
OF Providence. While at the last
named place Tillinghast invented a
heat regulator for steam and hot water
systems. which is making him for
tune. He patented II and manufac-
lures 1t at good-sized factory here.
In all his previous inventions and
work he has had no secrets. Why does
he shelter his aeroplane so cunningly?
The one remarkable feature about
the machine is the way IL keeps itself
right side up in any kind of a wind
II has two giant "feelers" like an in
sect's antennae. These are Of rigid
frames OF steel. 35 feet long, and at
the end OF each is a box kite. No
matter how the wind blows, these kites
right themselves and the machine to
which they are attached. They can
he raised or lowered. When there is
no opposing wind, they are lifted to
an angle OF As degrees.
IF | am taking night flights over
Boston and New England that's my
business" said Tillinghast. Il will
not say that | am or that I am not.
have gone faster than 100 miles an
hour. can go faster again. / have
had this machine perfected long
enough TO take more than $50 flights.
And where some of those fights took
me will surprise lot OF people when
get ready to talk"
One of the wonderful features OF the
machine Is it's car. Bleriot and La.
than have their seats above the rigid
spread OF wings. Tillinghast sits be-
low his plane. in O little cubbyhole
protected by an automobile wind
shield. Inside is his wonderful en-
CINE. lie mas Uaue application 10
patent il, he says. II is lighter than
that OF the Wright brothers and far
more powerful. II generates enough
electricity for his front searchlight
and a red tail-light which will serve
10 warn aviators OF the future, who
may be on his trail, OF the peril OF
collision.
That his claims are well.founded-
well. you don't know what to believe.
There is an airship. That's sure. Thou
sands have seen it. Here in New Eng
land they believe in Tillinghast.