Evening star., 1909-09-13
HAS MADE A GLIDER
Airship Built by Technical
High SchoI Student.
TARLTON BEAMS SUCCESS
Biplane Constructed Somewhat
Similar to the Wright Machine.
WILL BEAR UP ITS AVIATOR
As It Has No, Engine, It Is Not
Capable of. Making sus-
tanned Flight.
TARLTON BEAMS SUCCESS
WILL BEAR UP ITS AVIATOR


yards in Washington? How many young
men of this city are building aeroplanes
more or less like the. Wright machine.
1t is certain that many boys and even
men in this city. whose interest has
been aroused by the accounts of the re-
markable achievements of the Wrights,
Curtiss. Bleriot and others, are expert
mentins along similar lines, partly as a
pastime and partly from a desire to
become familiar with mechanical flight,
to which such a vast future seems to
be opening.
Tarlton Bean of 312 Randolph street
northeast. a pupil in the third year of the
Technical High School. has constructed a
biplane in his back yard somewhat on
the order of Wright machine. He
uses it as a glider in which to gain ex-
perience in steering and balancing an
aeroplane.
Description of theMachine.
The biplane is 23 feet by 41s feet, and
is built of wood, covered with un-
oleached cotton. 1t has front hori-
zontal rudder and rear vertical one,
similar to the Wright machine. 1t has
one seat, right In the center of the sec
ond lower plane. The entire craft
weighs about eighty pounds. 1t has no
engine, and in order to fly young Bean
reiles upon the momentum gathered in
gliding down hill.
He built the aeroplane himself, as
sisted by some of his companions from
the Technical High School, where they
learned sufficient of practical construc-
ton work to enable them to build an
excellent machine.
Young Bean and his friends are en-
thus1asts in aeronautics, have studied
aircraft Of all descriptions, and are as
familiar with the records of the differ
eht avlators as the average. young man
is with the records of various base ball
heroes They seem thoroughly to ap-
prec1ate the practical side of the prob
lem of mechanical fight, and have gone
about mastering it in the most methodi-
cal manner.
After the machine was completed 1T
was taken by the young men to a
large field on a hill near the T street
bridge to give it it's first trial There
was considerable, excitement in the
appeared upon the street. and many
persons followed it to the field to watch
the trial flights.
First Practical Test.
Refreshing his mind on al that he had
read regarding the steering and balancing
of an aeroplane, Mr.. Bean took his seat
~ sAiS machine lol ilISl pIdCtiCdI TEST.
The bplane was placed at the top of the
hill and his companions grasped the ma
chine at each end, raised 1t off the ground
and carried 1t as fast as possible down
hill AS the young fellows ran, they no
ticed that the load grew lighter and
lighter, demonstrating that the mechani-
cal resistance of the air was supporting
the machine to a certain extent After
several attempts they found 1t impossi-
BILE on the short hill to get up sufficient
speed to give the biplane the necessary
momentum to make 1t glide. although the
fact that the load got considerably lighter
proved that the principle upon which they.
had built their machine was correct.
As young Bean was considerably heavi-
er than his companions, they decided to
attempt the flight with the lightest young
fellow of all. Once again the machine
was started on run down the hill. car
rying a boy who weighed about thirty
pounds less than Bean The difference
was noticed at once. After running along
for about thirty yards the biplane gather
ed momentum enough to support the
weight Of its passenger and all the others
had to do was to rush 1t forward, with
out lifting at ALL
The machine also responded to both the
forward and rear rudders. BY elevating
the forward planes, the biplane would
start upward, while the vertical plane in
the rear easily guided 1t to the right or
left. The equilibrium of the machine was
maintained by the flexible wing tips, sim
liar to those used on the Wright ma
chimes. Many trial flights were made in
the course of the day, the young men
who ran with the machine merely guiding
1t in it's flight and pushing 1t along as it
lost momentum. Finally the young aero
nauts decided that it was time to make
a real gliding test, and to trust the ma
chine to its young aviator. Inc biplane
was given a good start down the hill and
then turned lose. 1t glided along for some
n icta M fair 81 xyol To v.,,1
ders. but when the momentum was gone
the craft slid to the earth backward and
broke it's rear rudder. The aviator was
not injured, and the young men picked
their machine up and returned it to Mr..
Beans backyard. where 1t will have to
undergo some repairs.
Satisfied With Experiments.
Mr.. Bean was quite satisfied with his
experiments. which demonstrated that
the machine was capable of supporting
it's passenger, could be balanced and
would respond to its rudders. In order
to lessen the work of carrying it for
ward for start he is going to mount it
on truck made of bicycle wheels He
will also try to find better field, some
where in the country near Washington
where he can practice with the machine
without being disturbed by crowds Of
SpecldloiS, DIS III tIle city. win good
field and the machine mounted on wheels
Mr.. Bean expects to be able to glide
along for 100 yards or more.
He explained that his machine is not
a mere glider in the ordinary sense OF
the word, but an aeroplane without an
engine, in which, by using momentum as
a motive power, he expects to make short
flights down HILL Young Bean is not
making these flights just for the fun of
the thing, but with a well defined pur-
pose of acquiring experience In balanc-
tempting a flight in one that is propelled
by motor power. and which ascends to
considerable height He believes that his
method of learning the management Of
an aeroplane Is logical and safe one.
An engine f.r an aeroplane costs about
s. OUO but he hopes to be able TO get one
before very long, and by that time he ex-
poets to have acquired sufficient expert
ence with his present machine to be able
to manipulate one that is propelled by
motor power.
Many of the pupils of the Technical
High School are said to be much inter-
ested in aeronau.ics, and several of the
high school boys are planning to follow
the example of Tarlton Bean and build
their own machines with which to acquire
practice in the rudiments of mechanical
| flight
Believing that considerable practical
knowledge can be gained by these expert
inents or young men and boys in the Dis
trict. The Star will from time to time
pupilsh accounts of other airshios that
are being constructed in backwards in
Washington. -
Flying Omnibus" Invented.
PARIS. September 1s-Francis Laur, a