The Washington herald., 1909-07-22
NEW GEAR HELPS
AEROPLANE'S SPEED.
Continued from Page One.

Wright stood close by with her brothers.
She then left with Lieut. Lahm for the
south end Of the field. from which she
watched the proceedings. A moving pic
ture camera was stationed ahead and
little 20 one side OF the machine 10 get
reproduction Of IT'S exact movements IN
starting for the War Department.
Machine Rises at Once.
Orviue released the weight at $3.50
o'clock The aeroplane raced down the
monorau and rose Immediately into the
air. Feeling the buoyancy Of his ma
chine. OTville commenced the turn to the
left before he had covered much more
than half the distance TO the aeroplane
shed. The machine responded beautifully.
swaying deeply downward on the inner
wing tip and continuing 10 rise as IL
swept out the arc.
Orvilie took the flyer UP 70 an altitude
OF about eighty feet, and chose the Ions
course around the extremities OF the field
| The increase In his speed was very
noticeable. The aeroplane clipped past
telegraph poles. trees. and building with
a rush that has not been seen before, and
had entered the third lap when the gear
wheel on the magnetic flew OF and the
engine stopped.
As the aerOplane reached the ground
OUTille climbed out and set out directly
for the she'd He was met half way by
Miss Wright, who asked II anything Sc
riOus had happened. They went back 70
the shed together. The gear was picked
Up by Lieut.. Lahm. and brazed IN place
with the aeroplane remaining where it
was.
SO ID Despite Breeze.
BY this time a ten-mile breeze had
sprung Up. and the spectators had begun
to fear a second flight would not be at
tempted But with their machine recit-
ing the multiplication tables for them.
the Wright brothers cared little for a
ten-mile breeze. and went ahead with
their preparations.
With the aeroplane again poised for
flight on the monoraH, Orvine released
the weight at 6:87.A o'clock. and the
flyer sped down the track into the on
coming wind It's rise this time was
easier than before. and an altitude OF 100
feet was soon reached. Through num-
Der OF the circuits Orville scared on q
level 80 feet above the ground.
The effect Of the wind was easily no.
tIceable. and gave a beautiful motion 10
the ship OF the air. Il dipped. rose,
swayed. and careened. but through Il all
was evidently stable. In fact, It seemed
70 be suspended by an invisible cord.
which allowed Il 20 swing. but not 10
fall
The landing was one OF the most bird
like Orville has made. Three laps before
he came TO the ground he commenced
shortening the length Of his circles. until
finally the machine was describing a con-
I cra nd or M an
considerable angle with the surface Of
the earth. As it passed the starting der
rick the last time IL was so low that the
I inner wing almost touched the grass.
Then. with a wonderful swoop and rise
the flyer Strengthened its course. made
over toward the stables lowered down.
and alighted
Increased PrOpellers speed.
After the fight Orville said he had IN
tended to remain up only ten minutes.
The ten-tooth gear on the engine shaft
had been taken of. he said. and replaced
with a nine-tooth gear. The speed OF the
engine shaft had also been increased from
! LOO revolutions per minute TO Loo. This
increases the speed of the propellers from
$50 revolutions per minute to 81.
I'VE estimate" said Orville. that by
llASSS means We nave 44-a eeA-'eu Tic SpcNU
of the aeroplane from between forty and
forty-one miles an hour 10 about forty
| four miles an hour even on the turns. II
will be slightly more than that on the
straightawsy. We shall soon start taking
up an extra person in the machine, and
shall make further trials after that TO see
! how the aerOplane acts. / cannot say
/ Just when the official flights viii be COM
menced"
The indications III abe flights yester-
/ day were that considerable attention viii
be paid TO the speed Of the flyer. While
the eleven-n1inute flight was on Wilbur
ran about the field in a singularly IN
Wilburlike manner. holding HIS stop
watch on Orville as he passed different
points of the course. particularly on the
side of the field near Arlington Cemetery.