Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
ANCELENO ORDERS
ID AEROVEHICLES
P. H. Greer Places Order with
MitCheII-LeWis Company
for the Machines
CRAFT DESIGNED FOR SAFETY
Designer Claims Auto Factory
Machinery Can Easily Be
Changed to AeropIanes
CRAFT DESIGNED FOR SAFETY

Urging aeronautical experts to util-
ize the tearm "aerovehicle'' in place
of "airship' in describing heavier than
air craft, ]. w. Bate, designer of the
Mitchell-Lewis Motor company of Ra-
cine, Wis, has returned from g. trip to
Europe, where he made an exhaustive
study of the manufacture of aero
planes. He announces the entry of the
big automobile company into the realm
of aeroplane building and the receipt
of the first order for ten aeroplanes
to be delivered by the Mitchell-Lewis
Motor company to P. II. Greer Of this
city.
Not only is Bate fully convinced of
the practicability of readily trans
forming a portion of a we'll equipped
automobile plant into an aerovehicle
plant, but he is prepared to astonish
some of the experts in aeronautics with
the innovations Incorporated in his de-
signs of aeroplanes. Aeroplanes, in Mr..
Bates opinion. are to he classified as
commercial and pleasure aerovehicles
and he ventures the prediction that the
first practical application of the heav-
Ter than air craft will be in the carry
Ing of government mail to districts
that are now considered inaccessible.
CALLS IT AEROvEHuCLE
1.-THE term 'airship' in discussing the
aeroplane, or as 1 would prefer to have
it, the oerovehicle,' is a misnomer. A
balloon, either in the dirigible or Of the
simple gas bag form, Is an airship. My
opinion 1 found was generally shared
by aeronautical experts with whom 1
talked at the Partisan and Lyons,
France, aviation camps, as well as
those at the Brooklands track in Eng
land" continued the engineer and de-
signer.
"Great possibilities both in the mat
ter of pleasure soaring and con--ler-
cial tasks are being emphasized in the
aeroplane sphere. The trouble with
most aeroplanes is their flimsy con-
struction, too much attention being
paid to lightness by the sacrifice of
stability The majority of accidents
to aeroplanes are due to the tangling
of the gears.
at am prepared to say that the new
aerovehicle of the Mitchell factory will
have features that will overcome many
of the obstacles in the path of the
better development of the weight car
ryino monoplane and biplane.
THE POWER PLANT
1.-THE aerovehicle power plant will be
a four-cylinder motor of exceptionally
light construction, stability being af-
forded by light aluminium fittings. The
engine will have fitted to it a light,
flexible clutch so as to drive the pro-
peller and enable the operator to en-
gage the engine with the propeller at
will and also to assist in starting the
engine from the operators seat. The
Mitchell aeroplanes Will be tWo-passen-
ger aeroyehicles, the weight of design
ing Judgment being in favor of the de-
nendability of d machine with two OPP
orators With the chances for mat
ters going wrong under the direction
Of a single operator being so obvious,
it is the intention to reduce to the lr-
reducibleaminmum the element OF dan
ger and disability in the heavier than
air craft. All of the mechanical fea-
lures of the aerovehicles that will be
built under my direction are l1berally
protected by patents"
The initial order for aerovehicles IS
interesting. 1t follows:
J,OS ANGELES, Cal, July 16 1910.
-Mitchell-Lewis Motor Company, Ra-
cine. wis. Dear Sirs: Please enter our
order for ten aeroplanes to be deliV-
cred to us as promptly as possible.
These to be standard biplane construc-
tion, either with the Wright, Curtiss
or Farman~ system of control, to be
ftted with six-cylinder water-cooled
motors, approximately with S-4 by
41-2 cylinders, magnetic ignition, cyl
inders to be fitted with copper water
Jackets and standard type radiator.
These to have capacity of two pas
sengers and speed of forty miles per
hour.
ave understand you have your de-
signs for your aeroplane pretty we'll
under way and If our specifications
conflict with these designs to any great
extent, kindly let us know, as they
oap he va riad somewhat.
'cWe wish these machines shipped
Grated, SO as to take the lowest freight
rate. and will thank you to advise us
how soon delivery Of the first machine
can be expected. Very truly yours,
"P. H. GREER"