Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-10
new AEROPLANE
IS INVENTED HERE
James w. Lyons Completes
Model of Machine of Sim
pie Construction.
CAPABLE OF HIGH SPEED
Effort to Interest Local Capital to
Aid in Promoting Company to
Manufacture Demonstrators.

| Aeroplane meets and talk of aerial
navigation recently have caused it to
become known that Rock Island now
has an inventor of an airship along
practical lines in the person of James
w Lyons, a mechanical expert now
with the Rock Island Plow company.
The model of this invention is now on
display in the west window of the Sex
ton clothing store, and gives COM
prehensive idea of the plan of the con-
struction and operation of this wonder
of the air, which is now fully protected
| by u. S. patents recently granted to
Mr. Lyons.
Some Is years ago Mr.. Lyons assert
ed his belief that he might give to the
world a practical flying machine, gain
ing ideas from the simple manner in
which a sky-rocket is propelled by the
force of powder, believing that in this
| he saw revealed point of use in secur-
! ing the lifting power for aerial flights
This, together with the observation of
the natural flight of birds, has added
greatly to the practical achievement of
the inventor in carrying out the idea
of obtaining a heavier-than-air machine
that will insure safety and combine
with it ability to carry several passen-
gers in the car provided for in this in
| vention.
Fans as PrOpelIers.
The machine will measure so feet
from tip to tip and 26 feet across the
center. Two tubes feet in diameter
and 16 feet long, at either side of the
cab, will each contain two powerful
fans, capable of producing 1000 to
1900 pounds propelling pressure, the
| forward fans creating a pulling suction.
while the rear fans will act as does the
screw propeller of a ship These pro-
pellers will be driven by a worm cog
connecting directly with the shaft of
a 100-horse power gasoline engine,
which will be placed under the ma
chine near the rear of the cab. a speed
! of so to leo miles an hour may be at
| tanned, thus solving the problem of
| aerial rapid ira sit. The construction
will be largely of aluminium steel,
which will insure strength as we'll as
avoid unnecessary weight.
| The operators cabin is entirely en-
closed with specially set glass, giving
protection from the wind and affording
| forward and side as well at downward
| view, and provision is made for ample
room for operation of the guiding lev
| ers, which are cleverly arranged for
( quick and positive action by the pilot
of the simple mechanism which runs
/ this wizard of the air.
/ Safe in Nnter.
! The upper part of this aeroplane will
| be of fivetpieces. center or body piece
and four outer movable wings which
/ are controlled by cables running to a
/ drum in the operators cabin. These,
to be raised or lowered in ascension or
descension of the machine, are also of
practical use to act as a parachute in
case the engine should run down.
! These wings" will be air-tight alumni
mum steel and will make it impossible
/ for the machine to sink should the de-
scent be made in a body of water On
top of the center part is tower, des-
| ignated in the patent "a hollow lee
/ board which, besides acting as a sup
| port for the cables operating the four
flies" or wings" will afford means
Of exit TO the top of the machine by
means of a stairway, giving safety to
operator and passengers above the air.
tight construction Ii case of descent
upon the water. In addition to the up
per guides or wings, a flap is arranged
near the rear at each side which are of
use in steering the aviator's course
These are controlled by the operation
of cables connecting with the cabin,
and are of practical use to slow down
the machine in making a sudden stop
and descent possible. Another means
of guiding is by manipulation of the
rear end of the driving tubes, which
will be of flexible construction from
the second fan to the end of the tubes,
which will at this point have been re-
duced to three feet in diameter.
James A Weed has associated him.
self with Mr.. Lyons in promoting a
company in the city to raise capital
with which to build a demonstrating
model Experts have pronounced the
machine practical. Mr.. Lyons says he
will make the first flight in the ship.