The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-16
All, HA! 1T FLIES.
Aeroplane Flights Begin on the
North Side.
Fred A. Pine Has Invented a
Machine That Goes.
SHORT FLIGHTS MADE.
These for Purpose of Testing
the Machine.
Mr.. Thompson. Pleased With
Preliminary Tests.

The Pine-Mathewson Denver built
biplane, which was set up here this
week, made the first of series of ex-
perimental flights from the Taylor
tract just north of Garfield park about
1880 o'clock this morning. Two trials
were made. Each time the airship
rose from the ground about 40 feet and
remained in the air several seconds,
sailing about 100 feet both flights.
George Thompson of Denver. the avia-
tor, who was in the machine, said that
he could have remained up longer but
he did not wish to take chances of an
accident at the start of the expert
ments. No damage was done In either
trial.
The aeroplane left the ground each
time with about a three hundred foot
start. The flight was made soutneast
toward the three bridges from a little
eminence in the field about half a mile
northeast of Garfield park.
Only the mechanics, few farmers,
newspaper men and q. few others W.T.
messed the test. Among them was
William Jeniche of 300 Clay street. VINO
is making biplane here
The Denver machine arrived IN To-
peka Friday accompanied by FRED A
Pine of Colorado Springs, one OF the IN
ventors of the machine, and his assist
ants. They had heard of the success
full flights made by Aviator Mars in
June from the Taylor tract and set up
their machine in tent on the fleid.
This morning when the flight was
scheduled i leak in the tubing OF one
of the wheels caused shgnt oe I
At 1o:45 o'clock the airship was taken
from the tent. 1t was decided to make
the start from a small knoll about QUO
feet northwest of the tent rms Woulq
give the advantage of DOWNWARD
glide for the start
1Sa IL
held the machine while the engine was
tested. The speed made by the pro
heller was estimated at ABOUT 1,OUU
revolutions per minute.
A breeze of about ten miles an hour
was blowine from the southeast IN
which direction the biplane was point
Three men had all they could 60
to hold the air craft while the engine
was going. Then the power was smut
off and a few adjustments were mace
Again the engine was s1ar.eo anu anu
Aviator Thompson climbed in to the
LET go!" he shouted, and the men
who had been holding the rear frame
work loosed their hold. Like oog
loosed from the leach the canvas
covered aircraft shot over the sro .o,1t
to the tune of the whirr OF the elgnt-
foot propeller going at an estimate
speed of 100 revolutions minute.
The front control of the b1plane was
raised and the air craft sailed grace
fully into the air at a height above
the tree tops. After few seconds
as gracefully as feather floats to the
ground, the machine gently descended.
1t was hauled back to the starting
place and after few adjustments and
a test of the engine had been made
another similar flight was made. Both
times the biplane pointed In the d.
rection of the three bridges and
alighted several hundred yards north
of the park. After the second flight.
the captain of the air sailer and
crew ''hove to- and went to lunch up
town.
Other tests are being made today.
As to future flights it is undecided. To-
days trials were made without Of
fetal notice. The desire of the air
ship men is to avoid large crowd.
which might trample down the alfalfa
and thus involve the aeroplanists in
damage suits with the owner of the
field.
The biplane in the air had some
thing of the appearance of the Far
man machine, as the aerolorns are
set on the rear instead of the ends of
the planes as in the Curtiss airship.
However, in other respects it is much
like the machine in which Mars made
his flights from here in June. 1t is
larger than the latter aeroplane, being
thirty-tfree feet by six and one-half
feet in extent of planes and over eight
feet high. It is about thirtyfour feet
from the tip of the front control to the