New-York tribune., 1910-01-16
Young America Showing Ingenuity in Building
Models That Seems Certain to Result
in Useful Discoveries.

of the distinction which was theirs in open
ing the famous arena for the first time to
aeronautics.
The youthful experimenters from the
start had been interested in kites, and II
was not an unusual thing to see NUMBERS
OF the boys at the aviation grounds In
Norris Park on Saturdays flying their
various contrivances. The Aeronautic So
cety readily extended the entire freedom
of the grounds TO the lads, with the result
that the Junior Aero Club members, taking
incentive from the aeroplane builders at
the park abandoned the making of dirigi-
bles. for the more fascinating heavier-than-
air machines.
Encouraged by newspaper and magazine
publicity given to aeronautics and the rec
ords of the Wright brothers, Curtiss, Bleriot
and other leading aviators, boys clubs
grew in all quarters of the city. The
Young Mems Christian Association, be-
coming interested last spring. started a
course in aeronautics. Wilbur R. kimball.
the aviation expert, consented to under
take the instruction of students. and men
and boys alike attended competing openly
in the construction of models of bplaneS
and monoplaneS.
Early last fall flying contests were held
at the athletic field of the West Side Branch
of the Young Mems Christian Association.
Silver cups were offered as prizes by the
Young Mems Christian Association and by
Louis R. Adams, Vice-president of the
Aeronautic Society. The flying of the mod
els was open to all contestants, whether
identified with any organization or not
This was intended to stimulate the sport.
Saturday ope1-air contests at the athletic
field were often conducted with difficulty
because of the wind, so Frank Gould Of
fered the use of his riding academy near
by. There the soft tanbark arena caused
less harm to the models as they descend
ed under the propulsion of unwinding rub
ber bands, although several of the tiny
machines were damaged by striking the
walls. Contests have since been held in
the 22d Regiment Armory, and further
prizes have been given by Commodore Will
son Marshall of the Larchmont Yacht
Club and the magazine "Aeronautics."
Miss Todd's place as director of the
Junior Aero Club was taken by Edward
Durant. who comes from "aeronautic
stock A. E. Horn, teacher in Public
School II, also lent his assistance, and IA
vored the idea of consolidating the several
boys aero clubs into one body. Mr. Horn
has interested a large numbef of the school
boys in his part of the city in the project.
Although the Junior Aero Club set the
age limit at twenty-one years, the men,
bers of the organization in competing for
the prizes in open contests found them
selves pitted against men of mature years.
This has been the cause of considerable
discomfort, for the only prizes to be had
were in open contests. The Young Mems
Christian Association has wanted men in
its classes, and the result of the contests
has been a rivalry among model builders
of all ages. One man who carried off
prize recently received a bitter letter COM
planning against the unfairness OF taking
prizes from the younger entries
AS a result of the spreading dissatisfac-