The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
Grahame' White Says Ayia-
ton Is Coming Industry.
PREDICTS DAILY USE OF CRAFT
English Altman Says Year viii see
Great Developments in Art of Fly
ing that VIII Render Aerial NaYi-
cation as Safe ~ Motoring or
Railroad Travelling.

on the future Of aviation appears to-day
from the pen OF Claude Grahame- White.
who confidently anlrms that the year 1911
will witness the actual development OF
great, new industry.
The advancement Of the aeroplane. he
points out, has been checked by three
defects in the machines themselves-in-
ability TO combat winds. CONSTITUTIONAL
weaknesses, and the unreliability of the
engines. These defects. which made aero
planes mere playthings in their early
stages OF development, are already being
overcome in an altogether surprising
way.
That they will be overcome and that
flying machines Will be practical for
everyday use, says Grahame- White. lis
my firm conviction Take flying in winds;
With the aeroplanes We had in the be-
ginning. il was only possible TO ascend
when the wind was as low as four or
five miles an hour. Now / find il quite
possible TO remain in the air and control
the machine in a wind or twenty-five
miles From this to ability to fly in even
stronger winds. IL is merely a question Of
greater speed
Advocates High speed.
II have become an ardent advocate of
high-speed flying" continues Mr.. era
hame-White. speed gives YOU power 10
overcome attacks OF sudden wind gusts,
which are the airmens peril In a high
speed monoplane. for example. YOU dash
through an adverse gust in the same
way that a fast torpedo boat destroyer
thTusts her way through an opposing
wave. For this reason in my construc-
tonal work / shall devote my earnest
attention to "a high-speed machin".
Far greater weight and Tigidity of
construction is bound 10 come. and with
1t will dawn an era Of aerial travel al
speed OF 100 miles an hour. At such
speed il viii be possible 10 pilot a
machine through anything short of an
actual gale When We have this ma
chine, which il is my intention to strive
for construetionally, regular aerial sery-
ices will become not only possible, but
profitable
The engine problems are solving them
selves. With the skepticism with which
some people always view a new idea 10
was contended in the infancy of the aero
plane that no petrol motor would stand
the strain Of propelling an aeroplane be-
cause Of its necessary lightneSs and the
high speed at which il would have to be
run. The answer 10 these critics has been
overwhelming
Even while our aerOplanes, ana par
ticularly the propellers, arc admittedly
imperfect thereby imposing upon the en-
CINE most difficult conditions. flights OF
three, five, and six hours are already
evoking no particular comment To a
certain extent. indeed. the duration Of
flight has now become matter of petrol
carrying. l have not the slightest fear,
therefore. as to the success Of the flying
machine engine
Flying Not PeriiOGs.
Now, there is the question Of safety
Here 1 am face TO face with 4 grave mis-
conception. People generally have come
10 the conclusion that flying is highly
dangerous and will always remain so. l.
as a practical flyer, say there is very
little danger in il now. and that in the
future there will be no more risk in an
aerial journey than in moving from point
10 point in a railway train
At present, reckoning expert flyers and
pupils who can pilot machines of the
ground. there are estimated TO be 5000
airmen throughout the world. To teach
these men TO navigate "A new element with
crude. experimental machines absolutely
no data TO go upon. what has the death
roll amounted TO? Less than thirty and
in this particular connection il is signh-
cant TO recall az a comparison that nine
men were killed in one great motor car
race
Causes of Deaths.
In analyzing the deaths that have
taken place. it is possible to draw a prac-
teal lesson from each. Thus a set Of cir
eumstanceS which brought about any one
Of these fatalities is not likely to occur
again. IneXperience. foolhardiness. and
CONSTITUTIONAL weakness have been re-
sponSible for practically all accidents
which have taken place
Given good machine, careful we'll
trained pilot. and proper weather con-
ditions. flying Is already as safe as motor
Ing, and very soon it promises to be safer /
Next summer. practically for the first
time. people will be able TO enjoy the
sensation OF air travel Ready for trials
IN the spring viii be the first type OF
machine which one might call an air
car. 1t will be a strongly built mono
pane. = lup-iloIStpoNef engine Will pro-
pei IT, II will have a body like a motor
car with four comfortably padded seats
well protected from the wind,
aerial AutO" Coming.
There IS no reason why any wealthy
motorist should not purchase such a ma
chine He may have an aerial chauffeur
If he does not want 70 learn to drive
himself. and enjoy aeroplaning in a |
thoroughly practical way.
'In its sporting aspect, says the avn
ator. 4 foresee that fiying Will enjoy |
even greater vogue than motoring. Motor |
car driving, even in its most favorable |
aspects, cannot be compared with flying |
There is a sense OF freedom and exhil- |
aration in passing swiftly through the air |
that never comes when driving a car |
] speak from experience again, having /
done more than a little motoring. Direct /
~ a more convenient and less bulky. ma |
chine can be produced the public demand I
for the aeroplane will begin ! do not /
see one insurmountable difficulty in the /
way OF completely revOlutionizing by /
means Of the aeroplane. all existing meth !
DDS OF communication.