The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-09-28
Langley, Pioneer in Agitation

An account OF the experiments III
mechanical flight of S. P. Langley, JUS
published by the Smithsonian institu.
ton.
The story OF Samuel Pierpont Lang
ley's study and experiments in aero
nautics is one that appeals not only tc
The engineer and others directly inter
ested in the subject, but to the public
as well. 1t is d story not generally
knoWn, since 1t starts back in the year
1881, some time before many serious
minded people considered aerial na~:
CATION practical for heavier than air
machines, and continues for nearly 16
years. During that time Mr.. Langley
created and demonstrated many steps
now invaluable TO this modern and per-
dnen science.
In 1856 he became assistant secretary
or the Smithsonian Institution, and in
the following year, upon the death of
professor Baird, he succeeded him as
secretary of the institution, where he
combined the administration of its
various branches with his own investi-
cations and studies, until his death Ia
1Soo. In recognition Of his scientific re-
searches, Mr.. Langley was the recip-
lent OF degrees and medals from the
foremost universities and scientific So
cletles in Europe and America.
From his first studies with toy aero
PtoaSo pioDeIleu DS TuDDGr DanQS to
ms final experiments with a ni8n-car-
rying machine propelled by a gasoline
engine. the like of which has hardly
been surpassed to the present day, the
story OF. his ~endeavors, handicaps, fail
ures and successes, holds the attention
o. tne REFER with an interest not I'M
IKE a romantic narrative. The memoir
just published deals largely with ex-
'peFiments and their results, which are
now accepted as matter Of course facts,
Al the time they were made, however.
Ihsy "esa the first steps of d great
scientist cropping in the dark, and he
Wen deserves the title given htta-as
.::s iifst 2ifdinan. Having secured al
grasp upon the elementary theories of
Wlnd resistance. n matters pertain
to aviation. Mr.. Langley started in
TO build a model heavier-than-air ma
CHINE, the first that a ever been
ouilt, since the nearest approach at
Tune TO such a flying machine,
was an ingenious invention of the
F~renchman. Penaud, who flew a pa
per toy. propelled by means of rub
Der bands for 10 seconds.
secretary Langley undertook to
1uiId a larger n more practical ma
nine, not simply for proving the
.heories upon which he had been work
ng. put because he said it was i'm
possible to learn more about the min I
iples Of flight without studying flight ]
tseif. In 1892 he started building the !
lfst or his steam-driven models but
was four years before successful {
was accomplished. The problem !
difflcult and discouraging. espe- l
ANY ior n who had only a casual !
'as ample literature on the suhiect {
Ut there might as we'll have heen l
one Tor all the assistance If ,ava 1
.iln steam engines rated light at 5Oo I
ounds 10 he horsepower. What Mr. |
ahgley needed was just about one q
thna or that weight. Seeing no J
lher way ne set about building an en- |
me himself. although practical enei- '
GERS old him 1t was Impossible and t
, eventually produced one weiebtne
NY 70 ounces, which with the Whole II
1Wer plant. burner, boiler. and fiIel n
81 asnsd eve pounds and produced q
and a quarter horsepower. s1,c- "
$50 at last attended his efforts b,1t Il
ny AFTER a tremendous loss of time n
10 energy. Ten or 20 boilers and &c d
any piast-laraps were made and dis
rded before he secured a cnnhina II
IA piia1 Wouid keep UP a pressure Of u
~ % POUNDS OF steam for the time a
s,re@. And in the meantime he had a,
,dt ana thrown aside five machines Al
ne succeeded in making one SUI NJ
light and yet strong enough Ia fa
Even atter the completion Of the q
aose nach1ne ne had to stop until u
Us hhethod or launching could be de &c
'ed. at last a launching annarat's as
Is constructed which held The ma &C
me on an overhead track until raady
ny, When, by means of springs Il f,
s shot out into the air over the OF
LET, me EXPERIMENTAL o was kl
small creek off the Potomac river by
ar Whitewater, Va. e w
First Flight of Model. NJ
" the apl of &C.,. HH OIL
'or, on May 6, 1896, the first Of tbase =.
.deis flew. 1t was a model of a tan -
n plplane, with a wing spread Of y,
Ieel n a total weight Of 80 ponnds &c &c
Q first flight was of a minute ana Is