Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-21
FLIGHTS OVER SPEEDWAY
Machine Goes Up Dozen Times and
Works Well.
REPORTER DESCRIBES FEELING
Says It Was Terribly Cold and He
Wished for Overcoat and
Ear Muffs.

Rex Smiths biplane made about a dozen
| flights over the Speedway this morning,
| on two of them carrying two passengers.
| 1t was the first time in this country that
| three persons had been carried by one
machine.
| The day was ideal for flying. There
was practically no wind early in the
morning The air was warm enough
, while on the ground. but decidedly cold
| in the air. There was no attempt made
at flying in circle. All Of the flights
were stEaightaway, fairly close to the
ground. Antony Janus was the aviator.
| except in the last flight, when Mr.. Smith
took the machine himself. There had been
several changes made in the machine
since he few last December. but he man.
aged 1t easily, taking 1t UP about nifty
feet. the highest fight OF the morning
The reason no attempts were made at
turning in the air was that the propeller
| used was not the best one tried on the
machine. 1t was q blade feet 10 inches
long, but the bigger propeller, which is 8
feet long, was q little too broad for the
engine to drive at its most effective speed
and after the morning flights this pro,
peller was sent to the shop to be reduced
! a little In width. After this is done more
extended flights will be made.
First Passenger Taken Up.
The first passenger Of the day was E.
H. Wilson, who has been studying the
work of the aeroplane on behalf of some
prospective purchasers. The straight Of
the polo field Is about half q mile. and
flights were made from end to end. From
100 to 15O feet was used in the rise and
the same, or less. In landing, except when
there we're two passengers aboard. Ihen
1t took longer to get into the air.
After Wilson was taken for the 1ni-
tial flight there were flights made IN
quick succession with Addison NJ
Smith. the son of the builder Of the
plane; Rex Smith himself and Fred
erick Fox, Mr.. Smiths assistant
c. A. NJ. Wells, q member Of the aero
plane company. was then taken up Mr
Wells is an automobilist and had al
ways declared that automobiles were
good enough for him and that he
would not go In q flying machine un-
der any circumstances. BY the time
he came back down the field he was
converted and wanted to 60
again. Another flight was made with
L. A. Fffer Of the F'ifer- P1agel Aero
plane Company Of Norristown, Pa.
A Star reporter was then given
night, Just to see what the sensation
was. Jannus was still the aviator. The
start was made from back OF the
Speedway band stand. When the mo-
tor was first started there was deaf
ening roar and a slight jolt as tho ma
chine ran over the ground. Then the
roar and the vibration both lessened.
The rush Of the air carried the noise
away backward, and as the machine
gathered speed there was less weight
ton from the ground. But there was
absolutely no sensation OF going into
the air.
There was q slight shout from the crowd
as the machine lifted. and 1t was only on
attention being called to the fact that 1t
was possible to look down and see that
the skids were of the ground and the
machine was really floating, instead Of
rolling.
Felt Like Going Over Road.
AS the aeroplane went higher it was
possible to see that the ground was really
some distance down. but the vibration Of
the motor still kept up the Illusion Of run
ming over q very slightly roughened road.
1t was about the same amount OF Jolt
that one would get from an automobile
with tight-pumped tires on a good road.
The machine was making about fifty
miles an hour. so the flight did not last
long.
The landing was the same as the start.
The machine simply foated down, and
probably had been on the ground hfty
feet before there was enough check TO the
speed to show that the plane really had
landed. On the ground the machine con-
tinued under its own power, guided by
the rudder just as when In the air. II
rounded the bandstand on the ground,
and them as the throttle was opened
wider there was a roar and a rush as the
plane again took the air. The greatest
height reached was thirty feet.
And 1t was cold.
Talk about the sensation Of flying!
lSv~L to Y0 hi q
to the keen desire for a steam radiator,
4 fur overcoat, ea<' NUNS and gauntlet
gloves.
The first two-passenger flight was
made with James O'Hagan and Fred
Fox as the passengers. and Janus as
aviator The machine took a little
longer run to get into the air, but 1t
carried the extra weight after 1t started
apparently as easily as it had carried
noticeable change. however in the rate
of speed. With a single passenger
the machine had been making fifty
miles an hour. but with the two pas
sengers 1t was paced down the length
the speedometer on the machine
showed just forty miles an hour.
Passenger Weighs 200.
The heaviest single passenger car
ried was Hugh M. Sterling OF the Rex
Smith Company. He weighed just 200
pounds but though that much extra
weight was carried on one side Of the
machine. there was apparently no in
reference with the balance.
| Fred Aubert of the Wellman diri-
gible balloon expedition party was
given a couple of flights in the ma
| chine.
The greatest weight carried in
| the morning was during a two-passen-
ger flight when Janus, O'Hagan and
| Wilson went together. The combined
| weight was l42 pounds. but the ma
| chine seemed to carry 1t without any
diff1culty.
The last flight Of the morning was
made by Rex Smith himself
pArr. SnCCEEnS MwATT