Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1911-03-16
Recent AerOnautiC Progress
The Military VOisin Biplane.

The Voisin Brothers have lately
brought out a new lightweight bi-
plane intended primarily for mill
tary use in which the front horl-
zontal rudder, or elevator, has been
dispensed with, and the seats for
two men have been located side by
side in the covered forWardly-pro-
jecting body that has been used on
all Voisin machines.
A NEW AIRsHIP AND A FRENCH BIPLANE
The dimensions of this new BIZ
plane are II meters (36O8 feeD
spread 1O.5 meters (33.44 feeD
over all length and 80 square
meters (4O903 square feeD total
supporting surface. With the
Gnome motor, the weight complete
is 400 Kilograms (881.S4 pounds)
The parallel planes of equal length
are 6 IL feet in width. Attached
to the rear edge at the outer ends
of the uppermost plane are two
very large hinged flaps, or ailerons.
These taper and diminish very per
ceptlbly in width from their center
point to their ends toward the cen
ter of the machine, the inner ends
being about half the width Of the
outer ends. The uprights separat-
ing main planes as we'll as the body
frame and the wide framework ex-
tending back Of the main planes
and supporting the tail, are made
of nickel steel tubing which gives
great strength and permits the
rapid taking down Or assembling
of the machine. This tubing is ell
liptical in shape, which gives the
minimum air resistance.
The aeroplane is mounted On two
pneumatic-tired wheels, located
below it On telescope tubes having
coiled wire springs to take up the
shock in alighting. Forwardly-in-
clined tubes running almost to the
front end Of the body brace this
chassis in suitable manner. AT
each end of the lower plane are
semi-circular skidS to take the
shock in case the machine tips
when alighting. Tiny skidS of sim
liar shape are placed at the rear
end of the frame that supports the
tail This is single surface affair
located above the single vertical
rudder at the top and extreme end
of the rearwardly- projecting frame
work. Inclined braces form the
bottom of the frame hold the rear
edge of the tail rigid so that the
horizontal rudder can pivot about
it. This rudder consists of a hing
ed flap operating wires running
from a vertical lever attached to
it's front edge. The wires connect
with the duplicate control wheels,
in the body at the front. A for
ACKNOWLEDGMENT movement OF
the control wheels which are at
tached to posts pivoted at their
bottom ends, operates the horizon
tai rudder By turning the wheels
the aviators can work the single
vertical rudder, while by pushing
pedals they can pull down on the
aiIerons or hinged flaps, in case the
machine tips to one side or the
other.
In addition to placing the seats
for the aviatiors we'll in advance OF
the planes the designers of this new
biplane have moved the Gnome
motor forward to a position above
the center of the lower plane.
This has made necessary the use
of seperate shift extending back
from the motor to the tWo-bladed
aluminium propeller. The Voisins
have used such a propeller from
the start and they still believe 1t
preferable to the one of wood. The
blades of laminated aluminium are
pressed and riveted to steel tubes
which work in a slotted hub in such
way that the angle of the blades
and consequently the pitch of the
propeller can be varied while in
flight.