The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-07
Third Topeka Nan TO Make
Flying Machine.
O. A. KimbaIl, 1912 Bolles Az
enue, Building Aircraft.
USE so H. P. ENGINE
Lifting Surface VIII Be $50
Square Feet.
Flights Here viii Begin Within
Six Weeks.

The third man to make an aeroplane
in Topeka is o. A. Kimball, OF 1919
Bolles avenue. He is making a mono
plane in the barn at his home and ex-
poets TO be ready to fly within six
weeks. This will be the second To-
peka-made monoplane. Bredel Broth
ers of 3O1 Jackson street made the
first Topeka flying machine of that
type, and also the first to be construct
ed here. Longren Brothers were the
makers OF the second air craft TO be
constructed in the city. This IS the BIZ
plane which made flights over Topeka
during the state fair, two week ago.
The Kim ball monoplane Will resem-
BILE the Valkyre which is making
flights near London. England. and also
the smilart-Pfitzner machine which
has made several successful flights
near Hammonsport, y. Y. These two
machines are said to be exceptionally
steady and it is this quality in his air
ship TOR which Mr.. kimball is aiming.
AS a measure of safety double truck
ing or bracing wires will be used TO
strengthen the frame work. which is
of Eliminated spruce and ash.
This frame work. Will support ESQ
square feet Of lifting surface The
wings VIII be each 3Sx7 feet. With
the engine and every thing complete
the machine viii weigh about $50
pounds The engine which is to be "A
rear of the aviator and the controls
in front instead of behind as Is usual
in monoplanes. The propellers. which
will be seven feet long, Will be at the
rear. The wings will probably be
about seven feet from the ground.
The machine viii rest on small
wheels attached to skids. Ruberoid
linen will be used for the lifting sur
face.
This area, C25O square feet). Is near
NF1Ir
mentioned. which carries two people.
Thus Mr. Iimball hopes to carry more
than two people in his machine He
has been working on II for several
months at odd times. He Is decora-
tor by trade.
He made a flight or two IN the Pine
bi-plane which flew at the Taylor tract
north of Garfield park year ago. The
machine was made ia Denver. brought
here and later taken to Fort Worth,
Texas There it was destroyed In a
storm but another one was made 20
take its place.
long Interested I'm Air Navigation.
when 1 was a boy. was much in
terested in kite flying, and made sew
eral experiment with boX-kltes,' said
Mr.. Kimban this afternoon. II con-
tinued those experiments while living
at Dallas, Tex. There 1 heard OF the
Wright Brothers gliding trials in North
Carolina and my interest was redou-
bled. / read all OF the books on aero
nautics 1 could find, and studied All
the literature on che subject possible.
not much had been written
in the United States but / was 80 in
terested that I sent to Europe for
books about the subject
'Since then I have studied and read
up on these matters all OF the time and
took note of the Mars machine here
year ago last spring When the Pine
bi-plane was located at the Taylor
tract. 1 studied its construction and
helped tinker with II, as I am some
thing of a mechanic although I am
a decorator by trade. = made one or
two flights in the Pine machine. but
that is all the experience have had in
flying. However I expect to aviate In
this monoplane in about a month. I
started to make IL about eight months
ago. stopped a while and then about
a month or so started TO work on 81 in
good earnest I don't know just where
will fly from or what I will do about
giving exhibitions. am hoping to be
able to lift a passenger besides the avi-
ator. They would be safer than In the
ordinary machine. / am using the
double trucking, or bracing wires, tho
style followed in Europe and which Is
being adopted by Curtiss. With the
two wires. one IS left II one breaks.
The wires become brittle through crys-
utilization from vibration and when one
breaks IL viii be a warning 20 look
after the others. The breaking OF the
stays is what causes monoplaneE to
collapse often and results in the death
of the aviator"