The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-07
Gale on Wednesday Almost Too
Much for 1t.
L WILL FLY TODAY
Tests Being Made on Farm Near
Topeka.
Has Wider Spread of Wings
Than Other Machines.

:
would discredit the field for aeropIane
building and testing, Topeka actually
has z contest for the production OF a
successful aeroplane- The BredeI
brothers have turned ont mouOplane
partially successful IN public exhibi-
tons
Now enters the bfpIane OF Alvin K
Longren. A young man Of Swedish
descent, Is years old who has COM
pleted craft OF the CurtlSs type
which is undergoing its initial tests
/ with Uniform success It is true the
real Kansas wind of Wednesday all but
removed It from the contest but by the
end OF another week Il = expected to
be ready for exhibition fights
Longren nd his uechaniciau. Will
lam Janicke, had g strenuous battle for
the life Of the aircraft at their testing
camp on the Al Schmidt form. 4 II
miles southeast Of the city, during the
gale but they succeeded in saving II
from the raging air currents Its ninth
trial fight IS expected 70 take place
about ; o'clock this evening
This machine IS one of the largest
biplaues ever built It's wings have
length Of 32 feet and its power IS fur
nished by an eight cylinder. so horse
power HaIl-Scotr motor This is
more powerful machine than any seen
here in the professional exhibitions
The initial flight vas made Sarur-
day. September ?. over a large hay
field on the Schmidt farm Other
sion and on Tuesday the machine few
six miles in eight minutes AT q height
Of 500 feet. Aviator Longren cOmpIet-
ing two wide circles Of his trial field
An important fact in connection
with these successful flights Is that
Longren never drove an aer0plane IN
til he built his OWL Consequently,
this IS not only 4 test OF the machine.
but a series Of lessons for himself
Probably Z skilled aviator would have
sailed the craft away upon the first
starting Of its motor
A great deal of invention IS not
claimed by Mr.. Longren in tha4Rroduc-
tfon of his biplane- He has construct
ed It largely On the Curtiss model His
control IS practically the same. with
the fore and aft rudders and the
warping planes, and the machine IS
mounted on wheels
Neither CHrtizs nor the Wrights.
however. has stringent restrictions
operating in this country and by
slight difference in the applications OF
the PRINCIPLES OF Glenn Il CurtISS'
methods. any infringement of his pat
ents IS thought TO have been averted-
With A. < Longren IN the manu-
facEure Of his biplane are associated
his brother. f J. Longren. and Henry
Young OF Clifton. Kan. whose interest
is largely financial II IS the purpose
of these men. when they have estab-
lished the success Of their machine, 70
chimes after the same model II the
CurriSs people are 10 have any objec-
tious they VIII be learned at that time
Interested in Mars Machine.
About five weeks Of actual work
were required by the Longren broth
ers and William Janicke TO construct
their craft The building was done IN
the skating rink in the Hamilton
building at $40 Quincy street But
Aviator Longreu has been busy with
his plans over Z period OF nearly five
years His final incentive was found
in the J. c. Mars exhibition here two
years ago At that time he lived at
Clay Center and came 70 Topeka with
his com pauy OF state militia He was
much interested IN Bud Mars machine
and obtained permission to inspect It
carefully and assist in its ground man
ip ipulati0ns-
Previously. he had been interested
in motorcycles and automobiles
and had built q mOtOrbike and re-
constructed motorcars- IN Decem Der
last he came 70 Topeka as an mspec-
tor OF gasoline engines for the Santa
Ee- His brother z J Lougren. was
en- pIoyad by the santa Fe at that
time and at present IS an inspector
OF motor cars for that road
The aspiring aviator studied aero
sanity and attended a number Of ex-
hibitions 10 continue his instruction I
His last work prior 10 the building
his own machine was carried on at
the recent Chicago meet No doubt
he was pretty thoroughly conyersant
with the principles OF his undertaking
before beginning work
At the successful six-mi1e flight
Tuesday. the new aeroplane was chris /
tened the Topeka l. Longren chose I
TO make his model much larger than I
the usual types Aside from the /
greater length Of the planes. 3 feet.
the machine measures 80 feet over all I
fore and aft The planes are placed I
five feet apart and are five and one
half feet vide, which IS a foot wider /
than standard 4 lifting surface Of 1
345 square feet IS attained com pared +
to 2s5 Of the standard CurtiSs models F
4 propeller z feet IN length sent at .
the rate Of 1.Z00 r p H. Is calculated +
to give q forward in pst6s OF 4 Il feet4
to each revolution. minus the air re- Z
sisrance-
Engine Light But Powerful
The 50 h p engine weighs only z65 +
pounds and the whole VaehIEe weighs /
7nly 6z5 pounds This Is considered +
very light for the larger size and was +
obtained by = careful selection OF the +
spruce. ash and bamboo which went +
INTO the construction The planes f
themselves are OF Fubberfzed Enedz
with Goodyear aeropIaue fabric The /
best Of wire cable vas used in the :
1racings and control leads This wire 4
has breaking resistance Of 500 T
pounds. though very light f
From all indications. including the 4
actual tests the Longren bfplzne is an /
assured success The balancing seems 4
to have been approximately perfect +
When the aviator becomes accustorn-
I'd to its manipulation and slight ad-
iustments have been made as found 4
TO be needed N the testS the machine +
IS to be used IN exhibitions The date
1f these public demonstrations Is ex-
oected 70 be in the near future
First TharuoKn neter-T syupztEize with i
the rich Second Thermoueter-Tes. we i