The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-11-02
MEN FLY LIKE BUZZARDS.
Wrights Have Perfected Aeroplane
That Flies Without Power.

Kitty Hawk, n. c., Oct. %. -
On this remote post of the Ameri
can continent the Wright brothers
for the past three weeks have been
conducting aeroplane experiments
that will have vital influence on
the future of the aerial transporta-
ton. The climax of the plodding,
painstaking tests occurred when Or
vile Wright caused his motorless
biplane to hover over a spot only
fifteen feet in diameter for more
than ten minutes.
Our experiments have been very
satisfactory" said Orville Wright,
discussing his flight. "They have
been far beyond my expectations.
came here simply to carry out
some ideas 1 had worked out at
home concerning gliding machines.
AS matter of fact, l was not very
optomistic about extensive success.
But after / had re-arranged a num-
ber of details, / was astonished at
the ease with which 1 succeeded in
keeping the craft in the air for
such a long period. Our success is
due to the fact that the craft is ex-
ceptionally efficient. BY efficiency,
1 mean that all it's parts are bal
anced so as to make a perfect lift
Ing
When an aviator speaks of eff
ffciency, he means the capabilfty of
an aeroplane to fly with the least
In mind the soaring qualities of an
aeroplane. 1 can truly say that our
craft is enormously efficient. ]
don't mean to claim that we can
fly without power, but l do mean
that we can fly with less power
than any machine that Is built.
Under certain conditions I am
certain that the ideas we have de-
Veloped during the past few weeks
would enable us to build a ma
chime which would fly with even
less horse power. l know that we
could fly for an hour without pow
er, given proper atmospheric con-
d1tions, and / see no reason why
We cannot fly for ten hours If we
have flown for one minute 1t is
simply a question of the time, the
place, the wind and the machine.
In order to make extensive pow
erless flights, however, the craft
would have to be built mora strong
ly. At the present time such con-
struction is now economical. Owing
to the state of the skill of avia-
tors 1t would cost them too much to
pay for the frequent breakage of an
expensive craft.
But 1 don't wish to give the i'm
preston that l think the present
machine in use Is defective. 1t is
my opinion that our latest type of
biplane is about as good as any
craft will be for many years to
come. 1t flies with less power
than any craft in existence; it is
strong and durable, and it is sus-
oeptible of almost perfect control.
When some OF the things have dis
covered here are incorporated in
tie craft, 1 don't think it will
easily be surpassed
Il do think that the future of the
aeroplane depends to a certain ex-
tent upon the future of the motor
Not that l want to say the pres
ent motor is lacking in any serious
manner. l think the motor OF the
present is just as perfect as the hu-
man machine. But do believe
that, with natural evolution, mo-
tors will be made to deliver more
power and will be built more COM
pactiy. There are many features OF
the motor that will be refined.
:. concerning the automatic stabiI-
lty device which has been SO over
emphasized in the press, / can on
ly say that we regard it as subsid-
ary. Our machine is practically au-
tomatlcally balanced now. 1t can't
turn turtle if properly arranged.
The pendulum device and the allie
ron contrivance, operated by com
pressed air, are old ideas which we
mad no purpose of trying out here.
The device we wanted to try is
a simple affair which can be rigged
up out of any material in ten min
utes. We will test 1t at Dayton.
RODE A BIGHORN SHEEP