Omaha daily bee., 1911-10-01
SPEEDING THROUGH The AIR
An Aviator Describes Mechanical
Features of the Business.
DUAL DUTY OF THE PLANES
RepIicns of Natures Curves on .
Bird's wInEs-Effect of the
weather Conditions on
safety of Fliers.

comprehend. He says in part;
The machine shall take for the pur-
poses OF description lie the Farman BIZ
plane. which f1y so often. and which IL
a standard type OF air craft To begin AZ
the very beginning. we will first suppose
that we are watching the aeroplane NOV
ing along the ground prior to flight.
Az the rear Of its two main planes Is
the engine. This, revolving at thousand
revolutions q minute. carries round with
Il the propeller, and 30 forces the ma
chine along the ground. The propeller OF
the aeroplane is constructed very care
fully from layers Of special wood. II has
two blades. These, whirling round In the
air. thrust the aeroplane forward In the
same way as does the propeller OF ship
The weight carrying effect with such an
aeroplane is obtained from the two big
main planes. These. one set above the
other, are kept apart by wooden supports
which are held rigidly In their place by
tension wires One OF the first things
that An observer notes regarding the INT
ing plEnes OF the machine IL that they
have A curve upon diem. The front edge
tits down a little, and toward the rear
the planes curve down slightly also
Many people ask, ''WhyF
Curves of the Planes.
The answer is simple. The plane copies
In It's curve the wing Of BIRD. II WaS
IJlienthaI. a German engineer who was
making experiments with gliding aero
planes as long ago as 1880 who discovered
that the bird-wing curve exercised tar
greater lift when thrust through the
air than did q flat plane surface 80
nowadays all the planes Of asroplanes are
replicas OF natures curve on the oirde
wing.
There IL no difficulty In explaining how
the curve on a plane acts when the aero
plane is in flight. You must remember
that the plane moves through the air.
when the machine is in motion, at
speed OF more than forty miles an hour.
The air first strikes the dipping nose
as II is called. OF the plane. Some OF II
Immediately rushes up Under the curve
on the lower side Of the plane, and sweeps
away in a curving stream toward the
rear edge OF the surface. The effect IL
that Of gripping the air during the period
that Il passes under the plane.
what happens may be better under
stood. perhaps, II say that the air 10
thrust down by the curve OF the plane
This action allows the plane to derive an
appreciable '1ift" out OF the air which II
displaces. The cir that passes over the
top side of the plane 10 made TO 40 use
ful work also It's tendency 10 TO move
straight back from the front edge Of the
plans. II does not follow the downward
curve toward the rear edge Of the plane
Thus, Is the air passes straight away
a partial vacuum is created along the dip
ming down edge Of the plane. ana this ea-
ercises q distinct upward pull Therefore
thu plane IL pushed from below, and
pulled from above. The dual effect makes
the bi.d.wing curve more effective than
a fiat plane would be,
nv the adoption Of this curved plane
the builders OF aeroplanes know that II
they employ & machine with q certain
number Of square feet Of surface. and
thrust Il through the air at a certain
speed, they VIII be able 70 lift into the
air a certain weight. ] have now de-
scrioed how the two main supporting
planes OF a biplane 40 their work. But
this u not all.
Duties of the Tail.
The question OF balance and control en-
teru largely into the flying problem
Therefore. you find. set out upon WOODEN
booms At the rear of the biplane, tai
composed of two small planes. placed one
above the other. These two planes tend
10 balance the aeroplane when in flight
IN the same way as does the tail OF q
bird. Then one mes 70 the point 40
20 how the aeroplane IL TO be made 70
rise or fan, turn from side to side. or
balance itself when II shows tendency
70 tip Sideways In the air
Midway between the two small tail
planes one finds a vertical plane which
resembles the rudder OF G ship. This
plane, In fact. acts for the asroplsne In
the same way as does the rudder OF
vessel
Now comes the question OF making the
aeroplane rise or fall. To DO this one
finds set out in front OF the main planes
on wooden outriggers. . small HORIZONTAL
plane. which can be moved up CT down
at the win Of the pilot Very often this
front elsvating plane u coupled up with
a smaller one, which 10 fixed At the rear
Of the tail planes. 90 as 70 exercise
greater lifting influence
The only other eontroli device u
represented BY the "aiIerons." These are
fixed az the rear edges OF the mar
planes. ana work up and down on hinges
Th,ur obtSct is 20 correct any loss Of
lateral stability upon the machine; or, z
nut IL more simply. 70 counteraet ans
sideway falling movement when In flight
How they act may thus be described
when the aeroplsne is struck down by I
gust OF wind. ana tiita over on ons aide
the pilot draws down the "ailerons' o.
the SIDE of the machine which IL de
pressed The wind. acting upon, the nj
erons." pushes the machine back again
upon an even keel Thus you have out
lined the controlling mechanism OF tn
biplane
the Pilot IN Action.
Kew comes the question OF lying suel
a machine. The pilot takes his seat Of
the front edge OF ths lower main-plans
exactly in It's eeater. To his left han
are the switches which control the en-
CINE. 70 his right hand Is a lever II
places his feet against . ROD. whie
moves 70 and FRO upon central hinSs
Mechanics staEt the engine by swinsin
round the big propeller. Then. when n
motor has started. he aeceleratss It b
rno.dne a switch until It Il turning IN
propeller at its maximum speed.
Until he Is quite ready TO start III
rnechiLniea hold back the aeroplans B
erippIng the tail-booms After hstenin
4 - sha hraf4a ana maxim