New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-01

CO.
MoNoPLANEs AND BTPLANEs: Their
Design, Construction and operation, Ine
Application Of Aerodynamic Theory cory,
with a Complete Description ana CON- m.
parison of the Notable types. ~
Grover Cleveland Looming, 4, &c. a.
NJ with 27S Illustrations. 12mo' PIP
xiv, 81. Mum & co.
THE AERoPLANE. PAST. PRESSEM o
White and Harry Harper With ninety sio
three illustrations SN9' ptp,,,ott Gown
Philadelphia: The J. 3. Lippincou OoHi-
pany.
While these three books occasionally
overlap each other, as is but inevitabie'
they far oftener supplement each other'
since each has been written with on-
ferent purpose. Mr.. Kaempfert's book is
an admirably clear ''popularizauon OF
the whole science and art OF nylng' from
it's earliest beginnings TO Its present
state OF development. Mr.. Loenings
book can be proftably taken up after
perusal of THE New Art OF Flying, Tor
"Monoplanes and Biplanes' progresses
from Mr. Kaempferts clear exposition IN
non-technical terms to detailed teen
meal discussion Of design, constructor
ana OD6I dlithi hLlN VI NAiS SN'N--~~
cir. with algebraic formula. geometrlc
figures. weather charts. tables of air
pressures. etc. II includes also COM
plete description of all the models now
in use, and a list of technical terms with
their definitions. In fact, while the lay
man will find the reading of Mr.. Loen-
ings treatise greatly facilitated by his
preliminary study Of Mr.. Kaempfert, he
will. on the other hand, be led to recog-
nize far more fully the popular thor
oughness of 1.-THE New Art of Flying" by
his entrance upon the theory Of Mono
planes and Biplanes' in its direct rela-
ton to actual design and practice.
Messrs. Grahame- Whites and Harry
Harpers handsomely illustrated volume
is what used to be known as sym
postum" on various aspects Of aviation,
among its contributors being Louis
Bleriot. the late Cecil S. Grace, Howard
r. Wright. Henry Farman and Louis
Pauihan. All these authors combine in
paying tribute 10 the enduring impor-
lance Of the work Of three pioneers, Lii
lienthal, Langley and Chanute; all dis
cuss at length accidents and their causes.
all look into the future, while, finally,
Mr.. Kaempfert and Messrs. White and
Harper have chapters on the aeroplane
end the law. and on its possible place in
warfare. An important feature Of The
Aerorlane Past and Present is its rec
ord Of fatalities from Lillienthars death
in 1896 down to February of the present
YEAR a total of thirty-four Still more
interesting is this books alphabet
cal list Of the worlds air pilots, 66I
in number. of whom more than half
$50 are Frenchmen, England coming
second with 12S, Germany third with 40
Italy fourth with IS, Russia fifth with
81 and America sixth with 81. Japan
contributes four airmen. No less than
seven French women are included. The
large number Of military flyers in the
list is significant Of the interest taken in
the aeroplane by the governments of the
world. Finally. this book contains de-
tailed lists of aeroplane records, with
the year. the name of the pilot and the
distance for 'cross-country flying, with
and without passengers, duration and
distance flights, speed flying, altitude
fving-M. Santos Dumont leading chron-
logically with three feet attained in
19O6-passenger carrying and oversee
flights
Mr.. Kaompfert opens his book with
sane reminder that posterity may yet
come TO Judge the invention of the tele-
phone. the telegraph or of open-hearth
steel Of far greater material benefit to
humanity than that of the aeroplane,
whose development for practical pur-
noses still lies very much in the future.
The machine, he points out, must be
made far safer before it can have COM
ncrcial value; as yet it is only dan
eerous sport. Still he continues, it was
~ developing the racing automobile
that the touring car was perfected, ana
the Tying machine appears to be moving
sloug the same line Of progress:
The racer will give birth to the touring
GNer, iU5t as the touring car OF to-Udy wa
evolved from the racing car or nVe years
aSc incredible as II may seem IN lesS
tIau a wear from the date when Bleriot
which sat France aerOp!ane mao, the
gctucl sales Of dying machines outnum-
hcted tie actual sales Of AUTOMOBILES IN
the first year of their ComlnelGial ueNel
o.r7cnt 4 flying Frenchman clamors Tor
lis Bl6rlot or Farman as lmpauently as
~ adtOmObling american mllnohalFe IOI
his higher power car, ordered months ii
advance.
The simplicity and clarity of Mr.
Kaemrfert's explanations Of what is,
after all. n complicated scientific and
mechanical subject are delight
throughout. whether he is explaining
the lessons learned by the pioneers from
observation Of the fight Of birds. the
rripcjple on which the hiplano was de-
Neloped from the monoplane or the
progress Of the study Of equilibrium
and the methods adopted for securing 1t
fore and aft and side 10 side with rud-
ders and ailerons-which are among the
causes Of many pending suits for pat
ent irfringements The factors Of dan
ger are considered in their separate
divisions. that Of the strength and re-
liability Of the machine. its motor and
propeilor, that Of the air and its meal
culable surprises, and that of the air
man himself. his experience. presence Of
mind and physical fitness
Mr. Looming states that over 50 per
cent OF the accidents that have taken
place have occurred in conditions Of
wind that were easily recognized as
dangerous. and enters at length into