Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-27
TO MAKE AEROPLANE
THAT WON'T TIP OVER
This is u Problem Inventors Are Try.
ing to Solve and Make Flying
Absolutely Safe.

Shaping an aeroplane so it will not
turn over If left to itself in the air Is
this years problem in flight, and fair
solutions are beginning to come in
sigh. Before the year is over, vast
step forward may be expected judg-
ing by the successes of the last few
months, and by the attention which Is
being given the problem by the keen
airmen and engineers Of Europe and
America. Speed, reliability of en-
gines, weight-carrying ability, and
strength they have already won.
It is a mistaken idea that the way
to solve the problem is to devise some
little apparatus that will always quick
ly pull the right levers and so keep
the aeroplane level. At best that is
only half Of the problem. Such an
apparatus has been devised on many
principles for many makes Of aero
planes, and takes tho name of auto
matte stabilizer"
In contrast with the idea Of auto
matte stability is inherent stability"
which means an aeroplane so built
that it wants to keep straight
course all the time because of the lines
on which it is built, just as an arrow
Is built so it will shoot straight and
not swerve to the right or left, and
only points down as it loses speed
So most of the aeroplane designers
are working primarily on the idea of
inherent stability. Even those de-
signers who have devices for automat-
ic stability appreciate that to give
these devices a fair show, the aero
plane ought anyway to be as inherent
ly stable as possible. 1t is not rash
to claim that no device for automatic
stability will be a success until in
herent stability is largely obtained.
Every boys experience with kites
has taught him that the shape of the
kites is all important in keeping the n
up in the air. A poorly shaped kite
will dive in the steady wind. So from
the first flights by the Wrights the
shape has been recognized as i'm
portant, but not until the last few
months has the study of detail on
shapes grown so all important.
Two kinds of inherent stability are
necessary, lateral stability, which
means that the aeroplano will not tip
over sideways, and dircctional stabil-
lty, which means that It will not dive
down or up. So far as turning to the
right or left Is concerned, the prob
lem Is not so geriaus, for It is not so
dangerous a maneuyer, and is natur-
ally controlled by the airman's rudder
The size and shape of the tail were
first recognized as important, and still
are on the principle Of tail feathers of
an arrow keeping the arrow flight
straight This part of the problem has
been pretty well solved and large tails
of fairly well settled shape are the
rule on most aeroplanes which seek
inherent stability, The greatest value
of tho tail is in It's help on dlrectional
stability, to keep the nose from diving
up or down.
1t Is the shape Of wings, however,
that the real studies are accomplish
ing results, and simple principle is
the basis here. On every aeroplane
there Is Center Of pressure" which
corresponds somewhat to a center OF
gravity 1t Is apparent that If the
center Of pressure moves towards the
front Of the machine, the aeroplane
will want to dive down or Il the CEN
ter of pressure moves back, the aero
plane will want to steer upwards
Sudden gusts Of wind hitting the aero
plane harder in some places than in
others, shift this center Of pressure
forward or backward, as the case may
be, So the idea is to have wings SO
shaped that II the center Of pressure
moves forward tho wing shape will
naturally tend to turn the nose up
ward and vice versa
Two schemes for this have already
had some success Most wings are
curved, like an arch from front to
back II at the back edge the curve
is turned up slightly the tendency is
to make the center OF pressure behave
This Is the idea Of the new Handley
! Page monoplane which made remark
able flights in England. Another idea
advanced by an investigator of the
Massachusetts, Institute Of Technology
Is to make the front edge of the wing
very thick, almost knobby. An
English engineer, II, S, Wildeblood
has found that making n wing like
some feathers with a thick quill near
the front edge and rather pllable
material back Of It, is effectual.
For lateral stability most aero
planes have the wings slNnting up
from the middle, or turned up at the
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