New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-12

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backed by scientists and great effort is being made to
lift this country into OF excellence in mill
tary aviation.
The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, created
for the dissemination OF learning and the advancement
of science proposes build aerodynamic laboratory
for experimentation in air craft for land and sea
1t has already created advisory council of civilian
experts and military TO make suggestions and draw
plans for the rcjuvenaon of the old plant left at the
Smithsonian by Professor Samuel p Langley. 1t was
there that Langley, defyng the dersion OF the public
and the press showed his faith in his theories UNTIL
May 6, 1896, he actually made the first real flight IN
4 heavier than-air machine.
Now, seventeen years later, the public that eered
him is appaudng the determination of the institution
he served to make of the implements he lett behind.
The regents Of the Smithsonian hope make this labo
ratory sufficient for the government TO do all the work
for aviation that is performed by European powers. At
a conservative estimate it will cost at least three hun
dred thousand dollars to rchabate the Langley plant
and to add to it al those implements needed to
study and promote efficient aviation One of the most
expensive things in connection with it would be tun
mel for testing the heavier-than-air machines. Such
tunnels are now used by of the European powers
in their government experiments. The model of pro-
posed acropanc is suspended in the middle of the tun
mel and currents OF air travelling with tnc velocity At
which the acroplanc would travel ii it really working
are pumped against the model. In this manner the
scientists get line on how the full-Sized acroplane
would act if up in the air Such a tunnel costs
lot of money; but it is absolutely necessary in the
process of thorough experimentation with aviation
According to all experts, fully equipped laboratory
is an absolute necessity. Private enterprise will not
experiment so thoroughly or satisfactorily as salared
government employees. Civilian manufacturers will
turn out machines as ordered by the army navy; but
they cannot afford "ncw stuff" that may never find
market.
X/IIEN the Wrights gave the big impulse to air
w travel the American public dreamed of something
similar to the automobile and its history. 1t was
thought that in few years people would be sailing
through the clouds with comparative safety and that,
as the automobile had been perfected rapidly the same
thing would be done with the aeroplane. In the first
flush of enthusiasm private enterprise took hold of the
manufacture of aeroplaneS big scale. few society
women and wealthy men bought the machines as toys.
back comfortably in their chairs and waited for the
public and the publc's enthusiasm to force the per-
lection of the wings of war
No such thing happened. 1t soon became evident
that while lots of inventive geniuSes and cranks had
fine ideas about how to improve and make the
planes SAFE the fatalities kept up Private enterprise
and private capital became discouraged Prospective
sailors of the air decided to stick to the automobile and
the sreetcar. The earth looked pretty good to them
after they had read their morning papers and scanned
the lists of experts and army officers killed by pockets
in the air failures of the engine and other
The general impression among manufacturers
and military authorities is that the aeropane meant
to stay for only one purpose, Since the United