The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-09
CODY SUCCEEDED
DESPITE JEERS
First Machine Has Been Smashed, But
Others Will Be Built for the
British Army

London, August -(SpeciaD-B Behind the
Dig balloon shed on Farnborough common
group of army mechanics might re-
Gently have been seen clearing away a
tangled heap of twisted wood and steel
all that remained of an aeroplane that
has secured a niche in history.
This incident wrote "finis" to the fa-
nous Cody biplane. which had been
smashed by young army lieutenant in
fall that cost him his life.
But the fame of this wonderful machine
will go down to posterity just as Rolls
first motor car which drove out of Victo-
ria station preceded by a man with a red
flag, is now a cherished memory, for
ccdys biplane has done more to advance
English aeronautics than any other ma
chine in the world.
Most European nations have their rep
resentative aeroplanes whose achieve-
ments have brought their respective coun-
tries to the front in aeronautica matters
France has its Beriot monoplane, Amer
lea its Wright biplane. and Britain has
Its Cody bipiane which many experts
consider the best of all.
Few people realize that Cody's biplane
was the pioneer flying machine in tins
country. He built it four years ago, soon
after the flying trumphs of the Wright
brothers in America had electrified the
werld. But England stood by and
scoffed at the valiant efforts of this big,
silent man, who is an American, by the
way, to secure this country place in the
aeronaufical sun.
Jeered at on all sides by tickle public
and taunted in the press at the failure of
his "reapng machine or Cathedral" as
his machine was styled, Cody's early ef-
forts were carried out against tremendous
odds
The climax came when after a partcu-
larly bad smash the war office dispensed
with Cody's services and washed their
hands of his machine. which originally
had been meant for the army
To the outsider Cody appeared unmoved
by this disastrous setback, which was
signal for the renewal of the scoffs and
taunts that had dogged from the very
beginning his endeayors to give England
the worlds best aeroplane.
But beneath his rugged exterior Cody
suffered agonies of mind. For some time
his work was at standstil, and during
that period Britain came very near losing
the aeroplane that is hers today But
eventually this wonderful man continued
his efforts to conquer the air. which was
fortunate for the country, for Cody never
lost his optimism confidence in his ma
chine, and after several minor successes
Cody achievedQne of the most wonderful
and complete hiumphs that has ever
Come the way of discouraged pioneer
He brought his huge biplane-which. ex-
cept for a few minor alterations was
practically the same machine he had
flown all along-down to Salisbury plain
TO compete In the army aeroplane trials
last August
Pitted against him were the pick of Eu
ropes aeroplane. The dapper foreign con-
struetors strolled around Cody's English
blplane and examined its rough -and-ready
build with scarcely yelled contempt
Compared with the cabinet-fnished
bodies and snowy-white wings of the for
elsn machines, Cody's cathedral to say
the least, looked grotesque With its un-
polished bamboo struts and muddy. oil
stained planes, it was like a builders
cart amongst group of finished motor
cars.
But Cody. with the biplane that he built
Tor England's fame, beat all his rivals He
climbed in his monster machine a thou
sand feet in the air In less than three
minutes, flew at the record biplane speed
or = miles am hour and led the way into
the air in wind and transforms.
He swept the board of the rewards. re-
ceivins s5o00 in all and ie1o0o for his ma
chine from the war office that three years
before had sent him adrift.
But although this wonderful machine
is now mass of wreckage, it's work for
English aeronautics will still go on.
Machines like it will soon be flying. un-
der the control of army pilots, for a line
of sheds are being erected at Farm
borough, where Cody bplanes are to be
exclusively manufactured for military
purposes.