The Washington herald., 1913-07-13
Aerodynamical Laboratory
Will Be Established.
Representatives from Five
Departments in Committee.
By WILLIAM L. ALTDORFER.


- the new aerodynamical laboratory. to
be established by the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition at Washington. Uncle Sam fs go
ing into the flying business, and all pre-
liminary arrangements have been made
for the establishment Of . fully equipped
laboratory to study and pronounce the
latest dictum relating to the art OF
aviation. Five different departments o.
the government will take part In this
new plan of the government, all working
toward the one end. to further the SCI
ence of aeronautics in rhe United States.
The well-known semi-omctal establish
ment. the Smithsonian Institution. win
Secretary Charles d. Walcott as the
moving spirit. heads the list and VIII CO.
operate with the War Department the
Navy Department. tho Department OF
Agriculture, and the Department OF
Commerce President Wilson recently
appointed representatives from each one
of these DEPARTMENTS as an advisory COM
mittee. This committee will plan all the
scientific investigations and tests In the
realm of aeronautics. to be followed by
other laboratories Of like kind that
might later be established In Washington
or elsewhere in the United States
Flying Tests to BE Made.
In the words of DR.. A. r. Zahm. who
heads the new committee on flying, "It
is proposed to perfect the science and
art of aerial travel by systematic inves-
legations both theoretical and experiment
tai to be made by scientists chosen from
all parts of the United States. All the
available flying equipment. both govern
ment and private, will be made use Of
by the scientists engaged in this work.
The laboratory will be established with
the object of finding the missing link in
al frarf a,l 20 30
not reduce to a minimum some of the
greatest dangers to aviators. The whole
object of the organization will be to make
such scientific investigations and tests
as may serve to increase the safety of
air locomotion. for the purposes of COM
merce. national defence. and recreation"
One Of the most unique arrangements
in the new laboratory will be the con-
struction of one or more wind tunnels
in which a uniform current of air will
be generated at any desired speed UP TO
the terrific maximum Of two miles a
minute These wind tunnels will be the
principal part of the equipment of the
laboratory and will be built by the gov
ernment. and be under the control of the
scientists of the Smithsonian Institute.
Napoleon's success as a general was
mainly due to his having better informa-
ton than his enemies. and Uncle Sam
is now proceeding on this theory. one
of the greatest American military au-
thorities of the present day said: We
must not make the mistake OF imagining
that because We have sman army we
require less Information. On the con-
traTy, the size of our body for obtaining
information ought TO increase inversely
the size of our army diminishes."
And il is with this object that the gov
eminent is proceeding with the new
laboratory, so that. although IN the past
America has Jagged FAR behind other
nations in the art OF aerial navigation.
II will not be long before American push
and energy Will forge quickly to the
front and take the place now held py
France and Germany.
Bureau L. Equipped.
The Bureau of Standards already has
a complete equipment and stan OF men
ready to carry on the work IN connec-
ton with the new laboratory. This pu-
reau Will have charge OF all such work
as the testing or alrsnIp material, the
power and efficiency OF engines ana pro-
pellers and also will make tests of all
flying machine instruments that may be
submitted to it. 1t will delve deep into
the kind of materials used in aerial con-
struction, with a view to finding the
lightest and most dependable materials
with which to build aircraft This branch
of the work will be carried on under
the direction or Samuel W. strarton.
chief of Uncle Sans factory OF weights
and measures
1T is a very difficult matter to get
instruments used on air crafts absolutely
correct said Chief Stratton. in speaking
of the new work. For instance, one
of our experts found more than twenty
five mistakes in the aneroid barometer,
which is designed primarily for measur
ing height If this instrument should
register correctly while the aeroplane is
ascending and yet incorrectly in exactly
the same condition in descending, it is
easy to imagine the result, the machine
and aviator would be smashed to bits.
Because of this work this instrument is
now one of the most reliable in
The anemeter is a device for meas
uring the speed at which an aeroplane
may be travelling through the air." he
continued. That is another part Of the
work only in its infancy. We have not
yet succeeded in bringing it to perfec-
ton. but it is only a question of time
when We shall do SO. Only a machine
travelling at moderate speed, say from 30
to 40 miles per hour, can now be regis
tered accurately. The full speed of
which an aeroplane is capable cannot be
given absolutely. because there is moth |
ING yet PERFECTED tndt Will 10 tne Work
as It should be done Another thing
we propose to do will be the testing of
temperature instruments and aeroplane
engines. Probably the most important
feature Of a flying machine today is the |
reliability of the engine. In fact. the |
life of the aviator and passengers, IL any
are carried, depend altogether on the |
engine, and what We are trying to do is |
to bring the engine to such a state Of |
Even though it may cause considerable |
expense, the question OF money should |
not be considered as against human life. /
and it will be much better to test these |
things on the ground and in laboratories, |
rather than endanger and probably cause /
the loss Of many lives by making the |
tests in the cir."
Weather Bureau to Assist.
The Weather Bureau will do its part
in the new work by trying to find out |
exactly the conditions OF weather that
endanger flight This will be done by
making particular study of gusts. puffs,
and other irregular disturbances of the
air, when and where they occur, Of ris-
ing trends Of atmosphere by which soar
ing Is accomplished without motive pow
er. and particularly with reference to
those dangerous things called holes in
the air DR.. w. J. Humphries, who
has made study Of aerodynamics for
years, gave the writer an interesting
talk regarding the new work and some
OF the problems to be solved 'Thet