The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19

The most important piece OF evidence
IN support " the prediction is perhaps
the award IN France the other day ot
the first prize. $4,000, offered by the
committee OF the ConCours dc Securite
TO the Sperry Gyroscope Company of
New York for It's automatic aeroplane
.tabtlizer In that competition there
we're fifty-seveu entrants. The automatic
s,abiizing Of q flying machine is a
problem brstling with difficulties, and
its solution has been sought along a
variety OF lines.
In the recent competition in France,
every country that mas done anything in
aviation was represented. Among the
entrants was the Dunno machine, the
Invention Of Lieut.. Dunno of the Brit
Ssh navy. Of which much has been writ
ten. Briefly. tho character OF this BIZ
plane is such that the arrangement of
the wings serves in n degree to main
tain the equilibrium of the craft because
Of the inherent stability thus assured.
Also. the creation OF VI. Doutre was
entered. this machine being cleverly
staoillzed fore and aft by means of a
little palette which Is sensitive to the
Wind pressure and automatically con-
trolls the stern or tail plane Its pur-
pose is mainly 10 guard against drops
due to the failure of supporting pressure
On the wings either through the stop
ping OF the motor or change of direc-
ton in the air currents. To this extent
the Doutre apparatus Is an automatic
s,ety feature. but It does not provide
-
bllity.
The second prize was awarded to the
hiplane Of Paul Schmitt, which Is SC
arranged that the varying angles OF
the wings help to stiffen the poise OF the
craft in flight and to that measure make
the aeroplane harder 10 upset.
II is singular that tho Wright COM
pany was not represented. especially as
the Aero Club OF America awarded Or
vile Wright its trophy for the greatest
achievement in aviation in 1913 because
Of his stabillzer.
Perhaps the explanation OF the alb
sence OF the Wright device lies in Its
experimental state, because there does
not seem to have been as yet any public
demonstration OF It in service. Again
according TO published descriptions OF
the mechanism, its action hinges pri-
marily upon the inspiration of pondu-
,lums. and the pendulum in the labora-
tory Is a very different affair from q
pendulum hung upon an aeroplane and
susceptible OF the disturbances peculiar
TO air craft. The great difficulty in en-
ploying pendulum upon flying ma
chine is 10 arrest its oscillations as vel
as 70 temper It's control to suit the IN
div,dual problem presented by each on
coming gust Of wind.
There are aviators who argue that
stab!lizer Is confession OF weakness o
design in the machine. That Is to say
the aeroplane should have inherent sta
bilty of such a measure that tho pllo
should be without fear knowing tina
his craft will right itself quickly though
momentarily tossed about. in othe
words be practically counterpart of
water borne raft, the raft rising AM
falling with the tumbllng sea but witt
all It's motion remaining topside up
Analogy gives an answer to this de
mand.
Early submarine boats had n tendency
10 plunge because of the low measure
Of stability fore and aft. Some Of tn
boats We're lost and lives sacrificed o
endangered because Of this crankiness
Al once the cry was raised. I'VE mus
have sitter boats; and the designer
set about meeting the demand. Tn
Improvement IN inherent stablit,
brought IN its train a number of tactica
limitations, such as reduced speed an
sluggishness of response to the sub