The Washington herald., 1914-05-30

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|e6s.y = nSipssaun Ilp1s - ~ 11enesr
:. Z q Av5etfeps
samuSl rssspeas ranosy's study and
|e3psrimsass Ia coursctipn win asro-
nAatics bsssn b ~. several year, be-
foss SERIOUS mip6sd psrnons considered
asrial nsyssstien WITH machines heavier
than xhs sk pfsesieal, and sxtended
lsvsr nsariy sixteen yeass NJ Langley
demonstrstsd many principles which
since haxs proved invalusbie to the
science Of aviation.
{ DR.. LAns1sy' main object was to es-
tabIish ~ experiment the possibility Of
Transporting . body heavier than the
air through that. medium. He began
with studies Of toy asroplanes propelled
with rubber bands. which led to more
pellerA steam and gas engines, and to
bis anal experiments with . man-carry-
ne machine propelled by gasoline en-
zine. In his early experirnsnts he met
with many discouragements. but his per-
sistency Led finally 10 those results which
led to HE being called The First Bird
Nan."
!, The: results Of his experiments were
published In popular form In several
magazines and periodicals while his
technical scientific reports were issued
by the emithsoaian Institution during his
term a. secretary. from 1857 TO 1906. His
frst real contribution to the science of
aeronautics was entitled Experiments in
Aerodynamics," published On 1891. which
covered his early physical researches In
~ - -
that the real problem OF aviation were
those Of guiding and eievating a plane,
rather than OF supporting II. DR.. Lang
ley already had established the possi-
bility Of the latter by means Of his sus-
pended planes the planned dropper and
other apparatus. In 1911 q complete ac-
count Of his investigations relative to the
models and the large machine was Is
sued under the title Of the Langley Me-
moir on Mechanical Flight"
Mr.. Langley undertook the construc
ton OF the FIRST heavier-th air mode
machine In 1850. He felt that II woult
be impossible to conduct further investi
cations resarding night without study
ing flight itself. The FIRST model aero
plane. or ''aerodrome." as he called IL
was completed after four years Of ex
perimentation. II was a steam-driver
HidGhinc Win Two Sel8 OI mOnOpldnt
wings arranged In tandem and a tin,
steam plant which weighed only sever
pounds, complete. and yet developed Ia
horsepower. Many boilers. burners. ant
frames were built and discarded befor,
the aerodrome was finished. and ther
came the problem Of launching II. Thi,
finally was accomplished by means Of
an overhead track from which the ma
chine. when ready TO ny. was shot int
the air by q series Of springs.
The FIRST successful flight was mad,
on May 8. 1886. at Quantico. on the Pc.
tomac River, by this tandem type plane
which had q wing spread of thirteen feet
and q total weight Of thirty pounds. Tn,
flight occupied one minute and twenty
seconds. In which time the little machin,
covered distance Of 500 feet. 1t wa,
Immediately started again and made q
flights of a machine heavier than air
propelled by its own power. made In tn.
history Of the world. Subsequent flight
Of this machine and others. with both
steam and gasoline power, proved theil
efficiency, and also demonstrated the cor
rectness Of Mr.. Langley's theory of IN,
practicability Of night.
Early in 1898 the government becam,
interested In the possibility Of employ
ing large flying machines in time OF war
and requested Mr.. Langley to build q
man-carrying machine. This task thu
inventor undertook. and finally. In 1903
full-sized steel machine 1t had a 1--WE
cylinder gasoline engine built In tn,
Smithsonian shops under the direction
Of Charles N. Manly. developing a httl,
more than fifty-two actual horsepower
and Weighing. with radiators. batteries
and twenty pounds Of cooling water. onl.
207 pounds. The complete aerodrom,
ready for flight weighed about $50 pounds
including the aviator. and had a tota
supporting area Of loo square feet. or q
total Of LIS square feet Of surface to the
pound.
Before the completion and test OF tn,
large machine. however. q quarter-siz
gasoline model was constructed. whicl
few with success on August s. 1908.
Two flights with the man-carrying ma
chine were attempted on October an,
December 8. 1903. but owing to an in
efficient launching apparatus. the aero
drome was not successfully launched int.
the air, but fell into the water before
got free from the track and launching
ways. II Immediately was taken out o
the water. carefully cleaned. and sine
has been stored In the Smithsonian
laboratory.
The War Department did not make al
additional appropriation for further ex
periments, and DR.. Langley. owing L
lack Of funds. never undertook to fly tn
machine again. DR.. Langley died Of
February q. 1906.
The first real flight by a man In Al
aeroplane was made on December II, 1900
at Kittyhawk. n. c.. by Wilbur Wright
Its duration was ffty-nine seconds an