New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-04
Device to Keep Aero
planes on Even Keel
Not "FoolprOOf."
GYROSCOPE PLAN
WON $4,000 PRIZE
Mechanical Device Does Not
Yet Realize in Full Hope
of All Aviators.

The first opportunity afforded for an
examination of the Sperry aeroplane
/ stabilizer in this country came yester-
/ day. when Lawrence B. Sperry, son OF
Elmer A. Sperry, the inventor, gave a
series of demonstrations at the Bay
side Yacht Club for the benefit of Off
Gals Of the Aero Club of America.
This was the second occasion on which
the new device has been seen here, the
first being when young Mr.. Sperry flew
over New York Harbor, three weeks
ago.
The stablizer won the $4,000 prize
offered last year by the French govern
ment for such a device, and has been
generally conceded to be the most
efficient instrument of its kind yet pro-
duced.
Yesterday afternoon the aviator took
Alan R. Hawley, Henry Woodhouse,
Dr. Charles Jerome Edwards and Rob
ert Pluym on jaunts through the air,
and all of them were delighted with
the performance of the attachment.
With the instrument it is possible to
keep the machine on an even keel in
spite of high winds, as well as to keep
it climbing or descending at any angle
which the operator desires.
Nevertheless, the instrument does
not bring a realization of the dreams
Of aviators since the first aeroplane
fight was made-of inherent stabil-
ity. 1t does not make the aeroplane
"fool-proof," as some of the accounts
of its work claim.
1t produces automatic stability with
out a doubt, and it is possible to bring
the machine out of almost any posi-
| ton by its use. However, as a mill
tary asset it is a good deal of an eX-
1 pertinent, for the reasons given below.
In the first place, the device, which
is a series of horoscopes, requires
power. Minus that it is of no value
The power which Mr.. Sperry used yes.
terday was obtained from a siX-bladed
4 fan, of the windmill type. The flying
speed of the aeroplane is sufficient "a
generate enough power to run the gy-
roscopes.
The second objection TO the instru-
ment is its delicacy. II is a perfect
maze OF small parts and fine wires. As
long as nothing breaks. all will be well
but a flaw in one of the frail looking
parts would put the instrument out OF
commission in a short time. OF course
the various parts are assumed to be
Z strong enough 10 stand any strain
placed upon them.
Also, if the stabilizer, through an
accident, should be thrown out of adj
justment, it would be beyond the aver
age military aviator 60 repair it. The
whole apparatus is not lore than a
foot in diameter and is at the forward
end of the fusilage or the boat, if the
machine is of the water type.
What the Sperry stabilizer does is to
produce stability by the use of me-
chanical device. What aeronautical stu
dents hope to bring about is stability
in the planes themselves. However, the
Sperry instrument is so much better
than anything yet produced that its use
in the aviation corps of the nations is
assured until something better is built
Lawrence Sperry did nothing sensa'
tional yesterday, although at the time
Of his flights in France he is reported
to have climbed out on the planes while
flying. He took his hands off the con-
trolls several times yesterday, but the
lack of wind or other adverse condi-
tions did not make for thu best demon
stration possible. Robert Pluym, one
of the passengers, is here in behalf Of
the Russian government and has or
dered one of the stabiliZers for the
Russian army.