The Washington times., 1914-06-24

my hands. IN this, craft I steer with
my hands and work the ailerons with
foot power.
We sped. along for about three
no effort to rise. although she
strained under US as II anxious to
get up In the air We stopped and
Robinson and Lamont got into the
workboat that followed. Then we
started again.
We Were more at home in her by
now: and Curtiss shot her ahead at
a good pace. and at $40 she left the
surface of the water and flew.
Like the roc of legend, she climbed
Tor twenty or thirty feet. and then
went on about her business on an
even keel Then we came down again
and she slid along the water as
gently as bird. We went about a
mile further and then stopped. We
turned, turned slowly around. picked up
Jumps on the run home.
Everything Workn Smoothly.
We found her elevators to work
smoothly. Her engines were singing
truly and in unison. The ailerons kept
her balanced to a nicety. The wings
lifted her powerfully. In short. she was
a success. Reaching the landing stage.
Curtss alighted and took the wheel.
Win Hailett by my side. We put in
lN-nourd bag Of ballast and took on
a 2co-pound men. who stood up on the
lie IIe seN t.oh TO observe the motors in
action. Then we tried our second flight
and this time she did even more than
was asked of her
wore - helmet and flying overalls.
and Hallett wore his overalls, too. II
%t.s lust 4.iy when We pushed Off for
the second trial. She got under way
with amazing rapidity. considering the
STIFFNESS of her now engines, and in a
few hundred yards she had left the
water for the air. | let her down again
and stopped the engines to test them
ont.
Ihey started again easily enough
rpon cranking, and we went ahead
getting up to fifty miles an hour when
she took the air. She went straight and
true. answering her helm as easily as a
toy balloon is pulled here and there
by a string.
We shot UP to about 100 feet and
then continued at that elevation for
about three miles. flying in a straight
line. Behind and over US the motors
sung with a sureness OF timing that
delighted our ears. II Curtiss has done
nothing else he has built two fine mo-
tors. l depressed her and ": came
down as easily as leaf.
We about-faced nicely, the rudder
working like a liners, and then start
ed home. This time l put her through
some of her PAGES. We flew through
about forty degrees of a circle, steering
from side to side and climbing and de-
scending with a precision that was
good to realize.
On the way out I made three Jumps
going back made one sustained flight.
She seemed to rejoice in being afiowed
to keep the air; she acted quite as
IL that were her native element. Every
foot of her wing surfaces was doing
its duty splendidly and carrying the
weight as IL II were nothing. Certainly
her lifting power left little to be asked
for.
shut off the motor and volplaned
down to the water a quarter OF a mile
from the landing stage, and she shot
ahead under her own momentum for
a considerable distance. showing how
lightly she sits on the water. / OPEN
ed the throttle agcin and she speeded
on the surface, behaving just as well
as she had in the air. When we pulled
her out again she was found to be
quite shipshape. Not one thing was