Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-09-04
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French aviation commission There were So COM
peitors entered in that contest of aeroplane safe
ty devices, and the American victory is one in
which we. should take good deal of pride By
that success aviation broadly acquires new ele-
ment of practicability and the flying machine will
have far wider fields of daily usefulness open to
it. We are now within reach of that state Of the
art where flying will be safe as Watching;
the air pilot will have little to do than sim
ply to steer his machine to right to left, up
and down, as he may desre-the stabilizer will
keep him from upsetting and will even check him
should he deliberately trespass toward the hazard
GUS in some wilful movement
Now gyroscope will ordinarily react against
the external disturbing force, matter In what
direction that upsetting effort is applied. How
then does Mr. Sperry make use of the gyroscope
in stabilizing the aeropane, and, especially, how
does he produce harmony of action when he util-
itzes four of these remarkable little spinning fly
wheels?
The four horoscopes combined In pairs
one pair to regulate the fexing of the wing tips
and the other pair to prompt the shifting of the
tail planes Now, each pair must be dead" to
the force which calls for action in the other. and.
again, there must be even measure OF con-
dict between the two horoscopes constituting
pair. That is to say, the horoscopes for lateral
stabilizing opposed to each other like two
persons facing and alternately pushing and pull
ing each other to obtain the right of way. Sud
denly some one tries to clear the patch by SHOW
ing them from side, and instinctively to
maintain their own balance, they unite against
the intruder. 1t is just in this fashion that Mr..
Sperry unites by seeming opposition each pair of
horoscopes that they will be absorbed in their
mutual struggle until aroused to service in the
designed plane OF mutual action.
Each gyroscCpe is not any bigger, including its
casing than fair-sEed fist, and don't suppose
that the persistent tendency to hold to their
chosen planes is in itself capable Of exerting the
force that directly pulls the controlling wires that
work the several stabilizing surfaces. Their mis-
sion is to feel" the need of action and to call
into service mechanism of sufficient vigor to do
what the pilot would otherwise accomplish by
swinging his body or working lever. In the
latest form of his stabilizer Mr.. Sperry has
course to a power apparatus which he calls
servomotor. This servomotor is driven by cleo
tricity, and is sturdy apparatus instantly
sponsive to the call of the horoscopes. To it are
led the control wires, and these are operated i'm
mediately upon the first arrival of fitting tip
ping gust OF wind. Without stabilizer the aero
plane may be unbalanced goodly number of
degrees before the pilot is alive to the situation,
and the movement acquires greater ampli-
tude before he can check it. With the Sperry
stabilizer, on the other hand, the flying machine
is held to its equilibrium well inside of zone
of one degree
Have you ever lost your way in fog? Well,
If you have then you may appreciate the variety
of ways in which aviator may go astray when
aloft. Once above the clouds the horizon dis
appears. and, within some limits, he may not
know whether he is going up down whittier
his machine is heading. His poise, when ad-
vancing is always angular one, and he may
think himself going straight ahead, WHILE in fact
he is actually descending.
But the risks in climbing skyward. without