Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-20
OLD LANGLEY MACHINE
IS TO RECEIVE REPAIRS
Will Be Restored to Condition at
Aeroplane Factory of Glenn
H. Curtiss.
Trial Flights Planned, After Which
It Is to Be Placed on Ex-
hibition Here.

There has been sent to the aeroplane
factory Of Glenn H. Curtiss at Ham
mondsport, N. Y. the remains Of the old
Langley flying machine. which was
wrecked in an attempt to launch it over
the Potomac in 1908. The machine will be
repaired at the Curtiss factory and put
as nearly as possible in its original condi-
ton. After the repairs have been made it
is intended to have some trial flights
probably over Keuka at Hammondsport,
after which the machine will be brought
back to Washington and placed on ex-
hbiton.
1t is not expected by those interested in
aeronautics that anything new wiz DC
developed by the trial. even if the ma
chine is flown. 1t will be merely senti-
mental satisfaction for the officials of the
Smithsonian to know that the machine
has flown, although all of those interest
ed in aviation have known for the past
capable of flying if once launched IN
free air.
The machine is what is now known
in aviation as a tandem monoplane :
that is to say, the wings are OF the
single surface form like the wings of a
bird, and built in two pairs, one set
behind the other. This is the form In
which the now famous Dreiwitzke ma
chine, designed in the Effie laboratory,
at Paris, was built.
Engine Very Effective.
The Langley machine was the first at
tempt at a man-carrying machine ever
built 1t was designed on the plan OF
Prof. Langleys earlier steam-driven
models, which few about mile in 1896.
and his gasoline-driven model. which new
just before the trial was made with the
big machine over the Potomac. The ma
chine had total supporting surface OF
1,O4O square feet. 1t weighed less than
$50 pounds and had an engine of fifty
two horsepower.
This engine. with its radiator and TWEEN
ty pounds of cooling water weighed less
than 200 pounds and is considered as ef-
fective a gasoline motor of that horse
power as was ever built anywhere. The
engine was built in the form of a five
pointed star. The cylinders did not ro-
tate. as is the case in some modern aero
nautic engines, but were balanced against
each other SO that the engine was es-
sentially free from vibration. This was
the case when it was running under full
load, and on one occasion when the aero
plane was being tested in the shop it was
subjected to a much more severe strain
On this occasion it was running at
l 400 revolutions per minute, driving It's
two full-sized propellers. During the test
one of the propellers broke and, relieved
of its load, the engine jumped from 400
to 1000 revolutions before it could be
shut down. The officials of the Smith
sonian said that even with this sudden
additional strain thrown on it, the en-
CINE continued to run without vibration
Since the first attempt to fly the ma
chine it has remained in the shops of
the Smithsonian. where 1t was built, and
has never been put on exhibition. There
have been numerous discussions as to
either trying the original machine in a
fight or building a duplicate to expert.
ment with. All Of these suggestions have
been without the consent of any of the
officials in authority.
AS has been said nothing new will
be proved in aviation even II the ma
chine should make a flight, although
1t could carry and what speed it could
make with the low horsepower engine
with which it Is equipped.
Did Not Have Flexing Wings.
One Of the reasons leading to the re-
pair Of the machine and its possible
trial Is the decision in the famous
Wright Curtiss litigation. Aviators all
over the world have been very anxious
as to the result Of this suit on the
aeroplane industry. The old Langley
machine did not have fexing wings,
which are the feature Of the Wright
brothers invention. Instead it had
two-way rudder with a vertical and
the rear elevator which is now used in
driving a modern aeroplane up and
down.
OF course the big machine never had a
chance to fly and It Is somewhat Of q