The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-01-14
T. GAARLES RUSSLZL.

W Ill. He had uncanny knack for un.
derstanding the why and wherefore of electricity
and mechanics, and was able to earn his way
through college by doing odd Jobs for light and
power concern.
During the four years he put in at literature
languages mathematics and other subjects con
tained In college arts course he was tnkering
along on the side with toy aeroplanes OF his own
devising. Russell slowly working out the
details OF dreaT-one of the kind of dreams
that have made Edison the Wrghts. Hammond.
Bell and Marconi scientific conjurers.
After he had received his bachelor of arts de-
gree, this young mamie born vt Midland
S. d., twenty-sevon years ago-went into the en-
gineering school and specialized In physics and
engineering. Then he began to experiment with
his aeroplane for all he was worth Because il
wasn't part of the regular course, Russell had
trouble getting shop space in which to do this
work The school authorities, he says, had mapped
out a prescribed course and they considered that
deviation from II would mean confusion in the
ranks.
He even weHt before the trustees and made a
plea for special concessions but without success.
Sympathetic members of the faculty came to the
rescue however, and Russell found room in Dear
born observatory to make experiments at night.
Dozens OF models were made tried out and
broken. The experiments had gone forward with
fair steadiness for three years and longer, when
the young man felt that he had discovered and
worked out satisfactorily the principles of aero
dynamics he had sought.
That was three years ago Then he went gun
ming for patent rights 1t was easy enough to
get simple patents. but the inventor wanted basic
patents. Simple patents cover processes and
methods, while basic patents cover principles. So
after another long wait voluminous correspond
ence and endless dealing with lawyers. Russell
notified a few weeks ago that the basic patent
rights were his
He carried the glad news to a fraternity friend
The friend carried it home to his father The
father went East a business trip and told some
Boston capitalists. And the Boston capitalists
sent aviator expert to Chicago to talk to young
Russell and what he had. What he had
"the goods evidently, for short time afterward
a company organized. foreign agents-sup-
posed to be representatives of the Anglo-French-
Russian aes-sgned contracts, a big factory
was leased and the inventor went on to the plant
to supervise the manufacture OF the machines.
Just before Russell went East the Chicago news
papers printed brief accounts about the patent
grants and the company's formation Very little
was said about the inventor When he APP
preached for the inside story" of his labors Mr..
Russell wasn't easy to get at" He was found in
a little chicken-coop Office which occupies a
in the machine shop which he calls his own. His
sleeves rolled high and his hands
grimy. The catter and whang of machinery made
conversation difficult. but not so difficult as the
young inventor himself made it-for he is shy
and reticent person who would make a poor self
advertiser. But once he began to talk about his
machine he was a whirlwind of impusive speech.
making quick, draftsmanke sketches TO illustrate
his points.
His aeroplane differs in shape from all other
known makes. II is a bplane That is, IL has
two sets OF wings, one set several feet above the
other. In other machines the planes spread
straight across and with the body and tail form
n big capital +. In the Russell machine the wings
form a double V, like this: Wv. The tail is at.
tached to the place where the letters join and
extends to the rear. The points of the
letters form the front OF the machine and the
pilot. passengers and engine company occupy a
sort of canoe which rests where the wings and
tail Join The lower wings extend forward of the
upper ones-like man with an undershot jaw.
The two propellers twirl on either side of the tail
Just back Of the wings.
Mr.. Russell didn't have war in mind when he
working his invention. His idea centered
in commercial possibilities. So long as the aero
plane remained unstable-so long as a driver had
to keep his hands on the controls TO prevent the
machines capsizing-it would remain sporting
proposition. But when the time came that. by inn
provements in the aeroplane. the driver need only
crank up and guide. simply as he would guide
automobile, the hier would be very useful i'm bust.
ness and pleasure
In the doube-V machine the young inventor be