The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-15

herent stability. Placed in the positions de-
scrlbed, the wings present a broad surface to air
currents on all sides The dangerous air pockets
are no longer death gaps in the atmosphere" Rus
sell declares.
All present types of hiers-that is, all the new
ones both in this country and abroad-use a
.gyroscope control. This is a sort of governor, like
the governor on a stationary steam or gas en-
CINE that automatically warps the a~eroplane
wings to meet constantly varying air surfaces
when the machine is in fight. These devices are
Just emerging from the experimental stage.
win the gyroscopic stabilizer doing the work.
what is the advantage of the Russell machine?
Let Russell tell:
The stabilizing devices are all artificial con.
trollers, If the stabilizer gets out of fix when the
machine is 5000 feet above ground it means dan
ger and possible death for the passengers. The
safe machine is one that needs no such control.
Ter. 1t is a machine whose very shape is an au-
tomato controller-a real automatic controller
that cannot be tinkered with if the machine is
to leave the ground at ALL"
This new ~aeroplane can be made in any size. 1t
is understood that the fiers being constructed
in Boston will have a wing spread of a hundred
feet or more and will carry two independent en-
gines, each developing $50 horse power. Machines
of this size and power are capable of carrying halt
a dozen passengers, one or two ~rapid-fre guns,
fifty to a hundred large explosive bombs, fuel for
a 5OOmile fight and scientific instruments for
navigation. They can travel rapidly. too-tfty to
ilISly huiiCS d IL nOuT.
1t is easy to imagine the value of such machines
in peace as well as in war. Already the govern
ment is experimenting with a~eroplane mail
routes, and Postmaster General Burleson has
the establishment of regular aero
mail service. The possibilities are without limit,
it seems, And for war-well we know a little of
what they are doing with aeroplanes in Europe.
All the chief belligerents are building huge planes,
t~riplewinged and engined, that in a pinch can fly
close to a thousand miles and carry half a dozen
men with small cannon, ammunition and deadly
bombs of large size. In a report which he has
submitted to President Wilson, and which will
be made public soon. Secretary of the Navy Dan
iels tells of some remarkable developments in
a~eroplane construction by American designers and
inventors. He mentions specifically IAN aeroplane
that practically sails itself. About all the aviator
has to do is to crank up and sit at the steering
wheel"
Mr.. Russells explanation of the principle in
volved in his a~eroplane is Greek to the layman.
1.-THE problem is to maintain the center of up
ward pressure to coincide with the center of area
direct forward fight OF is falling. This problem
proves anything"
There's a young inventor either at work or
dreaming over work to be done wherever you go
in this broad land of ours. In the towns and
cities you see amateur wireless receiving stations
strung from barn gables to attic windows. In
the country the youngsters are tinkering over the
tool Understanding away at some idea that
may revolutionize an industry.
The history of young Mr.. Russell should be an
inspiration to every youth born without a silver