El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-03-24
By
Rene Bache

into the mud At the bottom Of the Fo-
tomac river.
Mt Curiiss. al Hammondpcrt. WAS
puzzled 10 know whether Do would ne
better to start tie machine from the
ground with wheels or from the water
with floats. He finally chose the lat
ter. which were suitably attached-lhe
airpIane in other respects including
engine. rrdders and propellers. being
left substantially as II was IN 1898 Il
retained the same system OF control.
being raised or lowered by moving a
horizontal rudder ~ or down. and
steered 10 right or left by turning a
vertical rudder.
New Test Successful.
II was pleasant day. with MILD
breeze blowing. when the machine
was lifted into the water. and its
engine started. with Mr.. Curtiss at the
wheel in a little boat-shaped car un-
der the forward part Of the frame IL
took on motion Immediately, sklmmlnS
ever the wavelets. and then. pointing
automatically into the wind. rose level,
SCARED gracefully for a distance Of loo
feet. and sank again 10 the water. upon
which il slighted sofiely-
The Langley flyer mad flown. and
the theory OF its inventor was a. last
vindicated.
This. however. aas only beginning
Il remained 10 Ice ascertained what the
machine could do with the addition of
= few-up-to-daTe Improvements
The engine and propellerS were re-
placed with z Curtiss S0-horse power
motor and tractor propeller mounted
on a steel frame well forward This
meant. of course d considerable IN
crease in the weight TO be carried
In sos the total weight of the Lang
Icy machine, including that o. The
pilot was only see pounds. With floats
added K was increased to i110 pounds
With the new motor ana tractor pro-
pellor. fl was 1929 pounds. But. not
Withstanding all Of this extra weight
the delicate wings and Sp2rs support
ing il in the air in the subsequent
fights were not broken. nor vas any
part Of the machine overstrsined.
teded Weight No HaBdicHn.
When the changes above described
lad been accomplished the real and IN
JerestIug test OF the possibilities Of the
Langley airplane Was made. the post OF
pilot being taken 10y Mr.. Eiwood Hol-
erty- pupil OF the cur-iss aNis. tion
school II was an occasion o. historic
iutcres-. and crowds OF spectators we've
assembled along the shores of Lake
heuka 10 watch the proceedings
y dozen workmen. lifting the great
tandem moloplane from the beach.
with the pilot IN his seat. waded into
the lake and set II gently upon the
water. When the official observer. IN
rnotor-ooats, were suitably stationed,
4 man in high tOp-bOOts, standing in
the water. started the propeller ard
stepped quickly out OF The Wy Then
the craft ran swiftly out uDou the lake.
its huge yellow wings beautifully
arcled and cleaning brilliantly in Inc
afternoon sun
Presently the res- floats and Tud-
ders cleared the water. the front floats
still skipping or their heels. white
with foam-the whole affair now IN
pose to soar. Then Il rose majes,i-
cally. and sailed on even wing 1000
feet: sank softly. skinned the water.
and scared another 1000 feet. erazed
the water again. rose. and sailed nalf
a mile: sank once more. skipped ove7
the water a little way. and SCARED over
half nile
The Langley fiy.ns machine IN ?
word. was a pros en- and practical sue
cess Il lacked only one thing-that
the man who gave this marvel 10 the
world should have been there 70 see