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

quisite apparatus. and. 10 set hints on
this point Mr.. Langley made elaborate
studies Of birds and of their methods
of accomplishing flight OF the latter
there were only two-flappinS and
soaring. II seemed obvious that soar
ing was for man the only p. acticaole
method. Mr.. Langley found II illustrated
by the eagle and man-o'waI hawk.
which sustain themselves in the air
with only an occasional flap OF their
wings. opposing III Sc fea hered planes
TO the breeze for their support He
built. in the Zoo Park at Washington,
a skeleton tower 50 feet high. from
which to observe the kite-lil1e flight
OF buzzards as they passed by on
balancing Pinions.
It seemed manifest to him, however.
that even in a dead calm with no WIND
10 help him, man DOrvided with suit
able wings. or soaring planes. could
keep afloat in the air, II only he could
90 fast enough Here, as We now know.
ne hit upon the essential and correct
idea To illustrate il, he quoted the
lines.
When swift Camilla scours the
Runs Ger the unbeudins corn. and
flies along the main
To get the picture. one must under
stand that the word " corn refers tas
Europeans use it, 10 wheat II IS
then. an even and fairly continuous
surface over which Camilla is supposed
10 run: and. as Mr.. Langley said. she
could certainly do II II she ran fast
enough.
Here. in a word. is the principle on
which the construction OF the first Fly
ing machine was based. We know
today how absolutely correct IL was.
speed Essential
The principal difficulty with which
this remarkable inventor had 10 con-
tend was that OF obtaining a motor
which would drive his flying machine
fast enough to keep II afloaL He did
succeed in constructing such q motor.
but the more recent Development OF the
automobile engine-in Langley's time.
Of course. there were no automobile
has placed a the service OF the air
plane an equipment FOR propulsion far
surprising in efficiency anything mat
ne knew
When. not long ago. Glenn Curtiss,
VINO. together with the Virgin
brothers, may be said TO have developed
the flying machine, so far as America
Is concerned. wrote 10 the present
secretary OF the Smithsonian Institu-
ton. Dr.. Walcott, saying. i would like
20 put the Langley airplane INFO the
air nothing could be more natural
than thu pleasure with which Or. Wal
colt gave his consent
The consent. indeed. was given il
such terms as TO allow Mr.. Curtiss Ut
most Latitude in regard 70 the trials
he should make Dr.. Walcott said
that he might launch the Langley fly
ing machine with its own prOpulsive
power. or, II he preferred. with a more
modern engine and propeller With
this understanding. the airplane was
shipped 20 the Curtiss Aviation field.
which is at Hammondsport. y. Y. on
the shores OF Lake Keuka-
The original trial of 1908 which
failed. was made at Whitewater. Va.
an attempt being made 10 launch the
airplane from the roof OF 2 house BOAT.
4 car supporting it. and driven ION
its reiease) by the recoil OF long and
powerful spiral springs, ran swiftly
along a short track. then suddenly
dropped away, leaving the craft aflost
in mid-air with prODellers whirring.
The method (says Mr.. Curtissl was
entirely practical, but failed 70 work
on first trial-the result being that
the airplane and its pilot We're plunged