Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-03-03
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NEW.PLANE HAS
WINGS LIKE BIRD
inventor Perfects Model After
Exhaustive Study Of Wild
Goose and the Eagle.
U. S. EXPERTS APPROVE II
Ninety-Six Miles an Hour With Eight
Revolutions Minute Claimed for
New Machine-No Vacuum Re.
quired and Is Nonrieid.

Norfolk, Va.-An airplane with
wings that flap like bird has been
patented by Thomas j. Bird. formerly
of Johnson City, Tenn, now IA resident
of Hampton, Va. 1t can get up from
the water as well as 1t can from land.
1t is different from the rigid winged
airplane, which receives its impetus
from rapidly revolving propeller. In
several tests the machine has proven
that 1t can fly, and 1t Is claimed ny
the inventor aud government experts
that 1t will probably prove much
Better flyer than the present-day air
plane.
Mr.. Bird says his machine in the
take off" and flight through the air
docs not create or require vacuum.
as does the present-day airplnne. Mr..
Bird. who Is n marine engineer. sew
eral years ago took a course In avia.
alton NJ san Diego. Cal. and became
Il regular licensed aviator. His idea
was to do away with the present pro
pelier and construct a machine with
movable wings or planes that would
nap hhV any "iiSCh SiSdtuiN W VIE
air.
Studies Eird Flight.
10 attain this end he made ex.
haustive studies of and observed the
fights OF wild fowls. especially The
wild goose aud the eagle. His ObSer-
vations of the sustained flight OF The
wild goose convinced him that that
fowl is one of the sWiflesl Of all
winged creatures.
He then built n machine that he
flew successfully 1T Santa Monica,
Cal.
The motive power necessary for
the propulsion of the mechanism Of
this flying machine Is d gaSoine en-
CINE or engines. - The most essential
mechanism is, first, the universal
joint bearing boxes. which connect
the wings of the tlying machine to
the body. and wlIerewith the wings
are caused to swing. tapping like
those of bird in The air: and. sec
ond, the wing guiding disk that
causes the wings to move downward
and upward in an oblnne circular
movement similar to thai al al oars
man rowing boat. This eliminates
all jerking motion in the wing.
1t Is the constant aim OF inrrhmni'
cal engineers In the construction of
gasoline engines In operation 10 h"It
down the speed revolutions TO keep
the heat produced h! gaS combustion
f,,;. l,.f
will prevent distortion of th- engines.
For the type of airpInn' n"w III
use the propellcrS muSl revClr" very
RAPIDLY. and consequently. the en-
"ines are speeded up very near HE
danger point as where Il speed of
ninety-siN miles an hour is man.
tanned cont inuously for many hours.
which speed is that~of the wild go.Se
with It's wings and hy muscular
energy alone. In Mr.. Birds living
machine. with wings likened 10 those
of wild gouSe, To attain this speed
the wings will he propelled eight
revolutions per minute. whereas the
propeller nirplane will require l,1oO
per minute.
The wings or planes In this tnven-
ton are formed from overlapping
Stats, and are so constructed rs to
automatically close on The downward
and forward thrust of the wings and
open as the wings rise or recover.
thereby permitting the air or water,
as the case may be, to pass through
without retarding the movement of
the wings.
The inventor claims that no diff
ficuty will be experienced In develop.
ing an engine revolution of 100 to 2OO
per minute, and speed of ITS to 2OO
miles per hour.
The aviation department OF the
United States government has signi.
fled its encouragement of the device
by offering aid in the building Of a
machine this coming summer at its
chief construction base at Cleve-
land, o.