Evening star., 1922-06-16
HUNSAKER VIEWS
HEL|COPTER TESTS
Aeronautics Bureau Official
Observes Flights at Co..
Ieqe Park.

In the presence Of Commander J. c.
Hunsaker of the bureau Of naval
aelonautics. his father. Emile Ber-
liner and several motion picture
cameramen. Henry A. Berliner gave a
demonstration Of the helicopter, the
vertical rising airplane on which he
himself has been working for the
past three years at the aviation field
OF College Park, Md, between and
6 o'clock this morning. From every
standpoint, 1t Is declared, the machine
proved a success
Commander Hunsaker witnessed the
exhibition as a representative Of the
aeronauttc bureau, but refused to
comment on the conclusions he reach
| ed. stating that he must first make a
report to the bureau.
The machine made about dozen
flights" some of which consisted in
rising straight up in the air to about
ten feet and descending on the spot
from which 1t took off," and others
! in flying horizontally for about forty
yards at height Of five feet.
Worked for Twelve Years.
Emile Berliner who took up the old
idea OF constructing a machine that
could rise vertically from stand
years ago. Since then he has been
experimenting, building and rebuild
ing 1t until he was forced to give up
the task about three years ago on ac-
| count Of illness. Henry. who is twen-
ty-six years old and a graduate Of
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology. then took up the work and
succeeded in making the first flight In
machine of that type.
The success. of the machine Is due
In part. the father said today. to the
size of the two propellers that are
placed on the machine in position
that would correspond to the outer
wings of biplane. Many have tried
to use mammoth propellers, some as
long as fifty feet. he said. but they
derived no results. He and his son
hit upon the scheme of a smaller pro-
peller. from ten to fifteen feet in
length. with the result that the ma
chine was lifted into the air
Once in the air. the helicopter can
move forward with the aid of three
foot propeller attached to the tail Of
| the machine. which tilts it downward.
The two lifting propellers and the
one at the tail are revolved by Le
Rhone rotary motor. by means OF
gears. When the pilot of the machine
decides to descend he throttles down
the motor. decreases the lifting pow
er of the engine and gradually comes
down to the ground.
Bodies Of Airplane.
The body or fusilage. which is
about twenty feet long. was taken
from an airplane and likewise the
rudder. which guides the machine
from left to right Both father and
son believe the machine has wonder
| full potentiaIities. They point out
i that this type of airplane would be
| especially advantageous to the Navy,
as the seaplanes and flying boats new
in use require long stretch of water
as take OFF"
; Il believe the helicopter will be-
come as practical as the present air
planes and for all kinds Of work the
latter are now being used" said Mr..
Emile Berliner this morning.
Henry Bcrliner, who has been given
complete charge of developing the
helicopter, has solved all the main
puzzles connected with it and is at
| work on a few small details. The
engine now used Is of 100 horse
power. which. it Is explained. Is not
sufficient to put the machine through
any comprehensive test If an engine
Of $50 horsepower is installed, it is
said, the helicopter could be put
through further tests that would
guarantee 1t a place in the heavier
than-air machine realm. However,
at present Mr.. Berliner. who is learn
ing to pilot the machine, is not TAX
planned, he has only one neck"