Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-11
VERTICAL FLYING
Problem Now Engaging the Attention
Ct American Students.
EASY TO GO UP, COMING DOWN HARD

Been Many Claims OF Success so Far
But Most of These Claims Appear
to Have Been Made prematureiy-
Solution of the Puzzle Means Long
Stride Forward.
~! The heavier -than-air machine that
wiz ascend and descend vertically and
move forward when called Upon to do
SO, may not have arrived, but it is in
the offing, Henry A. Berliner,
Washington inventor, writes Freder-
ick j. Haskin, has been making dem
onstrations with a machine of this
kind that have attracted widespread
attention.
Helicopter is the name given this
type of flyer. Experts say 1t is to be
the next big development in the hy-
ing game. and experimenting has. been
stimulated by q big money prize that
has been offered in England for the
first machine that will meet certain
fundamental requirements. Mr.. Ber-.
liner is modest about what he has ac-
rcomplished and has not gone after the
prize money yet, but it is possible that
he has solved at least one of the big
problems presented by the theory of
the helicopter.
There are three of these problems
first, getting the machine into the
air; second. flying horizontally; and.
third, bringing it down again. The
''irst has not been so difficult of So
luton and many machines have been
constructed, that will rise from the
ground vertically, although it can not
be said that in any one Of hem this
phase of helicopter fight has been
perfected. Mr.. Berliner's eff orts have
been directed largely toward horizon
tai flight.
OF course any helicopter that goes
up in the air will come down. The
great difficulty lies in bringing 1t
down, rather than letting it fall down,
and it is said that this is the greatest
of the three problems. Theoretically
the helicopter can go straight up IN
the air, fly in any direction. hover in
the air, and then come down safely
Power lifts them, and moves them
and holds them, but power is diff
cult of application in making de-
scent The machines have no wings
and when the motor is cut out there
is a marked tendency toward rock
like fall that spells disaster. If there
z was an engine of extreme nicely of
adjustment and absolute certainty of
action descent might be accomplished
y by simply throttling down the pro-
peller speed gradually. But there is
TO engine of such dependability as
yet.
Propellers at Cross Purposes.
~ The Berliner' machine which has
been constructed primarily for eX-
peyimentation in horizontal flight, re-
sembles an airplane, except that 1t
has no wings. The fuseIage and rud-
der are the same and the motor is
mounted forward as in the airplane.
On each side of the fuselage is an up
right car carrying q 14-foot propeller,
and. these propellers whirl in opposite
directions, forcing the air downwards
and giving the lift required to bring
the 1900 pound machine and pilot
straight up into the air.
.Aviators point out that getting n
helicopter off the ground is compare
lively an easy matter, for the air that
is forced downward forms cushion
that helps sustain the machine. How
ever when the machine gets some dis
tance above the ground there is no
such air cushion and there is a
gyroscope action caused By the big
rotating propellers which frequently
rcause the helicopter 70 turn turtle.
Lieut.. Stefan Won Petroczy, of the
Austrian balloon service, is said to
have ascended ITO feet in machine
ssef this type, and it is claimed that
q the Englishman, Louis Brennan, has
!. been up 40 feet inside of a hangar, but
= Mr.. Berliner has never taken his hell
& copter more than 10 or II feet above
!. ground. That is ample for expert
mental purposes, he says.
Z The Washington inventor in ad-
Z, dressing himself to the problem of
= horizontal motion hit upon the plan
of fitting the helicopter. This is done
by means of n small propeller near
the tail of the machine which is gear
- ed by the motor. BY lifting the tail
slightly this tilts the whole machine