The Washington times., 1922-06-09
LOCAL. MEN
MAY v | n
BIC PURSE
IN BRITAIN.
Father and Son Have Machine
Which Is Practical,
+, They Declare.

Yankee genius may snatch q
rich aviation prize from beneath
the very noses Of British air, sci
entists. The award is the $780,
600 offered months ago by pri-
yate English enterprise for dem.
onstration of a successful helicop-
ter, and the Americans who may
uphold the new world tradition OF
inventive leadership are Emile
Berliner and his son, Henry A.
Berliner. r-.g
H. Machine Is Perfected, -,
This became Known today follow.
Ing ANNOUNCEMENT that helicopter
approximating perfection by the two
gifted Washingtonians, and,.has- not
only risen from the test grounds at
College Park. Nd. in the vertical as
cent that has long been the dream
the horizontal motion, the achieve.
ment of which has for years defied
the brains OF Europe and America.
VIC CdH UlcSt cpcCltiC
quirements OF the British test, we
may very possibly enter the com
petition" said Henry Berliner. He
explained that success In such a test
would not In any way give the for
eign government an option on the
machine or its principles. The pat
ents would still be solely available
for American use in war or peace.
Makes Modest Claim.
While enthusiastic over the hell.
copter he and his father have de.
veloped. Berliner is not to os led
into florid prophesies of it's immed.
late adaptability to commercial use.
We've been told that In a few
yearb the helicopter will be in as
common use as automobiles today.
but that Is wild statement" said
the young scientist. "A long road
must be Travelled before the hclicop.
ter can safely and economically be
turned out for popular use." -.
What the Berliner helicopter has
actually done is to rise of it's own
power 10 feet above the ground and
to go forward Harry Berliner de-
clares a greater height could be
negotiated even with the use of the
present engine. but that 10 feet is
enough for working tests. ~,
In appearance, the machine some
what resembles an airplane. The
two lifting propellers, revolving In
wardly, are situated on the front
of the body and are II feet long
They are operated by the revolving
motor familiar in aviation, placed
In front of the drivers seat.
B." Began In 1914.
As early as the Wright try.outs at
Fort Myer, the elder Berliner was
engaged on the problem Of the hell.
copter. He suspended activities In
1914 because Of III health and the
son, a graduate Of Mckinley Manual
Training School and the Massachu.
setts Institute Of Technology took
up the reins in 1919. In that year
young Berliner, now but .twenty-six
years of age, perfected the helicop.
ter to the point where 1t would rise
slightly from the ground. The most
important development. however, Is
the motion forward which Is com.
passed by means Of small fitting
propeller inclined at an angle OF
Of 3 per cent of lifting power, II Ia
to one-quarter of the leHitating force.
The present concernl Of the inven.
tors is to perfect devices assuring a
safe landing from high altitude.
Deprived Of gyroscopic stability, the
machine 10 liable to tilt dangerously
IL is said al. .,-.s ..I q :
So Tar as Henry Berliner knows,
the helicopter devised by himself
and his father is the first successful
continuance of the sort in the world
Two days ago word came from Lon,
don that a British helicopter had
risen to height Of 1000 feet,
hovered and descended. Swift
denial followed this rosy picture OF
achievement and once more the
field was open to inventors efArts,
The s25o,o0o has gone begging fof
months. 49, ~
A series OF tests WIN be held next
week at the College Park grounds
which it 70 hoped win show the
Beriiner helicopter In more ad.
vanced state Of pratlcability. Henry
Beriiner denied this morning that
any official demonstration win be
or have been conducted for the
benefit OF Navy experts. though
~s<srai offIrrra have urlfus~a~I