The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-02
AIR HELIC0PTER
NOT IMPOSSIBLE
Many Types Of Vertical
Airplanes Proposed;
Some Can Operate
GERMANS FAR AHEAD
Their Experimental Hclicop-
tors More Successful and
Less Dangerous

WASHINGTON--Tho hclicopicr
or vcrtical-risinE air machine, IS not
an impossbility. and should "a roni
use for such q typo arise 4uccossful
ones may be seen before many years,
according 10 Dr. Albert F. Hllm
Hcronautical expert for the navy.
Had there been need for tho holI-
yopteT Gjir.HG ,aa wag, he said, any
of several typcg could have been prr-
trctcd Of which working models
have been flown.
Doctor 2ahm la an expert ou de-
sign and construction ot an manner
OF flying m1UhiuCH For years ho
has applied his time to perfection Of
the airp,anc and Is well qualified to
PASS upon the capabilities of any.
Much interest has been shuwn of
late In reports uf succcssiul ma
chimes OF the hcllcoptor type being
perfected, iu both Germany and
England. However, while some
flights have been made mono Of any
consequence arc rupurtCd by a ma
chino equipped with horizontal
prupeilers or revolving planes. do
signed TO rise vertically from a con-
fined space and descend on the
same.
Germans Make Progress.
lIlN lllf 'lliNIHN'i ~ li'H"lI'lf ~ e.
Zahm said. IS proved by the German
machine, which, rising several tylc-
to moderate heights. has carried OBJ
servers, remained almost stationary
while In air. dcsCcudinE In safety.
The machine. hawevcr, has made no
extended flight such as would prove
its dependability but WIS tcthcrcd
TO tho ground hy q moorlng rope. At
times. when the motors failed, the
ITRnnf1 A.
saved themselves only by icaping
with parachutes.
The experiments are cOutinuiug.
however. with the purpose of per-
feCting a motor which can be de-
pended upon 10 maintain the ma
chino without sudden failure, tho sci-
enlist explained, for. as soon as the
engine stops. tho machine cannot
glide to the ground as does an air
plano. but drops vertically. In a
proper descent the propcllcrs should
be whlrlcd slowly to ease the land
ing.
Present hopes OF attaining sue
cessful vertical flight rest mainly
upon the ondcavors OF Emil Bcr-
liner. Washington inventor whose
experiments with the hcliCoptcr have
extended over long time; ana of
Louis Brennan, of London. whose
newest machine Ia reported as near
ing completion. lie Is working to
win the 50,00O-pound prize offered
by the British air ministry for sue
ccssful flight
The Principal Type.
The helicopters upon which most
experimentation has been made
consist mainly of two or moro pro-
peller screws mounted horizontally
on a vertical shaft, bearing engines
fuel nd passengers, Equal num-
bors of propeller blades must rcvulvo
In opposite directions that the body
OF the machine may not spin like a
top. The motors, tanks and body
have been mounted In various posi-.
itons, but the German machine has
sort OF pulpit car mounted at the
top OF the shaft over the propellers
for the operators.
Whether or not this type OF ma
chine Is brought to actual use, Doc.
tor Zahm stated, at least two other
types of planes that may fly vorti.
cnlly have nCen offered to tho gov
ernment. This fact Is not widely
known.
One of these, OF which Or. Xnhu
observed experiments with a work
ing model, was almost identical will
the present type OF plane, cXccp
that. mounted behind the body wer,
two sets of air Vancs, in groups
Tilted at an adjustable angle. lik,
those of Venetian blinds.
When the power was turned on
he said the wash" of tho All
stream from the propellers, pushlu,
against these groups OF Nanca
caused tho model TO rise gently yer
tically. The model was held in mid
air by the action, and when the pow
er diminished IL returned gently I,
earth. "A full size machine of IN
same type, he said. would b.
equipped with engines of mmena
power, In order 10 furnish sufii
Cient air pressure and when drlvol
TO sufficient altitude, the vanc
would be so adjusted that horizon
Ia. motion would result. The plan
could then fly in the usual manner
finally using the Yanes again to dc
scond vertically.
Another Type Offered.
The other type offered to tn
army, he said. was OF the presen
wing plan, equipped with thrc
propellers, two placed far out TO
ward the wing ends, and with yer
teal rudders and ailerons slmiia
10 those In use. The quicker liftin
power was TO be gained by hayiu
the wash of the central propeller ao
upon elevators on the tail Of m
oody, while the sido propeller
would WASH against the special an
Srons on the wing tips
When In the air, Doctor Xahr
continued. this machine could ma
neuVer exactly as does the ordinar
plano, cut figures and do "stunts.
besides being able 10 rest mOtiOnlos
in any desired positiOn--vortica
with nose up, II need be.
The best feature, he said, Ia tina
both planes OF the new types an
entirely feasible and can be cor
structod at any time. In fact, seN
eral European inventors and manu-
taCturers are patenting designs {
the second type notably the French
man Bloriot, one OF the pioneers {
aviation.
Experts for the government stud
ted the second type during the wa
It was explained, but the matte
went no further.
Then general drawbacks Of the
construction, DR.. Zahm said, wer
first, the great cost; second. the IL
creased weight OF tho machines q
compared with present engine eft
cheney; and, third. the need OF d,
veloping moters with greater pow
er and less weight per horsepowt
and with greater amount OF d,
pendability. As il is, he said. a su,
ceFsful helicopter may be flown