Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-18
The Ha3:fit1 Letter -
FoRERUNNER OF THE AERIAL FLIvvER.

Washington. April 15.-After sue
cessful flights across the Atlantic
one of them in a single leap-and the
exploits Of aircraft during the late
war, it might be supposed that the con-
quest Of the air has been accomplished
and that aviators are "birdmen" in
fact.
| But the thing toward which students
of flying are turning their attention
now is the possibility Of sustained flight
without power-the kind Of flight pos
sible for IN albatross, an eagle, or q
sea gull. These birds and many others
are capable Of keeping themselves in
the air, and Of actually climbing higher
and higher, without any apparent effort
! other than holding their wings ex-
tended.
The pursuit Of this development is
arousing more interest abroad than it
is in America, the German Hiers being
particularly active in working toward
accomplishing this end 1t is now a
little more than 10 years since the first
controlled flight In a power-propelled
airplane was successful. the machine
being piloted by the American pioneer
flier. Wilbur Wright, at Kitty Hawk,
n. Z. In the years between, heavier
than air machines have been perfected
in many details, and huge planes able
to carry bombs weighing thousands OF
pounds and capable of carrying many
persons have been constructed and their
| worthiness proved. But development
| Of the so-called "glider" has Jagged in
America in comparison with our late
enemy, Germany.
Study of big soaring birds, notably
| the albatrOss, has led to the accom-
plishment of remarkable results, al
though it cannot be said that the pow
any means. It is fact that certain
birds can remain for hours in the air
| without an apparent expenditure. Of
energy in the way of happing their
wings. Gulls following. a ship seem
to hang stationary behind it, travel
ing forward at the limited speed OF the
| vessel. The larger seabirds, it is claim
ed, have been observed for as long as
daylight lasts, keeping up in the air
and cruising here and there without
once moving the wings in the motion
commonly known as flapping.
Soaring Birds as Models
In the studies of the birds as model
for 'gliders," it was noted that the
birds best capable Of this sustained
| flight without effort have wings ex-
tending a considerable distance out
| from the sides of the bird. and tending
| to be narrow, rather than broad, wings.
This idea has been followed in making
gliders.
BY glider is not meant machine
that will merely coast down the wind.
gathering speed from loss of altitude.
Such machine would be useful only
| if started from the top of hill, with
landing place somewhere on the plain
below. This sort of thing would be.
and is, relatively easy of accomplish
ment. The ambitious goal of the ex-
perimenters in this line is a machine
! without power which will rise Of it's
| own volition, utilizing air currents for
the purpose, and fly about here and
| there without artificial means Of pro-
puIsion. such as the propeller used by
all airplanes.
The best record thus far obtained IN
this respect is credited to a German
experimenter. man named Harth.
| This man. according to accredited rec
ords. made his machine rise from a
standstill without assistance. and event
ually gained an altitude Of about 2O0
| feet above the starting point. keeping
his machine in the air for 21l@ min
utes. When he did land, it was at a
point only 35 or 40 feet below his
starting point, and that after. being
| in the air for more than third OF an
hour.
Too much should not be expected
| from the perfection of the "glider" IN