Evening star., 1927-07-31
PLANES FOR $500
PLANNED BY YOUTH
Henri DashieII Wright, Self
Instructed, Builds First
Craft at Home.

Equipped with selfacquired knowl-
edge of aeronautical engineering and
aerodynamics. Henri Dashiell Wright.
20 years old, is building light sport
plane in the cellar of his home at 1866
University place-the first of what he
hopes will be long line Of small, low
powered craft which can be sold al a
price between $500 and 5000.
One wing section has been COM
pleted, together with the tail surfaces,
and in about two months young
Wright believes he will have the re-
manning parts ready for assembly at
College Park, Md, and then will come
the first flight.
Wright's enthusiasm over aviation
Is not a result of the Nationwide en-
thusiasm brought about by Col
Charles A. Lindhergh and other pilots
who followed him on spectacular
flights. Six years ago, when he was
IA. he learned to pilot a plane at New
port News, Va, and was turned loose
for solo flight" Since that time he
has flown at irregular intervals-or
whenever he can get the opportunity
to go alOft.
Does Labor Himself.
In 1922 he laid down plans for the
construction of an airplane according
to his own ideas. His technical knoWl-
edge was acquired by study of aircraft
technical publications, books and con-
versations with aer0nautical engineers.
The process of whipping the plans
into shape was slow, and it was not
until February of this year that he got
under way with the actual labor work,
which he is doing himself.
According to the plans which he
III
cruising radius of 500 miles on 10
gallons of fuel and a speed of about
70 miles an hour. The power plan is
a 23-hOrsepower, 4-cylinder 'in line"
air cooled motor cycle engine, which
will have u maximum of 1850 revo-
lutionS per minute. The wing span
is 2212 feet and the length over all
is 1S feet. The total weight ready
to fly, but minus the pilot, is 4S3
pounds. Wright claims the ship will
be able to carry pay load" of $50
pounds.
Cost Is $3.50.
Assisting him is Edward Downing.
an airplane pilot operating on his
own account, on Long Island n Y.
Downing, according to Wright, was
in the French Foreign Legion Flying
Corps during the war and he is
backing" the project financially.
The total cost of the plane when it
is ready to take the air will be about
$3.50
The drawings OF the biplane,
which call for two cockpits and the
ability TO carry passenger in addi-
ton to the pilot, were approved by
Paul Edward CARRIER, curator of
aeronautics Of the Smithsonian In
stitution, and John f. Victory. as
siStant secretary of the national ad-
Visory committee for aeronautics, TO
whom they were taken by designer.
Wright also acknowledges much as
Slstance from technical publications
OF the national advisory committee.
The wing panel which has been
completed Is made of white pine and
SPRUCE. while the fuselage, TO be CON
structed later. will be of ash. The
work on the plane is being held up
temporarily pending the arrival Of
some metal fittings which are being
welded in New York.
Has Mothers Support.
"If the plane performs on it's first
and subsequent flights as well as we
think it should" Wright explained,
1--WE plan on organizing a company
and will build this same type to sell
q
will show the purchaser how to fly
in his own plane, which instruction
will be included in the original pur-
chase price
Wright said he confidently expects
the plane to perform as well as any
larger craft now in civilian use.
The young mans mother has all
confidence in her sons ability to
reach his objective and Is not stand
ing between him and his desire to
build and fly airplanes
IF Lindbersh's mother could see
her son fly out over the Atlantic and
say nothing, / guess l can help my boy
bv giving him encouragement. L
have no fears for his safety. because
flying now is not what 1t used to be.
Wright said that in all probability
his hacker" Downing. would take
the plane up on it's first test flight.