The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1928-12-14

all angles from 0 degree to As de
grees at intervals of 21a degrees
1t was discovered, among other
things, that contrary to existing
data, a square plane gave a great
er pressure at 80 degrees than at
45 degrees. The Wrights were
amazed, and doubted the accuracy
Of their own test. A weather vane
was erected, with two planes at
tached to the pointer at an angle
of so degrees with each other,
According to our table," reads
the Wrights' own account of this
test, such a vane would be in un-
stable equilibrium when pointing
directly into the wind; for if by
chance the wind should happen to
strike one plane at SO degrees and
the other at Al degrees, the plane
with the smaller angle would have
a greater pressure, and the point
0A hOblh bC Z Ol1lI q NllCl
out of the course of the wind I'M
til both secured equal pres
sures at approximately 80 degrees
and so degrees. But the vane did
this very thing. Further corrob-
grafton of the tables was secured
in actual experiments the next
season.
During September and October,
1902, nearly a thousand gliding
flights were made, several of
these covering a distance of more
than 500 feet. Some were made
against a wind of Sc miles per
hour, and the Wrights felt more
and more confidence in their sys-
tenn of controls. In August, 1903,
flights of more than a minute
were several times attained, and
often one of the brothers would
one spot with no descent 1t all.
One of their assistants hopefully
suggested that all the glider need
ed was a coating of feathers to
make it light enough to stay up
Indefinitely.
Try Power
After three years of gliding the
Wrights believed they possessed
sufficient data to make a power
flight possible. A patent was ap-
piled for, and the design and con-
struction of a gasoline motor was
undertaken. AS usual, the Wright
brothers did all the work them
selves. The airplane was at first
intended to fly a total weight of
500 lbs, including the pilot and
an s h. p. motor, but when COM
pleted the motor gave more pow
er than expected, so that an addi-
tional $50 lbs. of material was
added to strengthen the machine.
Little difficulty had been antici-
pated in designing suitable pro.
pellors. The Wrights' table made
wing design a comparatively sim
pie matter, and since screw pro-
pellors are after all merely winga
travelling in a spiral course, the
brothers expected to apply their
wing formulate readily enough to
this phase of the problem.
But, What at first seemed a
simple problem became more
complex the longer we studied it.
With the machine moving forward
the air flying backward, propellors
turning sidewise, and nothing
standing still, it seemed impossi-
BILE to find a starting point from
which to trace the various stimuli
taneous reactions. Contemplat-
ion of it was confusing. After
long arguments we often found
ourselves in the ludicrous posi-.
ton of each having been convert
ed to the others side, with no
more agreement than when the
discussion began"
When the propeller riddle was
finally solved, however, it was
we'll solved. The first propellors
produced, built entirely from cal
culations, gave in useful work Sc
per cent of the power expended.
This was about one-third again as
much as had been secured by
either Hudson Maxim or Prof.
Langley.
The power glider was assembled
at Kitty Hawk in November, 1903.
and on the 18th of December the
worlds first power flights vers
made. Three days earlier the