The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-22
BY CAPT. MALCOLM BUCHANAN

BY CAPT. MALCOLM BUCHANAN
The airplane as a vehicle is here
to stay.
In a comparatively short period
OF time the strange, silreI-win2ed
contraption that figured in the
dreams of Professor Samuel Pier
pont Langley, and in the magma
ton Of adventurous Darius Green,
has passed through ! remarkable
process Of evolution and has emerged
as reality.
The scientific accompli ,hn;ents
Of this day in which We live have
served to teach US that the SKY
carriage is as commonplace as the
ox-cart in olden times.
In the flying machine, the Gee"
and "Haw" to which the OK some
times responded is accomplished by
the pilots footwork-a rulder op-
Grated by the feet, turning the We
hicle to the right or lett positions;
the old bull whip becomes a small
lever-like throttle; blo.,d ard Drawn,
fed by hay, grain and water, is sup
planted by a metal and wire engine
led by gas, oil, electricity ana air.
ASsurAuc
The OK cart Eas no guarantee
that a clients goods would be
promptly and safe.y delivered. Avia-
ton IS more secure III this respect,
for both the airnla,ic and its pilot
must be licensed by the L. S. De-
partment Of Commerce. This eli
inmates unairwor.hy Graf, ana as
sures the commercial customer that
the pilot knows his business. Each
pilot approved BY the government
carries little fo!G=i which contains
his picture and rating, and it must
be shown upon request by I'll. pass
enger. The display Of identification
numbers on the slip is public notice
that the plane is Ii: .sscd.
The Department of Commerce al
50 is issuing approved type ccrti-
flcates' to airplane manufacturers
who are turning out standard equip
ment-which assures safer and bet
ter aircraft.
The types Of airplanes are as
varied as the different types of auto
mobiles. They are built under two
general Observation-Disclosures and
commercial. Under the military we
have five types-transport, OBSERVE
ton, bombing, attack, pursuit-each
type taking its name from the use
to which it is put.
Commercial planes may be CLASH
fed under five general heads
freight, mail, passenger, business,
pleasure. The greater the load the
more powerful the plane must be.
and thus commercial planes vary in
accordance with the use for which
they are intended.
The freight, passenger and bust
ness planes are the ones with the
greatest possibilities, the business
type probably having the edge on
the other two in that it is employed
,, Tor mapping, photography, fast COM
merclal delivery, sky writing, the
busting Of crops with germicide.
and grass planting over large areas.
Ioday's airplane is designed, on
the average, to operate at 100 miles
an hour whereas the plane Of yes
terday operated at an average speed
Of q. An indication of the speed
that will be attained tomorrow is
given in q recent worlds record Of
more than 800 miles an hour.
An airplane has five fundamental
parasitic wings, which support the
craft in flight; the fuselaRe (bodv).
which carries the load; the power
plant. or motor and propeller; and
control surfaces (ailerons, rudder.
elevators), which give tn. pilot con-
troll Of his ship; and the landing
gear.
There are almost a. many kinds
Of wings - planes. Wood is the
material usually used in construc-
ton. There are two long solid 81"
beams which reach from the wing
tip to the body called epars. They
are held in place by cross-members
placed ct intervals Of from six to
10 inches the entire length Of the
wing.
Like . Bridge
These ribs and beams are braced
by wires that cross each other from
corner 70 coxnor-oomethinR like
bridge construction. The vadine
edge Of the wing usually projectine
six or eight inches forward from thS
main spar-is covered with . sturdy
wood which will Withstand wind re-
sistenee. This front edge Is the
first point q contact with. the elo-
uDont6 and needs extra strength.