The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-02

ldIlOIl are Uullu11lS CIuUG NlllS COIl-
products will fly like real airplanes.
of power to weight, except in gas
engines.
Octave Cahnute, a well-known
American engineer, experimental at
Dune Park, Indiana, in 1896, with
numerous gliders and his findings
have aided greatly the development
of heavier-than-a air craft.
1t was Chanute who advised the
Wright brothers from the very first
experiments until flying was actually
accomplished.
First American Plane
The first American to build an
airplane was S. P. Langley, head of
the Smithsonian Institution, in 1896.
He repeatedly flew over the Potomac
River in plane which he success
fully experimental with in models
first. Later, through exhaustive eX-
perimentS with models, he secured
an appropriation of $4,000 from the
United States War Department and
built for the Government similar
machines Of man-carrying size pow
cred with gas engines.
Wilbur and Orville Wright of Day.
ton O., in 1900, aided by experiments
Of other air pioneers and with mod
els in wind tunnels were able to
make flights in gliders Of nearly 400
feet at Kitty Hawk, N. G.
In 1903 the brothers equipped a
glider with a 25-hOrse- power oil
motor weighing $50 pounds. driving
two propellers They made four
flights in calm air, the longest Of
which was even shorter than the
flights made by Langley in 1896
But this pioneered the way for the
light aero gas engines. Other
famous sages of the new air indus
try followed in their steps and great
progress was made during the next
few years.
Flies English Channel
Louis Bleriot, one of the earliest
among successful airplane builders,
flew across the English Channel in
1909, in Bleriot mOnOplane setting
a new record for the other pioneer
builders to aim their efforts toward.
The World War did much to bring
aviation to the fore and with the
war, the industry leaped forward in
stantly. In June, 1917, the first
American trained f1iers, 20 in all,
arrived in France. When the ARMS
tice news set the world TO rejoicing
in November, 1918, more than 1000
men we're ready for service and
many more were training.
The success of the early develop
ment of the modern airrlane can be
ascribed to a small number of men
-Chanute, Langley, the Wright
brothers, Penaud, Bleriot, Lilienthals
and VoisinS. True, many more
should be named but these men rank
high among the pioneers.
Since Lindbergh's fight across the
Atlantic, Byrd's fight over the
north pole, Chamberlin's famous
fight from America to Berlin and
the accomplishments of many 9TH
ers, America has been looking for
ward with keen interest to trans
Atlantic plane service.
wide knowledge Gained
Model experiments are playing an
important part in this development.
Every design Of construction and
nearly every new device for the lar
ger planes are first tried on models
in air tunnels, thus saving valuable
equipment and lives yearly.
The modern youth will gain a wide
knowledge of aerodynamics by build
ing and designing small crafts which
he can fly and test. Youthful build
ers are aiding the industry to a
marked degree by improving and
adding new inventions to the smaller
ships
Most of the successful senior
builders and fiers Of today gained
a wide knowledge through models
and started their careers by build
ing models.
The industry is new and presents
the modern youth with great oppor-
tunity as well as a fascinating voca-
ton.