From The Automotor Journal, January 6, 1906 (continued)
3<< The Means by which they have Effected It*
No photograjhs or authentic reproductions or representations of the actual motor-driven aeroplane with
which these flights were accomplished have, as far as we are aware, been made public, though a sketch has been published which must be regarded as mainly imaginary or ideal, as the machine was admittedly taken to pieces at the time of M. Coquelle's visit. By drawing attention, however, to the differences between the motor-driven machine and the aeroplane with which the long glides of 1902 were effected, a general idea of the structure of the machine can easily be formed. For this purpose we reproduce the illustration of that machine which we gave on Feb. 6, 1904. It will be remembered that in general outline it resembled the aeroplane of Mr. Chanute, without the polyhedral tail. Instead, it was provided with a vertical tail at the rear for steering sideways and keeping the machine "on a level keel," and a small plane mounted in front, the angle of which was controlled by the operator by means of cords. In gliding from a height, the way this machine was manipulated was as follows : — If the downward tendency was too great, the front movable plane was slightly elevated, causing the whole machine to rise against the wind. If the wind were raising it too much, the movable plane was accordingly depressed, tending to cause the front of the machine to dip deeper into the air and swoop towards the ground. If what Mr. Chanute terms "a whirling billow of air" tipped up one or the other side of the machine, this was corrected for by movements of the vertical rudder, causing the aeroplane to swing round like a bird executing a curve, and so bring the depressed side up level again.
The motor-driven aeroplane with which the successful flights of the present year have been conducted closely resembles the gliding machine which we now reproduce, excepting of course that it has a motor and propellers attached. There are, however, other differences. Instead of the single guiding or controlling movable plane in front, there are two of them mounted, one above the other, and somewhat higher in position. Similarly the tail has been duplicated, there being now two tails, a couple of yards apart, behind each of the propellers.
The general dimensions of the aeroplane are slightly greater than the gliding machine, being now 40 ft. from tip to tip, the large planes themselves being 6 ft. wide, and separated from one another by a space of 6 ft.
The number of vertical struts also has been increased. They are stayed and reinforced by diagonal piano wires, and the whole apparatus made very strong and rigid.
There has been no attempt to sacrifice everything for lightness. The motor is mounted at the extreme rear of the lower aeroplane. It is a 4-cylinder machine, constructed by the Wright Brothers themselves, and present ing much similarity with a 4-cylinder Pope-To'edo motor of the same power, viz., 24-h.p The two propellers are mounted about half-way between the upper and lower planes close to the rear struts, being stayed to the corresponding front struts, and are chain -driven from the motor, revolving at a very high rate of speed. The struts of the whole machine are formed of birchwood with light canvas to form the gliding surface.
As in the guiding machine the aeronaut lies prone, his chest resting on a cushion, and his head just below the two movable guiding p'anes, his feet not being very far in front of the motor. To produce proper balancing, a dead weight of some 50 lbs. is attached to the front part of the aeroplane to assist in counterbalancing the motor, which weighs some 250 lbs. In a recent statement, signed by both the Brothers Wright, they observe that no special pains have been taken to render their machine exceptionally light. The motor is no lighter than usual, and the whole thing is very solidly and firmly made. As at quite ordinary speeds they find that it is possible to lift and maintain in the air 66 lbs. pcr'h.p. and very much more at higher speeds, this is quite credible and shows pretty clearly that as far as mere engine power is concerned, flying has been possible for many years past. It is skilled manipulation of the machinery which has been wanting.
It will be obvious from what we have said above, and what we have on previous occasions put before our readers, that the greater part of the conquest of the air, which the Wright Brothers have effected, was accomplished when they learned successfully to perform their record glides with the machine which we formerly illustrated and now again reproduce. They made no secret at the time, and authorities on the subject like Mr. Chanute have been always fully convinced, that their success in gliding was due partially to the horizontal position of the aeronaut — a position, by the way, which it requires at first, at any rate, considerable pluck to assume — and the arrangement of the subsidiary planes, particularly the movable and controlling front plane.
When a machine of this type had proved to be repeatedly capable of performing glides up to nearly 300 yds. in length against a moderate wind by being simply started from the top of a hill, it was obvious that with motive power sufficient to represent the wind, and but a little extra power sufficient to represent the effect of gravitation, extended flight would be possible, and that the manipulation and management of the machine would not be greatly different, and this is what practice has proved to be the case. The really important elements of their invention therefore, consist of these three things, and we put them in order of increasing importance — the horizontal position of the aeronaut, the vertical tail or tails, and the forward approximately horizontal controlling plane, or planes. There may be other things which we do not know of as yet, but it is obviously those elements which have, so far as can be judged, made the difference between the extraordinary success which the Wrights have accomplished, and the ignominious failures which have been the record of practically everybody else.
The absolute control and manoeuvrability of the machine, together with the degree of safety attained,
are well illustrated by the fact that on one occasion when the engine stopped, the aeroplane glided slowly and quietly to the ground without occasioning the slightest trouble or the slightest injury. In fact, their regular method of coming to earth is to stop the engine some little time before they intend alighting and then to glide down.
A few words should be added regarding the method of starting adopted. The two guides or supports, which are clearly shown underneath the old aeroplane, and which are preserved in the motor-driven machine, are mounted on the top of a triangular little trolley, which runs on wheels on an ordinary rail. The aeroplane is mounted on this and held steady while the aeronaut assumes his recumbent position. The motor is started, the propellers begin to revolve, and the aeroplane runs down the rail on its carriage, being held straight by an assistant operator for the first few yards, and then as it gathers speed it rises in the air (leaving its carriage behind it) " as easily and gracefully," said one of the eye-witnesses, " as a butterfly."
4<< The Reasons of their Reticence*
There remains to be considered the extraordinary reticence of the Wrights in regard to their marvellous
experiments — a reticence so remarkable that it has surrounded the whole of their proceedings (since in 1903 they packed up their first motor-driven aeroplane and "went home convinced that the day of flying machines had come") with an atmosphere of distinctly piquant — not to say irritating — mystery.
It is so opposed to the usual American methods, though it must be admitted that it is not opposed
to the previous record of the Wright Brothers themselves. The public generally knew absolutely nothing
about their experiments on North Carolina Beach at Kittyhawk until they described them in the Journal of the Society of Western Engineers. Probably it was their intention to electrify the world when they were quite satisfied with what they had accomplished at Dayton. A remarkable point is that they apparently have not been satisfied. This is in part, we believe, due to troubles, if they can be called troubles, with their motor, which developed some very troublesome idiosyncrasies. It gave 24-h.p. quite regularly on the bench for apparently as long as they cared to run it, or at any rate for as long as it had been run. It
also apparently gave 24-h.p. when mounted on the aeroplane, and when flight commenced. It kept up its full power fairly well for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, and then gradually fell off to about 14-h.p.
This, no doubt, has prevented their giving such practical demonstrations of the art of flying as they would have wished. Probably also there are considerations of patents. On reflection, we are disposed to rate very little the suggestions put forward by M. Archdeacon and others, that the Wrights have nothing patentable, and that their success is entirely due to their skill. It is mainly due to their skill, no doubt, but it is impossible to deny that it is also due to a very large extent to the improvements in construction to which we have referred above. These are ingenious, they are decidedly novel, and they have produced a new and useful effect never before approached. If this is not good subject matter for a patent, we would like to ask what is ? From this point of view, of course, a motor-driven aeroplane would come under any patents they may have taken out for the gliding machine we illustrate. But that ought to be protection, ample and sufficient.
That they may have made other improvements of distinct importance, and that they wish to be fully protected is but probable. These considerations would alone be sufficient to explain their reticence. Further reasons may be their natural disinclination to have experiments, which they still obviously regard as only tentative — " the things they have done but earnest of the things that they will do " — witnessed by a gaping and unsympathetic mob.
How far they have gone in the effort to secure secrecy and prevent premature publication of their
doings has been shown by an incident unearthed by the enterprising M. Coquelle. It appears that the Dayton Daily News had a sensational article already in type last September, describing the Wrights' experiments. It was only with great difficulty that they succeeded at the last moment (for a consideration) in preventing its appearance. M. Coquelle actually obtained. possession of a copy of this suppressed paper, containing the report to which we refer, provided with the following headlines:
— " Victorious Experiments of Flying Machine."
" Wright Aeroplane comes safely to Earth after a Remarkable flight near Dayton."
The whole article was some fifty lines in length, and was illustrated by portraits of the two Wrights. Its
existence surely is the most complete confirmation, if any were needed, of the evidence we have brought forward above.
In any case, whether Governments are generous or stingy, and whether patents have been applied for or not, their unique skill, if they are willing to condescend publicly to exhibit their prowess in Europe or America, ought certainly to ensure them an ample return for the rest of their days. And there is every reason to believe that they also regard the honour of having been the first to solve the problem of the ages, as no small part of the reward they have so justly earned.
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For anyone that may be interested in the full edition of "The Automotor Journal - 1906" that this portion was copied from, goto:
Full text of "The Automotor Journal: 1st Half 1906"
It's a great read of the breaking technology of the day.