How It Flies; or, The Conquest of the Air: The Story of Man's Endeavors to Fly and of the Inventions by Which He Has Succeeded — John Shaqi
How It Flies; or, The Conquest of the Air: The Story of Man's Endeavors to Fly and of the Inventions by Which He Has SucceededFerris, Richard
Science
How It Flies; or, The Conquest of the Air: The Story of Man's Endeavors to Fly and of the Inventions by Which He Has Succeeded
Ferris, Richard
Aeronautics
The newest biplane of the Aerial Experiment Association follows in
general contour its successful precursor, the “Silver Dart,” with
which J. A. D. McCurdy made many records. The “Baddeck No. 2” is of
the biplane type, and both the planes are arched toward each other.
They have a spread of 40 feet, and are 7 feet in depth at the centre,
rounding to 5 feet at the ends, where the wing tips, 5 feet by 5 feet,
are hinged. The elevator is also of the biplane type, two surfaces each
12 feet long and 28 inches wide, set 30 inches apart. This is mounted
15 feet in front of the main planes. The tail is mounted 11 feet in the
rear of the main planes, and is the same size and of the same form as
the elevator.
The controls are operated by the same devices as in the Curtiss
machine. The propeller is 7 feet 8 inches in diameter, and is turned
by a six-cylinder automobile engine of 40 horse-power running at 1,400
revolutions per minute. The propeller is geared down to run at 850
revolutions per minute. The motor is placed low down on the lower
plane, but the propeller shaft is raised to a position as nearly as
possible that of the centre of resistance of the machine. The speed
attained is 40 miles per hour.
[Illustration: The McCurdy biplane, “Baddeck No. 2.”]
A unique feature of the mechanism is the radiator, which is built of
30 flattened tubes 7 feet 6 inches long, and 3 inches wide, and very
thin. They are curved from front to rear like the main planes, and give
sufficient lift to sustain their own weight and that of the water
carried for cooling the cylinders. The running gear is of three wheels
placed as in the Curtiss machine. The “Baddeck No. 2” has made many
satisfactory flights with one passenger besides the pilot.
THE HERRING BIPLANE.
At the Boston Aircraft Exhibition in February, 1910, the Herring
biplane attracted much attention, not only because of its superiority
of mechanical finish, but also on account of its six triangular
stabilizing fins set upright on the upper plane. Subsequent trials
proved that this machine was quite out of the ordinary in action. It
rose into the air after a run of but 85 feet, and at a speed of only
22 miles per hour, and made a 40-degree turn at a tipping angle of 20
degrees. As measured by the inventor, the machine rose in the air with
the pilot (weighing 190 lbs.), with a thrust of 140 lbs., and required
only a thrust of from 80 to 85 lbs. to keep it flying.
The spread of the planes is 28 feet, and they are 4 feet in depth,
with a total supporting surface of 220 feet. A 25 horse-power Curtiss
motor turns a 4-bladed propeller of 6 feet diameter and 5-foot pitch
(designed by Mr. Herring) at the rate of 1,200 revolutions per minute.
[Illustration: The L. A. W. (League of American Wheelmen) biplane at
the Boston Aircraft Exhibition, February, 1910. Note the peculiar
curve of the divided planes. The motor is of the rotating type, of 50
horse-power.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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