33 FLOATS: Five cylindrical FLOATS: Two wooden hydroplane tin floats, with conical ends, floats, mounted beneath and attached to underside of main about 6 feet to either side of frame at appropriate points, and the center of the machine at about six feet above lowest part the lateral extremities of the of machine. Pratt system of trussing used for bracing the wing spars of the forward wings; and one (part of the time two) tin cylindrical floats with conical ends, similar to but larger than the Langley floats, mounted at the center of the Pratt system of trussing used for bracing the rear wings. All of the floats were mounted from four to five feet lower than the floats of the original Langley, thus keeping the entire machine above the water. WEIGHT. 34 TOTAL WEIGHT: With pilot, 850 TOTAL WEIGHT: With pilot, 1170 pounds (L.M. p. 256). pounds. 35 CENTER GRAVITY: ⅜″ above line CENTER GRAVITY: About one foot of thrust. below line of thrust. Since I became Secretary, in 1928, I have made many efforts to compose the Smithsonian-Wright controversy, which I inherited. I will now, speaking for the Smithsonian Institution, make the following statement in an attempt to correct as far as now possible acts and assertions of former Smithsonian officials that may have been misleading or are held to be detrimental to the Wrights. 1. I sincerely regret that the Institution employed to make the tests of 1914 an agent who had been an unsuccessful defendant in patent litigation brought against him by the Wrights. 2. I sincerely regret that statements were repeatedly made by officers of the Institution that the Langley machine was flown in 1914 “with certain changes of the machine necessary to use pontoons,” without mentioning the other changes included in Dr. Wright’s list. 3. I point out that Assistant Secretary Rathbun was misinformed when he stated that the Langley machine “without modification” made “successful flights.” 4. I sincerely regret the public statement by officers of the Institution that “The tests” (of 1914) showed “that the late Secretary Langley had succeeded in building the first aeroplane capable of sustained free flight with a man.”