GORDON OGILVIE.
Sir,—Your article on Langley the heavier-than-air planemaker failed to mention that his flights were made from a launching platform on top of a houseboat. In the late 1890 s he built a man-carrying machine weighing 8301 b with a 52 horsepower petrol engine. He tried to launch this from the houseboat as with his earlier flights but it failed to get up the necessary speed and so it plunged into the river. Fifteen years later, in . 1914, and after Langley’s death, Glen Curtiss, the well-known aviator and plane-builder, .took Langley's plane out of the museum where it was kept, fitted it with wheels and made a successful flight with it. If Langley had used wheels too, he no doub,t would not be the forgotten man in aviation history but occupying the place the Wright brothers now have.—Yours, etc.,
P. S. HARPER. June 12. 1982.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19820617.2.95.5
Bibliographic details
Press, 17 June 1982, Page 16
Word Count
146GORDON OGILVIE. Press, 17 June 1982, Page 16
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.