HEAVIER-THAN-AIR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 5

HEAVIER-THAN-AIR.

THE MAXIM BIPLANE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oonyrlelu.; London, February 21. I Sir Hiram Maxim, tho inventor,' has built &• biplane. 44ft. .' long, ..irith an 80 horse-power engine.': ;• - j ..The machine, .which-weighs 220 pounds, has.'a- gyroscope regulator.' 'j-'P-. Tho biplane carries a driver .and two passengers.. ' r-;:: v'; PROBLEMS FOR SOLUTION. ' v Sir Hiram Maxim, inventor of tho (automatic system! of' firearms; director.! of .Victers,:.Sons,v'and 'Maxinf, and an inventor in the electrical, sphere, has. lately' concentrated , on the problem'- of . aerial, flight. lie expects tho most revolutionary changes.- from • the - development; of. the aeroplane,- or: heavier-than-air type, 1 . :'A . remarkable : thing ■in to-day's cablegram. :is ..the weight,;/-..'-.With .a biplane, which'is within, a couple of feet of, being as long as tho Wrights', and with .an 89 : horse-power., engine (as ; oeainst the Wrights 25 . horse-power), '■ Sir : ■ Hiram' Maxim's machine is said to weigh only 220ib., ',while the ' Wrights'; machine; withiout' the aviator,, weighs' almost 800Ib. ; Thejonmne : power'' of .leading . aeroplane: -.typeS;jb.:.i?armn-.biplane,. 60. or- 55'.horMV power;: : Curtis' biplane, :25 horse-power,; Bleriot, .monoplane,'. 22 -horse-power; later types, 50 horserpower;'. Antoinette mono•piane. (Latham's), 50 ..horse-power; SantosDumont, ■ monoplane, -.'Demoiselle,', the, smallest tried type, ,2401b. '- . : Lightness is, of " course,' a ftrOat factor. .It has been predicted that metallurgy will • probably. "provide lighter.. .materials for tho construction of' aeroplanes. in l the near future. .The alloys of -aluminium and the new kinds of steel will enable weight- to .bo reduced without any sacrifice-, of-, strength or : strength , to be .increased- without any'addition- to the weight." .- ■ , , , ■

'.-According :to the : same tho problem of flight'has -been solved- as rethese noipts:- (1). Flying machines 'Carrying, small; engines, ■ fuel, .and one or two passengers in addition to the aviator, have .proved their .'capacity to. rise from the; ground,: practically to any .height in: 'the air,'- -without resort to ; the sustaining power of-gas.'.,(2) .They can bo driven through the r air; at-high speed'with much lesspower:.than, is':needed to drive : a balloon : slowly.', , (3). The stability :of the aeroplane can be maintained-. by. any . exv?at°r providedthe engine . works satisfactorily, and tho .wind is not higher ; than- fifteen miles ''an.' hour; • v. Several flighto: werev, made ■: in; 1909. in ' moderate; or. .shir winds, and hero there was a dis--on 1908,.., (4) Starting and alighting can,'now be .accomplished without.. any , great difficulty' by ...aeroplanes. One or two years ago special- appliances .were required-, for- starting by . several patterns. . Points- which yet await 'eolu-tion-.are: '

'The introduction ,of an automatic device, for.-maintaining equilibrium .witfiout: ■ constant effort, especially in hi I'll Winds. I ,;' '' -.

. (2) The provision of means' for safe descent , in tlio event of' an [ accident' to .the., engine, though it is worth notice that, the planes: act as a; parachute, and in one-or. two cases where'., the "engine nas/. failed ..at; some- height, the consequences have, not been- fatal. ;.(3) Lighter; and more trustworthy engines. iho existing type of petrol engine /uncertain and. too fragile for work wluch is realiy. a continuous, climbing • of hills. There 13 no real difficulty.: in tho way ; of. improvement, and makers of "engines, are .now devoting increased atten- ■ ■ ® eclal needs of aeroplane

(4) Greater strength in -the structure of tho aeroplane. At most of the aviation meetings competitors: have had at their back; teams of mechanics, -whose: services have been constantly required. The cbnditions are; substantially 1 the same. as in the early days of motoring, when in all the competitions motors were. aided bv mechanicians stationed at short intervals to-effect repairs. In fact, the/ aeroplane to-day is m-much the same position as' the motor-car was fifteen veqrs ago. ■ • r ihe gyroscope is evidently Sir Hiram Maxim S' method of, dealing with point