A SELF-BALANCING MONOPLANE.

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1913, Page 2

A SELF-BALANCING MONOPLANE.

The security of stabilisation while in the air constitutes one of the most vital problems in aviation today. Many claims to this end have been advanced, but, when submitted to the test of emergency, they proved wanting.

Can automatic stability equal to that of the bird be obtain by mechanical agency? Bouyant optimism maintains that such a result is perfectly feasible, but so far little has been achieved in this direction to carry any marked degree of conviction. The Wrights, it will be recalled, devoted a considerable amount *of their energies to the solution of this problem, and at one time vehemently maintained that they had achieved the desired end, and advanced their experiments with their gliders as evidence. But the glider is vitally different from an aeroplane with its mechanical propulsion. The latter factor upset everything that the glider demonstrated as established. Other investigators forthwith devoted their activities to harnessing the gyroscope. They maintained that as it could correct the adverse movements brought to bear upon the torpedo and could enable a vehicle to maintain its equilibrium upon a single rail, that it could be compelled in a similar manner to maintain stability upon an aerial vehicle. But here again somehow theory and practice refused to be reconciled. The gyroscope in under-water movements as in dry-land operations is highly successful, but it defies equally easy subjection in the air. Under these circumstances the gyroscope has been generally abandoned, at least for the time being. It is quite possible that it may be revived as a result of subsequent acquired knowledge, but at the moment inventors and experimenters are confining themselves rather to the accomplishment of the same 2nd by easier and simpler methods.

Among these is the well-known French aviator Moreau, whose recent automatically balancing aeroplane has aroused considerable attention. This experimenter depends upon no mechanical device to achieve the desired end. Instead, he has relied upon what might be described as a varying change in the centre of gravity, according to conditions, to accomplish his end.

The lateral automatic stability is secured partly by the wing shane, partly toy the low placement of the mass centre. These are old and obvious devices which serve in favourable weather and in easy manoeuvres. Longitudinal automatic stability is secured by placing the pilot in a pendulum seat shielded from the wind, movable only in a fore-and-aft direction, and actuating control cords running back to the horizontal rudder. This general pendulum device for automatic control has formed the basis of many patents..

but as here applied has some noteworthy features presently to be indicated. As to the mechanism for personal control, it should be noted that the steering is done by the feet working cords connected with a rear vertical rudder; the lateral poise is affected by ailerons operable by a special lever; th longitudinal poise is obtained by another special lever operating the horizontal rudder. All these personal control devices are old and well-known. , The most interesting feature of the

Moreau monoplane is the combination of arrangements for longitudinal control. As already stated, the .rear horizontal rudder is operable automatically by the pilot's seat, movable only lengthwise of the machine, and manually by a special hand-lever. But, furthermore, there is a brake operable either by the hand actuating a lever or by the wind acting on a pressure-plate, whose function is to lock the pendulum seat so that the whole machine becomes, for the time of braking, as one rigid body.

Thus the aeroplane is instantly convertible from one having either maiv ual or automatic control, and in either case it has considerable inherent stability by virtue of its shape and lowcentre of mass. The pilot-seat pendulum of Moreau's monoplane, which has also characterised the designs of other inventors, has the advantage of exerting sufficient force to work the control wires unaided by auxiliary power; whereas the light pendulum controls so frequently proposed, during the past generation or more, for automatic stabilising, require some intermediate mechanism and a special source of power such as compressed air ov gearing driven by the motor.

Apparently such a pendulum control should be regarded as a fair-weather device. In long voyages it can relieve the pilot during much of the time, even if it cannot be depended upon to save him in the most sever atmospheric conditions. It may be expected, therefore, that as nothing better be forthcoming, the pendulum control will win favour with some aviators, as a convenient auxiliary, if not as a lif.j-pre-server.

The efficiency of the Moreati system has been demonstrated very exhaustively by the aviator who has carried out many daring flights with his machine under far from normally propitious climatic conditions, and its steadiness has aroused interest if not conviction. As a result of these experiments it is realised that a new field of investigation has been opened up in flight.

During the past few weeks the British aviation authorities have been conducting experiments with the Duiiue aeroplane (also with a pendulum seat), i r _c.tr varying climatic condition, :n crtei to determine its degree o;' automatic stability. This machine was subjected to hard gruelling, but the observers have issued a report in which the ingenuity of this aeroplane designer receives a adequate recognition. Special stress is psSd by the authorities upon the perfect behaviour of the vehicle under exceptionally adverse circumstances, and it appears to fulfil the requirements of automatic stability to a more enhanced degree than any of its native competitors.

The results- achieved by the Morenu and the Dunne will stimulate further experimenting in this fascinating and apparently elusive field. Whatever measure of success may be possible by th gyroscope, it is not to be compared in value with that accomplished on the latest lines. The introduction of the former /is certain to complicate mechanical details, which are not to be solved readily, as events in othiv applications have demonstrated very convincingly. Certainly, from the fruits of recent developments, the stabilisaiion of the car of the air by slmp'e automatic agency appears to be wuiiiii measurable distance of achievcm >iv.