AIRSHIP3 OF TO-DAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13905, 17 May 1909, Page 2

AIRSHIP 3 OF TO-DAY.

FKATIRKS AT OLYMPIA. j Xow that all men talk of flying,- and '' r.f the great strides which have heen made in the science during the last dc- j cadi'—a science which is .still spoken ' t of as being in its infancy—it is curious ' v to retlect- -'.liit two (inousand three hundred years have passed since the • lirst Hying machine was made. | .aiili-s v.ellius, 111 his ".Noctes At- ' j ticae," says that Archytas. of Taren- j . .■■>.. " VA.iistriictcd a woodcli-n pig- ! j > 111 w!li"'» ceij If I fly hy Ulccliaiie aI j ( means. To wit. it was thus .suspended ; by balancing, and was animated by an j occult and enclcsed aura of spirit"— the writings of Archytas upon his discoveries have not come down to us. ' We know that, tor his time, lie was a j Ulan- of great scientific attainments. He was one of the first- to apply geonietry to -mechanics, ami constructed powerful machines on mathematical principles. But the mystery of his flying pigeon is lost for ever, unless, by some lucky chance, his writings containing a description thereof may yet he awaiting discovery. Gellius adds that if the pigeon fell "'it could not lift itself up any more," a statement which .suggests that- the "occult and enclosed aura of spirit" may possibly have Heen some arrangement of elastic material such as is employed in the flving toys of to-tlav. .MODERN DISCOVERY. We, who have some reason to believe that our feet are now at last upon the threshold of the solution this im-at problem, may well look hack over those two thousand dead years, and «alete the. iremory of the man who made the first flying machine. "To invent a Hying machine," wrote Lilienthal, "is an easv matter. To construct it- is difficult. To test it, that is everything." Here, in three sentences you Jove the whole gospel of mechanical flight. Lilienthal carried hi* doctrine into practice in the T-'ost intrepid manner. - He commenced his experiments et the nrre of thirteen, and continued theni for < vventy-f-v" years, finallv nnyincr the penalty with his life in ISOG. He shares wirh I*ll- - who was al«n killed during an experiment, and Le Bris, the honour of being the nioneer of modern experiments in gliding flight. To these men. and to Mr TTargrave. of Sydney. X.S.W.. who discovered and supplied the first principles of the peronlane some twenty-five years ago. the inventors of to-day owe. their success. In fae'. it is not too much tn rssert that the practical evolution rf the various flying machines which will he shown at. the first Tntornnt-Vnal. Aero and Motor Boat Exhibition, which will he opened rt 01ymr>ia today, has heen accomplished within the last thirtv vears. Before the experiments of Harnrave and Lilienthn', nil efforts in the direction of mechanical flight, as dis'inet from Knllooning. were practically futile. Th"t is to say, that from 400 B.C. until A. D. 1830. or thereahouts, the problem had remained, to all intents and purposes, in statu quo. Hence, rhis first- International Exhibition in London will bo a record of a marvellously ranid progression in a science, the difficulties of which had been for centuries regarded hv the majority of people as insuperable. We are told that, ,'n addition to a ped airship, sixteen full-sized- aeroplanes will on show. one reflects that five Tears am there were not more than three or four Full-sized n er<^l : incs existence, and not one which would carry a man mere than a few yerds without touching the Ground the renin rki hie character of the proLEADING AVIATORS. Chief amon%. the aviators whose names have lv en mentioned as the Yoi=iti Brothers. M. Rotes ert Esnault Telterie, M. Pelagiance.; and Mr.-J. T. MooVe-Brahazon. The \ oisin Brothers are the biggest aeroplane constructors of France, and the croat rivals of the famous right Brothers. Thev were the makers of the i machines with which Henry Fnrman achieved his first successes, though the new aeroplane which he is testing this month, and which embodies many new features, including articulation of the main planes, and independent alt"ration of tlie'i" angles, both front and back rudders heinsz dispensed with, is being designed and built entrely by hi—self. •Messrs Voisin are also makers of the Delarrrrange machine, which has done conspicuously 'good work, and was the first to fly in France with a passenger on board. This was on .March 21M; last year, following on a record made by Henry Fartr.an. at Issy-les-Moulin-eattx, of] 2.004 kilometres in 3min. 47 sees.' M. Delagrange attempted "i eoual this jjerformance. but failed. He thereupon asked Mr Farman to take his place beside him in the aeroplane, and the machine flew a short distance with the two men on board. I>> the following October on another Voisin hine. flew twenty-five miles across the open country from ''imlop? to Rheims, eclipsing by this feat all previous performances in France, including those ot A\ ilbur Wright. The latter, however, now holds the existing record of 71 miles in 2h." 20min. 44see. At the present time M. Delagrange, Mr. J. T. ilooreBrabazon, Baron de Caters and Signer. Gloria are all experimenting with the same-type of Voisin machine. Quite recently Mr. Moore-Braba/.on, at Chalons Camp, flew a distance of three miles at a height of hetweeti fift-c, and tw«ntv feet, making several wide turns during the flight. This is the b n st performance he lias as yet accomplished. . ' > Great- interest is felt m the aeroplane which is to he exhibited hv another Englishman. Captain Wvndham. It is of the bi-plane type, driven hv .i twenty-five horse power and with a front plane for t:nrr. unci renr plane* fo>* stcoriiu'. TIicVP - rnnn-od that the fnilnre ef one wil' net endanger the stability of the w-h ne. Tlie seat is pivoted in a manner -that the eonilibr : um of the is controlled by the movements of the LATEST DEVELO p^ IENT -. 31.. i.outit ' I'ciiv. i io. lo tho as :ts I..UHL- juuKat.s, ...... il '-•••A aiiu'ii«.-peiiua iur na »-0 I. upo.. us .!■■> L.,..11>«1->' i. ,t»i Liu* iii-pi.tiiea lb,a t-iy a'ariiiiiii itiit.l \> ngiiL.>. Ao niiu.iiui--a oi mo ii.ouopiauo type, liowiv.-r. nave as \cl sumak-U in n.v'iig any i-Mig i.ialuiKi■•>, cuie:ly liccause ot lue great i-x]M-iuntuic hi |,«.ftcr icquircii ami tnc lelaxiveiy a.na.i quaiitity ot ix-trol whicli it is possible to carry. M. i'elterie lias made Hie excellent, time of 100 kilometres aa hour, and M. lJiersot. another monoplane enthusiast, who has just completed " Bleriot 1X.," a most gracefullooking machine, has also achieved good results, though he has had some verv nasty accidents.

The Breguet machine is of tlio type known as a helicopter, the propel ler.-i being designed tor lifting and sustaining the* apparatus as well as for exerting a forward movement. Tlu\ "Cornu" helicopter is a .similar' contrivance. It has two fans or screws which revolvein a horizontal Diane in .simply the lifting power, and additional propellers arp used for forward flight. That, the Wriqht aeroplane will not on view at Olynipia is a matter for the keenest regret. At present this machine holds the proud position of

: eillg the best in the world, :ukl cmitinues, despite the sneers of certain French engineers,' at its >*■'home-lliade appearance, to Hold: its own against ail competitors. However,: there art? now in England a munlier of inventors who claim to have constructed or to In- able to construct (»«t at all the same thing. of course),. aeroplanes which will :l.v as well as their suceesful Continental rivals. I'or the moment. thev must he regarded rather as •• dark' horses" in the great race for aerial supremacy, and, . linfortiinnlelv. thev are heavily 'handicapped by the' lons '.start which - their- betterequippetT competitors hare trained of them in experience. and practical knowledge. lr j s t-> he hoped that, the coming vear which is certain to see' innnv |;re-.t advance- in the science, may he made memorable by fact th.it- it witnessed the iuaugunition of a. distinctive British school of flying. ' A jkiivc has indeed already been made in ties direction hy the Aerial League with thoir nroposed National. - nautical College. and the.. Aero Club has re-entlv aeonired extensive flying grounds in'the Isle of Shcopey. V hnt i« "-intod now is the British aeroplane. " Daily Chronicle/'