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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0023.PDF
JANUARY 9, 1909. Wilbur Wright with a work of art in bronze by the sculptor Carvin. The subject is entitled " Muse de 1'Aviation," and is symbolical of a goddess laying bare the Secrets of'Flight possessed by birds. It was designed by M. Carvin, and submitted for selection as the Michelin Cup, in which, however, it was unsuccessful. Orville Wright En Route for France. ORVILLE WRIGHT and his sister, Katherine, sailed from America on January 5th on the " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse " ; as quickly as possible they will join Wilbur Wright. The Wrights' Programme. AT the present time Wilbur Wright is awaiting the arrival of his brother in Paris, but before leaving for Pau he will return to Le Mans in order to complete the designs for the new engines which are being made for him by M. Bollee. At Pau he will remain for about a month, and will continue his lessons to his pupils, Count de Lambert, M. Paul Tissandier, and Captains Gerardville and Lovelace. Afterwards he will leave for America, there to take up the work in connection with the U.S.A. Army contract at the point where his brother was so unfortunately compelled to leave off by his accident. In the meantime Orville Wright will remain at Pau to superintend the construction of six aeroplanes which the brothers are under contract to deliver. Subse- quently Wilbur Wright will return from America, and together they will embark upon still more ambitious work. A Dutch Invitation. LAST week it was the Italians who were anxious to get Wilbur Wright to go and see them, and now it is the Dutchmen, for it is reported that the Dutch Aeronautic Society has sent Wilbur Wright an invitation to give some performances with his machine in Holland. Wright's New Engine. WILBUR WRIGHT is having a new engine built for him by M. Leon Bollee, and hopes to be able to succeed in achieving much longer flights with his machine when it has been fitted, than have been found altogether feasible hitherto. He anticipates voyages—it is only fair to call them that—up to 150 miles in length, but he does not think that the generality of people will be able to do very much with the aeroplane just yet, and he also thinks that to attempt flying over houses and towns at the present time would be somewhat rash. As to his own method of descent on runners, which has been much criticised, he says that he intends continuing this practice, although he hopes to be able to discard his starting gear in the future. Moore-Brabazon's Bad Luck. MOORE-BRABAZON, who had also entered to compete for the Michelin Cup, had the misfortune to have his mechanic injured by an explosion of the petrol tank, and perforce had to abandon further hope for 1908—returning to Tara Hall, his Irish home, for a week's rest. Farman Unsuccessful. IN spite of much experimenting, Henry Farman was also unsuccessful in putting up a good flight for the Michelin Cup. He made several unimportant flights of short duration in the presence of the Committee of the Aero Club of France, but in the end he became thoroughly disheartened and took his machine back to the shed. British Army Aeroplane. • AFTER a period of seclusion in its shed, following upon the somewhat unpleasant termination to its first trial flight, the British Army aeroplane emerged into the light again late on Wednesday afternoon in charge of Mr. S. F. Cody, under the supervision of Colonel Capper. In the interim the machine has undergone some considerable alteration, particularly in connection with the elevators and rudder. The aeroplane is of the biplane type, and has an 8-cyl. 50-h.p. Antoinette engine installed immediately above the centre of the front edge of the lower deck. The engine drives two tractor-screws through chain- gearing. The pilot sits immediately behind the engine. Extended on an outrigger, consisting of two parallel beams, is a vertical rectangular rudder at the rear, while in front are three elevators carried by a triangular frame- work. The central plane, which is some 20 ft. in span, is the elevator proper; the smaller pivoted planes on either side are under separate control, and are more particularly for the purpose of maintaining stability. Behind the central elevator is a vertical plane. No attempt was made to fly with the machine, but experiments were carried out by means of ribbons tied to the framework in order to observe the nature of the draught from the screws. A short trial run over the Farnborough Common was also made. Mr. Howard Wright's Work- MR. HOWARD WRIGHT'S helicopter is now completed, and has been sent out to Italy. We are informed that the tests of this flyer, carried out in England, have been eminently satisfactory. Mr. Wright is now building, for an English enthusiast, a large bi-plane, which he hopes to complete early in February. Both his workshops in High Street, Marylebone, and his larger premises at Battersea Park, are now busily employed on machines being constructed to order. " Bleriot XI" to be Tried. - AT any moment now, the short-span Bleriot monoplane No. XI may be expected to make its trials at Issy. Aeroplane Model Trial at Nice. COINCIDENT with the Monaco Aeroplane Meeting, there is a scheme afoot to organise a competition for flying models at Nice. Those interested should write to M. Bonhomme, 3, Rue Pertinax, Nice. A Giant Helicopter—the Zako. A RUSSIAN engineer residing at Brussels, named Zakovenko, has designed a monster helicopter, which it is supposed will be able to lift about twenty passengers. Its estimated weight is 5,700 kilogs. The American AeO at "the Federation. THE Aero Club of America has nominated Mr. Roger Wallace, Chairman of the Aero Club of the United Kingdom, to be its representative at the meeting of the Federation next week in London. The " C.A.M." THESE are the initials under which the French Commission Aerienne Mixte will in all probability be popularly known in the future, and as this body is for all practical purposes the most important aviation com- mittee in France, it is as well that they should be brought prominently before that section of the public which is interested.
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