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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0079.PDF
FEBRUARY 6, 1909. Anonymous Gift of 20,000 Dollars. SPEAKING at a dinner given by the New England Aero Club, at Boston, on Sunday last, Mr. Augustus Post, Secretary of the American Aero Club, announced that an American, who desired that his name should remain unknown, had given 20,000 dollars as a prize fund for the encouragement of aeronautics in America. America Does Not Get Its Money. THE American Government seems to have great difficulty in making a final decision as to the value of aeronautics. After being thrown out by a sub-com- mittee, the House of Representatives passed a Bill on Saturday, January 30th, adding 500,000 dollars to the Army Appropriation Bill, to be used in aeronautical experiments. Three days later, however, this decision was reversed, and the clause struck out of the Bill. At the meeting on January 30th, the vote aroused almost stormy scenes in Congress, and the arguments which turned the balance in a favourable direction were, curious as it may seem, not as to what use aerial navigation might be, but what use it had been. The story of Gambetta's flight in a balloon from Paris convinced at least one representative, although, apparently, only tem- porarily, of the value of aeronautics. French Government to Organise an Aero Show- AN important decision has been taken by the Public Works Commission in France, who have asked the Chamber to organise an International Exhibition of Aeronautics during 1910. In their letter enclosing the resolution, they point out that the science of aerial naviga- tion has arrived at such a stage that it now commences to play a definite part in the affairs of the world, and especially of the French nation, who are, they state, resolved to be the leaders in this work. Aeroplanes in "War. ASKED when, in his • opinion, aeroplanes would be utilised for bellicose purposes, Sir Hiram Maxim recently made the characteristic, and very emphatic reply, " In the next war." Wireless Control of Airships. A SUBJECT which is now occupying the attention of a section of the aeronautical world is the possibility of steering airships by wireless telegraphy. Successful control in this direction would, of course, be attended by an entirely new phase in the development of aerial warships, inasmuch as an unmanned machine could presumably be fitted up somewhat on the lines of a torpedo, so that it would have very unpleasant con- sequences for those in the vicinity of the spot where it " struck." Mr. Mark O. Antony, of New York, whose exploit of dropping confetti bombs from an airship was recounted in The Automotor Journal, some little while ago, is at work on this subject, and recently gave a demonstration of the wireless control of a model. It is reported, too, that he is building a full-sized machine, with which he hopes to be able to demonstrate to the War Office the feasibility of his system. Mr. Marconi, it would seem, considers that a system of control could be worked out, and it is interesting to mention that the idea of thus directing airships was mooted some con- siderable time ago by Mr. Patrick Y. Alexander. Flight and Telephotography. IT was very appropriate that the first photograph transmitted by the new Korn system over the wires between Berlin and Paris should have represented M. Zipfel standing by his Voisin aeroplane. The use of one new invention to record the progress of another develop- ment about as far from being out of leading-strings as itself, is very much in keeping with the times. Inciden- tally it may be mentioned that the photograph in question was telegraphed in 10 mins., whereas in the ordinary way its transmission would have taken over 18 hours. THE WITZIG-LIORE-DUTILLEUL AEROFLANE.-This view of the Witzig machine, which is taken frombehind, gives an excellent idea of the en escalier arrangement of the main planes. It is a little difficult to classify this particular aeroplane under any of the accepted types. 8l
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