FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0159.PDF
i. MARCH 20, 1909. Instead, you get aboard in an ample seat beside a man who knows how to handle the machine, and learn your business as safely as though you were being taught how to drive a motor car. Has it ever struck you that MM. de Lambert, Tissan- dier, and Gerardville are learning how to drive the Wright aeroplane left-handed ? That is because only one of the levers is duplicated, namely, that for actuating the front minor planes, which Wilbur Wright holds in his left hand, and the pair of which the pupil grasps with his right hand. Between them is the single lever for controlling the wing flexing and the rudders. It has a movement in all four directions and takes the place of two independent levers which Orville Wright prefers to employ. At first the pupil is only allowed to try to control the flight path by the use of the lever, which he grasps with his right hand. At the sixth lesson—they average about twenty minutes each—a quick learner like " Little Tissandier " will begin to try the gauchissement. This is to say, he places his left hand on top of Wilbur's right, and first feels, then tries to make the movements. In this position the elbows of master and pupil are in touch, so that the instant the teacher nudges to learner the latter desists, giving over all control to his instructor. That way safety lies. The rush of wind past the ears renders speaking impossible. And you may say that there is nothing more in learning to aeroplane than that and handling it as a glider without power applied. The pupils all tell you the machine is amazingly simple to handle. You may judge that from the fact that when he came to fly at Le Mans, Wilbur Wright had not had as much experience with a power- driven aeroplane as the Comte de Lambert had at his eighteenth lesson, by which time he had handled it for a total of about four hours only. In those circumstances is it any marvel that Wilbur's flight path was somewhat undulating when he began at Le Mans, feeling very nervous, very ill, and with the whole of his reputation at stake ? Would you not expect to " wobble " when riding a bicycle for the first time in eighteen months, particu- larly if you were the first man who had ever balanced on one, so that you had to find out everything for yourself? But Wilbur Wright's first three pupils will not learn the machine left-handed, for they will sit in Wilbur's seat. And presently MM. de Lambert, Tissandier, and Gerardville will teach each the other how to handle the aeroplane from Wilbur's seat, so that in time they will be ambidextrous at the business. Of the niceties of manoeuvring in mid-air, the con- summate ease with which the machine can become lost to view when scouting, the gracefulness of its circlings and tiltings, its rises and its dips, the matter-of-courseness with which it is put to fly a measured kilom. just as you would drive a motor car past a mark; its excursions over woods and crowds of carriages and onlookers, the accuracy of its alighting at the very doors of the aerodock or beside the starting rail, and the astounding smoothness of its landings, are matters that must be discussed anon. King Edward sees the Wrights Fly. OWING to the inclement weather, from which Pau seems to be suffering as much as most other places, King Edward had to postpone his visit to the Wright flying ground from Monday last to Wednesday. On Wednesday the conditions were favourable and the King motored over to Pau shortly after one. Having lunched at Pau, His Majesty motored over to the flying ground at Pont Long, where he was received by the Mayor of Pau. The Wright Brothers and their sister, as well as Count Lambert and M. Tissandier, having been presented to the King, His Majesty was conducted to the aeroplane shed, where he carefully examined the mechanism of the apparatus, which was explained by Wilbur. Having been decorated with the British, French and American flags in honour of the occasion, the aeroplane was brought out and Wilbur first made a " solo" ascent, during which he showed, in a most striking manner, the capabilities of the machine and the wonderful control he has over it. After a short interval, sister Katherine climbed into the passenger's seat and Wilbur started off once more. He first of all ascended to a great height and then came down again, skim- ming quite close to the earth, and after this little exhibition, started off for "a ramble " in the direction of Pau and was out of sight for about six minutes. On coming to earth, Wilbur and his sister were warmly applauded by the King and the little group of spectators surrounding him, and His Majesty heartily congratulated the Wrights upon the success of their flyer. Wright Invited to Spain. AMONG Wilbur Wright's latest invitations are two from Spain, one of which comes from the municipality of Valence, who want him to attend their fete in May, when the King of Spain is expected to be present, and the other is from the authorities of San Sebastian. The 32-h.p. 4-cyl. Engine of the "Wright Flyers, weight 87 kilogs. A
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
