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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0939.PDF
NOVEMBER 12, 1910. THE WAR OFFICE AND FRENCH AEROPLANES. [880] Now that the War Office is taking an interest in aviation they are at once criticised for having ordered French aeroplanes instead of English copies of the same. I hold no brief for the War Office, but as I have been somewhat responsible for stirring up an interest in aviation in this country, lastly by describing the effect of aerial scouts at the French manoeuvres, I am sorry to see our War Office at once subjected to criticism at the commencement. I may say in the first place it is impossible to copy a Farman machine such as the Government have ordered, as any copy must necessarily always be behind the latest improvements, and so far as I know there is no machine of the type ordered in this country to copy. Secondly, and on this point I am sure you will be in agree ment, it is not playing the game, after the risk and work Henry Farman has put into flying in order to produce the flying machine of to-day, to copy him without acknowledgment. I have known Henry Farman since the time when flying a few yards was a feat involving experiment after experiment, and since that time he has put in year after year of arduous work and risk to evolve the present machine, but since that time we have practically done nothing to help on aviation. We have been absolutely apathetic, and, apart from what patents there may be, apart from the fact that it is not possible to copy the latest novelties, it is not quite a sporting thing to even attempt to copy without acknowledgment. I am, however, quite in agreement with the sentiment that our machines should be British-built of British material by British labour, and with that very object in view I have arranged with the Farman Brothers that their machines shall be built in this country ; they will not, however, be copies of machines of past date. Every novelty introduced in France will be simultaneously produced in this country under the supervision of the Farman Brothers, and last, but not least, the inventor, to whom flying owes so much, will receive his due as such, whilst the industry will be a British one. G. HOLT THOMAS. [/TIGHT NATURAL STABILITY. [881] I feel inclined to agree with your correspondent, Thos. Kelham (812), in advocating a low centre of gravity. The matter has seemingly never been thoroughly thrashed out, and most people who criticise it confuse the idea with that of applying the propeller thrust at the same low point. There is, however, evidently no reason why this should be done if we use a chain or bevel gear transmission between the engine and propeller. Moreover in many successful machines of the present we find the e.g. very much below the c.p. ; most biplanes, for instance, have all the weight placed immediately above the lower plane instead of half way between the two, and in the latest Farman biplane and Roe triplane the c.p. has been still further raised relatively to the e.g. by reducing the area of the bottom plane. The principle is mathematically so obviously correct that it deserves more practical and experimental investigation than has hitherto been devoted to it. Prescot. J. T. MATTON. This I claim to be the first flapping-wing machine which has risen successfully off the ground for 20 yds. with an ordinary motor cycle engine of 4-h.p. It is now being fitted with a light 8-h.p. George engine, and is expected to go to Brooklands shortly. This is the result of five years' study. I claim to have mastered the secrets of birds' flight, not only theoretically but practically, and I just lately had to strengthen some parts of the machine on account of the wings giving a far greater propulsion than I thought possible. The machine spans 24 ft. across and is 20 ft. in length. The front wings are used as an elevator, also for lateral balancing : they are worked individually, while the back wings are flapping by means of a very simple mechanism. The tail is used as a rudder. The wings of this mechanical bird can be folded in ten minutes, and the machine is then ready to go along the road exactly the same as a motor car. In the pilot's seat, in the photograph, is Mr. A. Shury, and on the right myself and Mademoiselle Passat. Hoping this will prove interesting to your readers, and wishing your journal every success. Wimbledon, Oct. 23rd. J. B. PASSAT. C.P. AND ASPECT RATIO. [883] I have for some time been attempting to investigate the lifting powers of different surfaces by finding the direction and magnitude of the displacements whose reactions occasion the lift. These observations indicate one point of considerable importance ;o anyone engaged in this field of research, which I do not believe has been sufficiently emphasised heretofore : the location of the centre ol MR. PASSAT'S ORNITHOPTER. [882] I am pleased to forward you the photos and the parti culars of my ormthopter, which I promised you. PLAN. rrrorti.m-. pressure varies, not only with rhe curvature and angle, but also with the aspect ratio. • If a plane or curved surface be placed at a lifting angle in a current of flowing liquid, as in the accompanying sketch, the currents near the ends of the surface and adjacent to it will take the paths shown by the light lines, on the top, and by the dotted lines, on the bottom. The extent of sidewise displacement seems to be constant for a given angle, curvature, and depth of plane, and largely inde pendent of the length of the leading edge (provided this is more than twice the depth), so that its relative effect would vary with different Mr. T. B. Passat's ornithopter, fitted with a small motor-bicycle motor, with which he has raised himself off the ground. 937
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