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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0948.PDF
ffljwf " Flight " Copyright. Front view of the pilot's seat on the Cody biplane, showing Mr. Cody at the wheel. This photograph is taken through the radiator, which protects the pilot to a certain extent in cold weather. That the radiator is no obstruction to the view in this^ position maybe judged from the above picture. NOVEMBER 19, 1910 control ; the other balancer, althuugh it may be dipped by the action of the spring, cannot exert a downward thrust, by virtue of this attitude, of a greater magnitude than the springs themselves can sup port. Interconnected with the b dancer mechanism is the rudder—which, as already ex plained, is capable of inde pendent operation by turning the steering-wheel—and this member is likewise put over in synchronism with the balancing movements. It will be observed, as an outstanding feature of the Cody control, that the balancing forces are brought to bear upon the machine at several points, and it can be readily appreciated that in large aeroplanes of this kind such a feature may be very desirable in order to guard against failure through undue local stress. With the exception of the rather small horizontal tail plane, which is quite flat—and can really almost be regarded more as a member for trussing the rudder, to which it is permanently fixed, than as a factor of great importance in the stability of the machine—all the planes on ihe Cody biplane are cambered to carry load. And, in connection with the camber of the main planes, there is another original feature which it is only fait to designate as the " Cody curve." The section of the main planes is very peculiar, and it is rather curious that the peculiarity in question would scarcely ever be "Flight" Copyright. Sketch illustrating how the vertical struts are fastened bv a ball-socket joint to the main spars in the Cody biplane. Inset is an illustration of the bolt. observed even scarcely visible although very vidual rib. One tional sketches and it will be is cam bered by the expert eye, for it is on the finished machine, pronounced in an indi - of the accompanying sec- shows a main plane rib, noticed that the underside more abruptly than the top side, so that the two laths of which the rib is built up touch one another at a point about one - third of the chord from t h e leading edge. The attitude of the main planes in respect to the normal axis of flight is such that the upper surface is practically tangential to the line of flight in the vicinity of the leading edge, con sequently the lower surface has a dipping front edge and the upper surface has not. Mr. Cody claims for this particular system of con struction that it produces the most efficient plane that he has ever tried. The main planes are built up in sections of 8 ft. span each, and they are divisible into these sections when the machine is dismantled " rUght" Copyright. Sketch illustrating how the steering^column simultaneously operates the balancing-planes and the rudder when moved sideways. " Flight" Copyright. Diagrammatic sketch illustrating the use of the elevators as balancers on the Cody biplane, and also the simultaneous action of one of the main balancing planes. 946 " Flight" Copyright. Sketch illustrating how the main ribs are fastened to the main spars by a steel strap on the Cody biplane.
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