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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 1028.PDF
(/JJGHT NOVEMBER 25, 1911. CORRESPONDENCE. V 2»» *"• W rf/ra of the writer (not necessarily for publication) MUST in all cases accompany letters intended for insertion, or containing queries. Correspondents communicating with regard to letters which have appeared in FLIGHT, would much facilitate ready reference by quoting the number of each letter. Dr. nankin's Study of Flight. [1426! In the observation of bird flight I have noticed a common error—from which as far as I can see Dr. Hankin is exempt, although he makes no explicit observation on the point—and that is the confusion of movements of feathers and flexible tips of wing due to the air reactions caused by varying air conditions or by shift in centre of gravity, or by some general movements of the whole wing. With actual voluntary movements, Dr. Hankin's method, I notice, is to point out in certain cases that there is no muscle capable of making the adjustment—but even where the muscle does exist it may not be used in the particular movement watched. For example, see the discussion some time ago on the very rapid vibration of wing edges shown in gliding birds by cinematograph records. It is quite easy to obtain similar edge vibrations on a lifeless glider with flexible resistances or trailing edges. It would be interesting to take photographic and cine matograph records of pet birds (e.g.. hawks) hovering and rising. An interesting photo on this line forms the frontispiece to this month's Fry's Magazine—representing a seagull stopping and hovering in order to take food from a girl's hand. The position of the wing tips is to be noticed. A question was asked at an aviation meeting which affords both an illustration and a moral. A well-educated friend of mine was watching the late Mr. Grace flying over our heads in a Farman biplane. The tail fabric was a bit loose and saggy, and kept vibrating fully and rapidly as the machine passed over us. My friend turned to me and asked, " How is the engine joined up to make the tail work that way?" My answer was that the only junction was by means of the air, and that it was the vibrating air that moved the tail fabric, not any direct mechanical connection. Dublin. . D. Natural Stability. patent was probably not cited against Mr, Responsible and Irresponsible Writers. I1427] It is not my intention to engage in a " wordy journalistic warfare," but I hope you will allow me space for a very brief reply to your article under the above title. But, in the first place, may I commend your desire to be fair, which takes the excellent form of publishing the whole of my reply, together with the original paragraph and your own comments. I still fail to see that the Club's official notice, published on September 16, has the slightest bearing on the issue, which is simply what appeared in your editorial note on October 21. There is no justification for your remark that I appear to •question the competence of the Club to issue whatever certificates it likes ; for I expressly state—as your own quotation shows, that " there is no reason why the Club should not issue any number of particular certificates." Also that I approve, in principle, of the advanced certificate. —['See remark below—ED.] But I did say, and I still say, that it is not right to speak of the Club " deciding to retain for the present the examina tion for what we have called the elementary certificate." Of course, the Club cannot decide anything of the kind ; it has got to retain it until the Federation alter it. " THE WRITER IN The Field." [In regard to our critic failing to see that the Club's official notice, published on September 16, has the slightest bearing on the issue, we can only say we are sorry for him. * These paragraphs only appeared in the second criticism of our editorial remarks, after our protest to the Editor of The Field, and when our critic had realised the wrong premises upon which his original criticism was based, viz", that the Club had no power to issue any certificate other than the elementary certificate in force as approved by the Federation. This "incident" is now closed.—ED.] [1428] My r Booth (1417) as the box kite, or, as I specified it, triangular duct," is only one of several devices employed m my design to ensure stability. The duct, naturally, does not appear in the plan of the plane kindly published by you last year, but it is plainly evident in the accompanying sections taken from the specification of the patent. If Mr. Booth's design is able to recover its balance when placed as he shows it, edge down, it will be sufficiently evident that my design cannot possibly remain in any such position an instant owing to the weight of the pilot, engine, fuel, &c, on the floor of the car. I am pleased to note that the same idea appears in the machine SECTION ON CD TRlANoULAC OUCT ENGINE PETBOL PILOT tTC SECTION-ON AP .V Lt Mlttn shown by Messrs. Faber and Arnold, and I am quite confident that in this direction lies the long sought for " Naturally stable machine." When writing to you some two years ago I remarked that it was quite possible I should some day find myself, much to my astonishment, among the orthodox, and it appears that that day is rapidly approaching. I wish Mr. Booth the best of luck in the "interview" he regards with such hopeful enthusiasm, but— Well, perhaps I am better acquainted than he with the ways of companies and Government Departments, and have grown pessimistic. I may say that I have taken a 2-ft. model of my machine, up 30 ft. high, in all sorts of winds, and flung it off tail first, head first, and any other way, but I have never found it upset under any circumstances. Maida Vale. W. LE MAITRE. [1429] Referring to my letter in the last issue of FLIGHT numbered 1423, I should be much obliged if you will kindly make the following correction :—The 16th line should read, viz., "long ago as 1897 in Tataramaka, Omata, and Puniho, County of Taranaki," not " Talaramaka, Omata, and Puniho, County of Tavanaki." I must apologise if the writing in my letter was illegible. Muswell Hill. Q W. BECKMANN. Redivalls' Monoplane and Natural Stability. [14301 I was interested to note Messrs. Forbes and Arnold's letter and photos in the issue of FLIGHT, Novem ber nth, 1911. They may be interested to know that their planes bear a marked resemblance to Herr Rottge's patent No. 27802, 1909. - Also, although the latter's English appli cation postdates theirs, his German application antedates IO3O
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