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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0495.PDF
end in mid-air. This results in a bad tail-slide, and the machine is often reduced to toothpicks and the aviator seriously injured. Be particularly careful, therefore, to try out the various controls care fully, moving them only a short distance at a time until the desired result is accomplished. " After the student is able to make hops and keep his machine level, he is then ready to make a more extended flight. And now I wish to give another word of warning. " Before I ever went off the ground in any of my flights, how ever rushed I was, or however impatient was the audience, I always took plenty of time to tune up and examine my machine. First, I looked at my big Gnome motor. I turned it over slowly, and felt of the play of each exhaust-valve. I examined carefully the bolts which held the main supporting steel strips to the landing-chassis and the wings, in order to see that these fastenings were perfectly secure. The tension of these strips is also important, and should be practically uniform. Very often a distortion of the wings makes one of these strips tight and the other loose. There is only one thing to do, and that is to make the tension uniform before venturing into the air. Don't forget to glance at the upper supporting wires, as often a turnbuckle may become loosened; and although these wires do not support the weight when the machine is in the air, still they are of great importance. " The leading edge of the wings should be absolutely parallel with the trailing edge. Squat down behind each wing and glance along these edges, and if they are not parallel adjust the upper or lower wires until they are. This is of the utmost importance for the machine will not be on an even keel when the control is at a central position unless the two wings are adjusted perfectly equal. Don't forget to take a look at the tail and see that the supports holding it in position are firm, and the nuts on the bolts secure. "After you have learned actually to fly, get up in the air a good height and stay there. Remember it is not falling that injures an aviator, but the sudden stop and his contact with Mother Earth. That saved my life a good many times and I've had some side slips where I fell 500 ft. or more. I would not be here, talking to the readers of this journal if I had not been flying pretty high. Personally, I have always been of the opinion that high flying is the safest, although many aviators do not agree with me. It always made me nervous to see a man taking the sparrows off the trees or brushing the cobwebs from the chimneys of surrounding houses. I never felt right until I was up from 2,000 to 5,000 ft., and the higher I got the better I felt. Don't forget the higher you are the better chance you will have of making a safe landing, if your motor stops accidentally. When you're flying low, the chances are there is going to be a smash if your motor ceases to operate in the air. " Speaking of the motor stopping, just remember that as soon as it ceases to operate, you must bring in the force of gravity to keep up your flying speed. In other words, point the nose of your machine down instantly; never mind how high you are or what you will bump into." [In view of the disclosure M. Bleriot made recently, it is clear that the action of pointing the nose of the machine downwards too violently, should the engine stop, is not advisable on account of the reversal of pressure set up in the wing surfaces. We would rather it read, " point the nose of your machine down surely but n»t tot suddenly."] " You don't gain anything by keeping the machine in a horizontal plane, for it will fall anyhow, and it is much better to have it fall on the glide than to have it fall vertically. In the latter case, the use of the control is lost, and a serious accident will result. " Be very careful in rising that you do not stall the machine. Remember that it is the rapid speed forward which supports J our aeroplane, and enables your control to operate properly, ust as soon as you try to climb at too steep an angle the resistance becomes so great that your speed drops off quickly, and soon a point is reached when your controls go out of com mission almost entirely. If you are near the ground you make a pancake landing, in which case, your machine must go into the hangar for a long job of repairs. I always had an inclina- meter, which is simply a spirit lever, to tell at what angle I was climbing. I found by experience the angle which I could employ in order to climb the fastest, and however excited I was, or however important it was for me to climb rapidly, I never exceeded this angle. Several times I have been sorely tempted to do so, but in each case have resisted the temptation. " Remember that in banking a monoplane on a turn, it always tends to hank too much unless an extremely short turn is made. ® ® An American Record. OK the 25th ult., at Long Island, Lieut. Paul Beck on his Curtiss biplane, we learn by cable, beat the American duration In other words in turning to the left, for instance, a slight pressure on the left foot serves to throw you around in that direction. Immediately the speed of your left wing decreases, while the speed of your right wing increases, and the machine banks. In order to correct this and not to bank too much, you must move your vertical control to the right, or as the French term it—cloche, meaning bell in French, owing the bell-shaped portion at the bottom of the lever. Banking is absolutely necessary to take a turn properly, but be careful that you do not bank too much for the inward component of the lift of your plane will be greater than the centrifugal force and a side-slip to the inside of the circle will result. " Speaking of side-slips, you've got to look out for them in a monoplane. A biplane does not have a tendency to side-slip any where near as badly as a monoplane. Let a high-speed monoplane get side-slipping badly and you're going to have your hands full in bringing it up to an even keel. The trick is—do not let it get too far over, but apply your corrective the instant the machine tilts to an undesirable angle. " There are exceptions when an experienced aviator can disobey this rule. For instance, in taking one of the turns at Chicago, these turns were very short indeed, we had to throw the machines up to 60 or 700 bank in order to get around them in good shape. Ordinarily this would be a dangerous process, but if the aviator remembers to let his machine fall—that is point the elevator downward, while taking the turn—it is comparatively safe. " Never bank on a rise and never bank deeply unless you let the machine glide down. The latter rule is not absolutely necessary, but always safe. "A monoplane is far more sensitive than a biplane, and hence extreme care is necessary in its control, but after it is thoroughly mastered I believe that a monoplane is no more dangerous than a biplane, and is much more fun to operate. Incidentally if you're going into it from an exhibition standpoint, it is faster than a biplane and hence your chances for winning first place are greater. If I had had a biplane only to depend upon, during the past season, I probably should have lost money, rather than made it. As it was, I have no complaint to make, for in five months I made enough to keep me going for a while without serious worry as to where my next slice of bread is coming from. " I have often been asked during the past season to what 1 owe my success. In the first place, 1 had what I consider the best machine made for my purpose of exhibition flying. In the second place, I hired two of the best mechanics that money could buy, and I gave them all the tools that they could work with, never hurrying them on an important job, however impatient my manager might be or the waiting public. / never went out on a Jlight until J had carefully inspected the machine, and I did not let curious people bother me with questions so as to distract my attention when I performed this important operation. ~5"j " I will not say that I did not take fool chances, for every aviator that does exhibit flying has got to fly when the time comes. I believe in ' playing the game ' and when you don't want to play it give it up. I have never yet disappointed an audience. A man that goes into exhibition flying must go in with his eyes open and realize what he is up against. However, I always had my machine perfect before it left the ground, and I could, therefore, rely on it ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. And my reasoning must have been correct, for I made more than one hundred flights and have never broken one stick in the machine. " To sum up therefore, my advice to young aviators is to—first, get the best machine you can ; second, give it the very best care and attention. If you are not in a position to do so yourself hire someone who can. Thirdly, carefully inspect the machine before every flight. Fourth, don't let the machine get very far from its normal position, but correct any tendency to tilt or side-slip instantly. Fifth, never come anywhere near stalling the machine in mid-air. Sixth, if the motor stops come down to your natural gliding speed instantly, and then think about where you're goingto land. Don't look around for a landing place first and then try to operate your aeroplane, for by lliat time it may be beyond your control. ® ® record by flying for 4 hours 23 mins. 15 sees., and then landing only because the wind had got up, making it somewhat risky to continue in the air. 495
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