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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0052.PDF
IfclGHT DEGREES, NOT PER CENT. 298] I must have made a very stupid mistake and written 10 per cent, instead of 10°, which is, of course, what all the 10 per cents, should read as, in my letter which you published in FLIGHT, January 1st, page 15. All the per cents, should read as degrees. Hollow Spars.—With regard to the hollow spars referred to by Mr. Linton Hope, I should have liked to use these instead of bamboo, and wrote to the only Irish firm that makes them, but the price, as far as I was concerned, put them out of the question. They were quoted at 2s. per ft. for spars about 1^ in. in diameter. Propeller Thrust.—With regard to propeller thrust, I wish you would get some practical person to write on this subject. I have been told that the thrust should be one-tenth the total weight of machine ; the gliding angle will give head resistance, but the thrust of propeller has first to raise the machine off the ground, and there is ..the friction of wheels or skids. Some articles on making propellers would be interesting and useful, both as to the built up and cut to template kinds, also more information re direct or gear- driven propellers, but apparently experts all differ on this subject. Surfacing.—I have got my fabric on without a crease ; it is laced back and front on the planes, then sewn over where the edges meet, and then coated with my gelatine formula and it dries as tight as a drum. I am using unbleached calico, which, by the way, is full of powder, and one can take 2 or 3 lbs. weight off the planes by washing it first, to get the powder out ; one also has to allow for it stretching, the fabric naturally follows the top curve and the under surface is tacked to the ribs, but both surfaces are first strained up tight with the whipcord lacing, the two surfaces are punched out together so that the eyeholes are opposite each other. I use a bootmaker's punch and boot eyes, as the stuff is 6 ft. wide there are ho seams, except where the side pieces will join the centre frame. The wire on trailing edge is run through the picture screws, which are screwed into the end of each rib, and the lacing is pulled, over the wire—in front the lacing is on main spar ; it takes me about 3J hours to cover and coat one wing, but then I have to take off each wire, and get the sockets through in the right place, which is by no means easy work ; a monoplane would be much easier. The edges of fabric must, of course, be machined round, and holes punched in the two or three thicknesses of hem. I mean the fabric is turned in two or three times to give a solid hem to punch in. Belfast. LILIAN E. BLAND. ACCIDENTS AND THEIR LESSONS. [299] There appears to be one lesson standing out in bold type to be learned from all these fatal accidents, viz., to be strapped securely in the areoplane. In nearly all the fatal accidents the pilot has left the machine and fallen to the ground ; of course it is an easy matter for a man to get killed by a direct fall of only a few feet, but he may fall a considerable distance in a crippled aeroplane, and the planes and framework, however much damaged, will save him from the direct fatal concussion with the ground. For instance, Santos Dumont was saved by getting entangled in the wires, and there are dozens of others who have been saved in the same way. On the other hand, M. Delagrange was thrown out of his machine and killed. I believe that Lilienthal, Pilcher, Lieut. Selfridge, Lefebvre and Fernandez all fell from their machines, which is a total list of fatalities, except Capt. Ferber, whose machine fouled the ground in turning, overturning the machine and pinning him under the engine. I am writing this with the hope that the suggestion may save other similar fatalities. It may be of general interest to hear other opinions on the subject. Park Royal. OLIVE PRYCE. , FIRST FLIGHT IN IRELAND. [300] Just a note to correct a mistake in the description of Mr. Ferguson's flight in Ireland last week. The propeller he used was only 6 ft. 4 in. in diameter, not 7 ft. WILLIAM COCHRANE. OLYMPIA EXHIBITION. [301] IN a recent issue, under the heading of " The Aero Club of the United Kingdom " you have a notice of the Aero Exhibition at Olympia. I should be very glad if you would let me know if 1 he exhibition of models is only open to members or to all. Speed of Model Motors.—Will you also let me know how many r.p.m. the "Aero" and the "Flier" motors (advertised by the Economic Electric Co.) revolve at, with a charge from one of the 4*. accumulators especially made for them. Thanking you in anti cipation. Paddington. E. D. H. [The Exhibition at Olympia is open to all exhibitors. The question relating to the speed of model motors has been placed before the makers, who reply that the speed is from 2,000 to 3,000 r.p.m.—ED.] JANUARY 15, 1910. DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS. British Events. •Feb. 4-5 •• Mar. II-IQ Manchester Ae. C. Model Exhibition. Flight Exhibition at Olympia. Foreign 191c July 11 Aug. 6-13 Events. Flight Meeting, place not fixed. Flight Meeting, place not fixed. 1910. Feb 6-13.. April 2-10 April 3-'o April 10-25 May 10-16 May 14-22 May 20-30 June 5-12 June 5-15 June 18-24 Heliopolis. Biarritz. Cannes. Nice. Berlin. Lyons. Verona. Vichy. Budapest. St. Petersburg. June 26-July 10 Rheims. 1910. July 14-24 Rheims to Brussels, cross country event. July 24-Aug. 10 Belgium. Aug. 25-Sept. 4 Deauville. Sept. 8-18 Bordeaux. Sept. 24-Oct. 3 Milan. Oct. 18-25 America. Gordon-Bennett Balloon Race. Oct. 25-Nov. 2 America. Gordon- Bennett Aeroplane Race. 28,321. =8,558. 13,608. 23,309. Aeronautical Patents Published. Applied tor in io<8 Published January 20M, 1910. J. FAWCETT. Airships. L. LORANT AND B. KORMOS. Controlling aerial machines. Anplteii io> la 10 .9 Published January ioth% 1910. S. LAKE. Airship. R. ESNAUXT-PELTERIE. Flying machines. BACK NUMBERS OF "FLIGHT." SEVERAL back, numbers are now very scarce, and have been raised in price as follows :— Price. s. d. No. 2, Jan. 9, containing Table of Propellers i 6 3 ,, ID ,, ,, Engines 3 o 4 .,23 ,, Engines at Paris Salon •• 3 6 6, Feb. 6 ,, " How Men Fly" 1 o Aeronautical Bibliography. Wright Bros.' Elevator Patents. 8 ,,20 ,, Flying Ground at Fambridge 1 o Illustrated Glossary. 10, Mar. 6 ,, Human Side of Hying ... I O Aero Club Ground at Shellbeach. Military Aeronautics. 12 ,,20 ,, Souvenir Supplement ... I 6 15, Apr. 10 ,, Engines at Olympia ... ... I o 16 ,, 17 ,, Prize List 3 6 Models at Olympia. 31, July 31 „ Bleriot Flyer 2 o (Full page drawing.) Other back numbers, post free, \\d. each (including descriptions and scale drawings of the Voisin, Curtiss, Cody and Farman biplanes, the Santos Dumont, Antoinette, and Grade monoplanes, and of a full-size Wright glider. BINDING COVERS for Vol. I, price 2s. 3d., post free. TITLE PAGE and INDEX for Vol. I, i^d., post free. Ready shortly. Readers' own copies bound, price 4s. per part (in cluding cover, title page, and index, but excluding postage). VOLUME I, bound complete with all the above scarce numbers, price 25^., post free; in two parts, 28*. 6d., complete. Ready shortly. Prices of special binding on application. FLIGHT. 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegraphic address : Truditur, London. Telephone : 1828 Gerrard. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. FLIGHT trill be forwarded, post fiee, to any part of the world at tht following rates:— UNITED KINGDOM. ABROAD. s. d. 3 Months, Post Free 6 „ 1 8 3 3 6 6 3 Months, Post Free. 6 „ „ s. d. 2 6 5 o 10 o Cheques and Post Office Orders should be made payable to the Proprietors of FLIGHT, 44, St. Martin's Lane, W.C., and crossed London and County Bank ; otherwise no responsibility will be accepted.
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