THE BREGUET BIPLANE.
The Breguet biplane is conspicuous in having a biplane tail of so large an area as to merit for the machine the title “tandem biplane.” The main planes have a spread of 41 feet 8 inches, and an area of 500 square feet. The tail spreads 24 feet, and its area is about 280 square feet. The propeller is three-bladed, 8 feet in diameter, and revolves at a speed of 1,200 revolutions per minute. It is placed in front of the main plane, after the fashion of the monoplanes. The motive power is an 8-cylinder R-E-P engine, developing 55 horse-power.
Courtesy of N. Y. Sun.
The Seddon tandem biplane, constructed by Lieutenant Seddon of the British Navy. The area of its planes is 2,000 square feet. Compare its size with that of the monoplane in the background. It is intended to carry ten persons.
Wright biplane. Curtiss biplane.
Comparative build and area of prominent American biplanes.
Voisin biplane. Breguet biplane.
Comparative build and area of prominent European biplanes.
Chapter VI.
FLYING MACHINES: THE MONOPLANE.
The common goal—Interchanging features—The Bleriot machine—First independent flyer—Construction and controls—The “Antoinette”—Large area—Great stability—Santos-Dumont’s monoplane—Diminutive size—R-E-P monoplane—encased structure—Hanriot machine—Boat body—Sturdy build—Pfitzner machine—Lateral type—Thrusting propeller—Fairchild, Burlingame, Cromley, Chauviere, Vendome, and Moisant monoplanes.
In all the ardent striving of the aviators to beat each other’s records, a surprisingly small amount of personal rivalry has been developed. Doubtless this is partly because their efforts to perform definite feats have been absorbing; but it must also be that these men, who know that they face a possible fall in every flight they make, realize that their competitors are as brave as themselves in the face of the same danger; and that they are actually accomplishing marvellous wonders even if they do no more than just escape disastrous failure. Certain it is that each, realizing the tremendous difficulties all must overcome, respects the others’ ability and attainments.
Consequently we do not find among them two distinctly divergent schools of adherents, one composed of the biplanists, the other of the monoplanists. Nor are the two types of machines separated in this book for any other purpose than to secure a clearer understanding of what is being achieved by all types in the progress toward the one common goal—the flight of man.
The distinctive feature of the monoplane is that it has but one main plane, or spread of surface, as contrasted with the two planes, one above the other, of the biplane. Besides the main plane, it has a secondary plane in the rear, called the tail. The office of this tail is primarily to secure longitudinal, or fore-and-aft, balance; but the secondary plane has been so constructed that it is movable on a horizontal axis, and is used to steer the machine upward or downward. While most of the biplanes now have a horizontal tail-plane, they were not at first so provided, but carried the secondary plane (or planes) in front of the main planes. Even in the latest type brought out by the conservative Wright brothers, the former large-surfaced elevator in front has been removed, and a much smaller tail-plane has been added in the rear, performing the same function of steering the machine up or down, but also providing the fore-and-aft stabilizing feature formerly peculiar to the monoplane. Another feature heretofore distinctively belonging to the monoplane has been adopted by some of the newer biplanes, that of the traction propeller—pulling the machine behind it through the air, instead of pushing it along by a thrusting propeller placed behind the main planes.
The continual multiplication of new forms of the monoplane makes it possible to notice only those which exhibit the wider differences.