TO
ARNOLD MILLER COLLINS
(Aged Ten)

THAN WHOM NO COLLABORATOR COULD
HAVE BEEN MORE ENTHUSIASTIC

CONTENTS

PART I

MODELS: HOW TO BUILD AND FLY THEM

CHAPTERPAGE
I.The New Sport for Boys[3]
II.Why the Aeroplane Flies[18]
III.How To Build a “Glider”[30]
IV.Building the Motor[50]
V.Fine Points of Construction[68]
VI.Simple Monoplane Models[84]
VII.Elaborating the Monoplane[102]
VIII.Building a Biplane[121]
IX.Combining Monoplane and Biplane Forms [137]
X.Faults and How to Mend Them[143]
PART II
THE HISTORY AND SCIENCE OF AVIATION
I.The First Flying Machines[163]
II.Developing the Aeroplane[175]
III.The Wright Brothers’ Own Story[193]
IV.Aboard the Wrights’ Airship[224]
V.Other Aeroplanes Appear[238]
VI.Successful Monoplanes[254]
VII.Aerial Warfare[272]
VIII.Sports of the Air, Aeroplanes[293]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
Launching the Airship[Frontispiece]
A Junior Aëroclub with its Instructor in One of the
New York Public Schools		[7]
A Young Inventor in His Workshop[14]
Boys Comparing Models[14]
The First Glider Weighted at the Front[28]
Dowel Strips of Different Sizes[33]
Plate A—Diagrams of Plan of Aëroplane on Page 58[38]
A Coil of Cane or Reed[42]
Splitting a Bamboo Fish-Pole[47]
Plate B—The Propeller before Cutting Down[51]
Model Constructed from Diagram, Plate A[58]
Splitting the Segar Box Cover to Build the Propeller[63]
Plate C—The Diagram of a Monoplane[65]
A Model Aëroplane Built from the Drawing
(Plate C)		[71]
Detail of Rudder and Propeller of Model Built from
Drawing (Plate C)		[78]
Plate I—A Clever Folding Model. The Wings Are
Broader than Need Be		[88]
Plate II—A Model Aëroplane Worth Imitating[93]
Plate III—An Ingenious French Model Made of
Umbrella Wire		[100]
Plate IV—One of the Simplest of Aëroplanes to
Construct		[105]
Plate V—Too Large for Beginners but Will Make
Long Flights		[112]
Model Shown in Plate V Ready for a Flight[117]
Plate VI—A Model with Both Good and Bad
Features		[124]
Plate VII—A Good Example of Careful Designing
and Workmanship		[129]
Plate VIII—An Effective Model with Wooden
Wings		[136]
Plate IX—An Interesting Experiment Along New
Lines		[139]
Plate X—An Excellent Monoplane Capable of Long
Flights		[150]
Detail of Model Shown in Plate X[153]
Plate XI—Well Thought Out Monoplane[158]
Plate XII—A Good Example of Tilted Planes[165]
Plate XIII—A Serviceable Form Made of Wire[172]
Plate XIV—The Under Body of the Monoplane
Shown in Plate XIII		[179]
Plate XV—A Simple Model which Proves Steady in
Flight		[184]
Plate XVI—The Propeller and Shaft of the Model
Shown in Plate XV		[189]
Plate XVII—An Ingenious Model which Fails to Fly[196]
Plate XVIII—A Good Model Excepting That Its
Vertical Rudders Are Too Large		[201]
Plate XIX—A Simple Cellular Form[208]
Plate XX—A Cellular Type with Rudder and Elevating
Plane		[213]
Plate XXI—A Complicated Model Capable of Long
Flights		[220]
Plate XXII—An Interesting Form which Flies
Backward or Forward		[225]
Plate XXIII—A Well Built Model Badly Proportioned[230]
Plate XXIV—Wright Model Ready for Flight[235]
Plate XXV—Another View of the Wright Model[246]
Plate XXVI—An Ingenious Model which Rises
Quickly		[251]
Plate XXVII—An Aëroplane with Paper Wings[255]
A Very Simple Monoplane for Beginners[262]
Otto Lilienthal about to Take Flight[267]
A Machine for Testing the Lifting Power of Aëroplanes[274]
Maxim’s First Aëroplane[280]
The Machine on the Rails, as it Appeared in 1893[280]
First Flight of the Wright Brothers’ First Motor
Machine 		[285]
Three-quarter View of a Flight at Simms Station,
November 16, 1904		[292]
Front View of the Flight of the Wright Aëroplane,
October 4, 1905		[297]

PART I

MODELS: HOW TO BUILD
AND FLY THEM