“An aëroplane flight, contrary to the general impression, is far steadier than the familiar means of locomotion. There is absolute freedom from the bouncing of the automobile, the jar of a railroad train, or the rolling and pitching sensations of the sea. No matter how many springs or cushions may be added to the automobile, for instance, there will always be some motion. On the other hand, the seat of an aëroplane is always steady. The aëroplane does not jolt over the invisible wind currents, the ruts of the sky. It cuts its way smoothly. Even suppose the plane to be gliding so (indicating an angle of forty-five degrees), the seat remains fixed. There is, of course, no absolute parallel in surface travel. And since there is no roll or pitch to the aëroplane, there is no air-sickness comparable to the familiar sea sickness.”
CHAPTER IV
ABOARD THE WRIGHTS’ AIRSHIP
SEEN high aloft the Wright aëroplane appears so graceful and fragile that its actual dimensions come as a surprise. In the upper air it seems no larger than a swallow, but, as it settles to earth, the wings lengthen out to the width of an ordinary street.
There is some good reason for each stick and wire, and for every twist and turn of the Wrights’ marvellous airship. When one considers what wonderful feats this aircraft performs, its form and mechanism seem extremely simple. It is far less complicated than any locomotive or steamship, and the action of its planes is far easier to explain than the sails of an ordinary seagoing ship. When one has once gone over the fascinating little craft, all other aëroplanes, which more or less resemble it, may be readily understood.
PLATE XXII.
An Interesting Form which Flies Backward or Forward.
The Wright machine was not only the first power airship to fly and carry a man aloft, but for all its rivals, it still rides the unstable air currents more steadily than any other. The planes measure forty feet from tip to tip, six and a half feet across, and are spaced six feet apart. The distance between the planes is very important and was only fixed after a number of experiments. The area of the wings or supporting surfaces is 540 feet, which is considerably more than in most airships. The machine complete, without any passenger or pilot, weighs 880 pounds, although you would imagine it to be much less. The two propellers measure eight feet in diameter, and turn at the rate of 450 revolutions a minute. Equipped with a four cylinder engine of from 25 to 30 horse power, the airship has a speed of forty miles an hour, which is often increased when traveling with the wind.
The seats for the pilot and the passenger are placed at the center at the front of the lower plane, so that their feet hang over the front or entering edge. The passenger sits very comfortably throughout the flight. There is a back to lean against, a brace for the feet, while the struts between the planes give every opportunity to hold on. In some of the models these seats are even upholstered in gray to harmonize with the silver or aluminium paint of the machine.