Diagram showing the simplicity of control of the Voisin machine, all operations being performed by the wheel and its sliding axis.
The controls are all actuated by a rod sliding back and forth horizontally in front of the pilot’s seat, having a wheel at the end. The elevator is fastened to the rod by a crank lever, and is tilted up or down as the rod is pushed forward or pulled back. Turning the wheel from side to side moves the rudder in the rear. There are no devices for controlling the equilibrium. This is supposed to be maintained automatically by the fixed vertical curtains.
Voisin biplanes at the starting line at Rheims in August, 1909. They were flown by Louis Paulhan, who won third prize for distance, and Henri Rougier, who won fourth prize for altitude. In the elimination races to determine the contestants for the Bennett Cup, Paulhan won second place with the Voisin machine, being defeated only by Tissandier with a Wright machine. Other noted aviators who fly the Voisin machine are M. Bunau-Varilla and the Baroness de la Roche.
The machine is mounted on two wheels forward, and two smaller wheels under the tail.
This description applies to the standard Voisin biplane, which has been in much favor with many of the best known aviators. Recently the Voisins have brought out a new type in which the propeller has been placed in front of the planes, exerting a pulling force upon the machine, instead of pushing it as in the earlier type. The elevating plane has been removed to the rear, and combined with the rudder.
A racing type also has been produced, in which the vertical curtains have been removed and a parallel pair of long, narrow ailerons introduced between the main planes on both sides of the centre. This machine, it is claimed, has made better than 60 miles per hour.
The first Voisin biplane was built for Delagrange, and was flown by him with success.
THE FARMAN BIPLANE.
The second biplane built by the Voisins went into the hands of Henri Farman, who made many flights with it. Not being quite satisfied with the machine, and having an inventive mind, he was soon building a biplane after his own designs, and the Farman biplane is now one of the foremost in favor among both professional and amateur aviators.