It is fitted with a motor of the “V” type, having 8 cylinders, and turning a 2-bladed steel propeller 1,100 revolutions per minute, developing from 50 to 55 horse-power.
The control of the lateral balance is by ailerons attached to the rear edges of the wings at their outer ends. These are hinged, and may be raised as well as lowered as occasion demands, working in opposite directions, and thus doubling the effect of similar ailerons on the Farman machine, which can only be pulled downward.
The machine is mounted on two wheels under the centre of the main plane, with a flexible wood skid projecting forward. Another skid is set under the tail.
It is claimed for the Antoinette machine that its inherent stability makes it one of the easiest of all for the beginner in aviation. With as few as five lessons many pupils have become qualified pilots, even winning prizes against competitors of much wider experience.
Diagrams showing comparative size and position of surfaces and structure of the Bleriot (left) and Antoinette (right) monoplanes.
THE SANTOS-DUMONT MONOPLANE.
This little machine may be called the “runabout” of the aeroplanes. It has a spread of only 18 feet, and is but 20 feet in total length. Its weight is about 245 pounds.
The main plane is divided into two wings, which are set at the body at a dihedral angle, but curve downward toward the tips, forming an arch. The depth of the wings at the tips is 6 feet. For a space on each side of the centre they are cut away to 5 feet in depth, to allow the propeller to be set within their forward edge. The total area of the main plane is 110 square feet.
The tail-plane is composed of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface intersecting. It is arranged so that it may be tilted up or down to serve as an elevator, or from side to side as a rudder. Its horizontal surface has an area of about 12 square feet.