It is a matter of record that the Wright brothers spent the better part of three years among the sand dunes of the North Carolina sea-coast practising with gliders. In this way they acquired that confidence while in the air which comes from intimate acquaintance with its peculiarities, and which cannot be gained in any other way. It is true that the Wrights were then developing not only themselves, but also their gliders; but the latter work was done once for all. To develop aviators, however, means the repeating of the same process for each individual—just as each for himself must be taught to read. And the glider is the “First Reader” in aeronautics.
The long trail of wrecks of costly aeroplanes marking the progress in the art of flying marks also the lack of preparatory training, which their owners either thought unnecessary, or hoped to escape by some royal road less wearisome than persistent personal practice. But they all paid dearly to discover that there is no royal road. Practice, more practice, and still more practice—that is the secret of successful aeroplane flight.
For this purpose the glider is much superior to the power-driven aeroplane. There are no controls to learn, no mechanism to manipulate. One simply launches into the air, and concentrates his efforts upon balancing himself and the apparatus; not as two distinct bodies, however, but as a united whole. When practice has made perfect the ability to balance the glider instinctively, nine-tenths of the art of flying an aeroplane has been achieved. Not only this, but a new sport has been laid under contribution; one beside which coasting upon a snow-clad hillside is a crude form of enjoyment.
Fortunately for the multitude, a glider is easily made, and its cost is even less than that of a bicycle. A modest degree of skill with a few carpenter’s tools, and a little “gumption” about odd jobs in general, is all that is required of the glider builder.
A gliding slope with starting platform, erected for club use.
The frame of the glider is of wood, and spruce is recommended, as it is stronger and tougher for its weight than other woods. It should be of straight grain and free from knots; and as there is considerable difference in the weight of spruce from different trees, it is well to go over the pile in the lumber yard and pick out the lightest boards. Have them planed down smooth on both sides, and to the required thickness, at the mill—it will save much toilsome hand work. The separate parts may also be sawed out at the mill, if one desires to avoid this labor.
The lumber needed is as follows:
| 4 | spars | 20 ft. long, | 1¼ in. wide, | ¾ in. thick. |
| 12 | struts | 3 ft. long, | 1¼ in. wide, | ¾ in. thick. |
| 2 | rudder bars | 8 ft. long, | ¾ in. wide, | ½ in. thick. |
| 12 | posts | 4 ft. long, | 1½ in. wide, | ½ in. thick. |
| 41 | ribs | 4 ft. long, | ½ in. wide, | ½ in. thick. |
| 2 | arm rests | 4 ft. long, | 2 in. wide, | 1 in. thick. |
| For rudder frame. | 24 running ft., | 1 in. wide, | 1 in. thick. | |
If it be impossible to find clear spruce lumber 20 feet in length, the spars may be built up by splicing two 10-foot sticks together. For this purpose, the splicing stick should be as heavy as the single spar—1¼ inches wide, and ¾ inches thick—and at least 4 feet long, and be bolted fast to the spar with six ⅛ inch round-head carriage bolts with washers of large bearing surface (that is, a small hole to fit the bolt, and a large outer diameter) at both ends of the bolt, to prevent crushing the wood. A layer of liquid glue brushed between will help to make the joint firmer.