Although many experimenters have addressed themselves to the problem within the last few years—and these have included men of education and skill—the general failure to arrive at any actual flight has seemed to throw a doubt over the conclusions which I had announced as theoretically possible.
When, therefore, I was able to state that on May 6, 1896, such a degree of success had been attained that an aerodrome, built chiefly of steel, and driven by a steam engine, had indeed flown for over half a mile—that this machine had alighted with safety, and had performed a second flight on the same day, it was felt that an advance had been made, so great as to constitute the long desired experimental demonstration of the possibility of mechanical flight. These results were communicated to the French Academy in the note given below.[7]
Independently of the preliminary experiments in aerodynamics already published, I had been engaged for seven years in the development of flying models. Although the work was discouraging and often resulted in failure, success was finally reached under the conditions just referred to, which obviously admitted of its being reached again, and on a larger scale, if desired. [p004]
In view of the great importance of these experiments, as demonstrating beyond question the practicability of the art of mechanical flight, and also in view of the yet inchoate state of this art, I have thought it worth while to publish an account of them somewhat in detail, even though they involve an account of failures; since it is from them, that those to whom it may fall to continue such constructions, will learn what to avoid, as well as the raison d’etre of the construction of the machines which have actually flown.
In an established art or science, this description of the essays and failures which preceded full knowledge would have chiefly an historical interest. Here almost nothing is yet established beyond the fact that mechanical flight has actually been attained. The history of failure is in this case, then, if I do not mistake, most necessary to an understanding of the road to future success, to which it led, and this has been my motive in presenting what I have next to say so largely in narrative form.
[p005]
CHAPTER II
PRELIMINARY
Part I of the present work is intended to include an account of the experiments with actual flying models, made chiefly at or near Washington, from the earliest with rubber motors up to the construction of the steam aerodromes that performed the flights of May 6 and November 28, 1896.
An account of some observations conducted at Washington, with the whirling table, on the reaction of various surfaces upon the air, is relegated to a later part.