Set the machine on the ground and release both propellers at once, and at the same time push it forward. If everything is properly constructed and well balanced, the mechanical bird will run about 5 ft. on the ground and then rise to 15 or 20 ft. and fly from 800 to 1,200 ft., descending in a long glide and alighting gracefully.
Fig. 4
The Motive Power, Which Is the Most Important Part of the Machine, Consists of Rubber Bands
If the machine fails to rise, move the forward plane toward the front. If it climbs up suddenly and hangs in the air and falls back on its tail, move it toward the back.
After the novelty of overland flights has worn off, try flights over the water. To do this the wheels must be removed and four pontoons put in their place, as shown by the dotted lines in [Fig. 2]. The pontoons are made over a light frame, constructed as shown in [Fig. 5]. The frame pieces are bamboo, ¹⁄₈ in. square. Each one is 8 in. long, 4 in. wide, and 2 in. deep. The covering consists of writing paper glued in place, after which the whole surface is covered with melted paraffin to make it water-tight.
Fig. 5
Framework for Constructing Pontoons by Covering Them with Writing Paper Soaked in Paraffin
No doubt various methods will be suggested by the time such flights are made, such as smaller planes for racing, larger ones for altitude and duration, etc. To make the machine carry weights, build a duplicate set of planes and fasten them 6 in. above the others by means of struts, ³⁄₁₆ in. square, forming a tandem biplane, as shown by the dotted lines in [Fig. 2].
Patience is the one thing necessary in model budding. Sometimes a machine carefully made will not fly, and no one can make it do so until some seemingly unimportant alteration is made.