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diff --git a/old/66511-0.txt b/old/66511-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 03cee40..0000000 --- a/old/66511-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7234 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Curtiss Aviation Book, by Glenn Curtiss - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Curtiss Aviation Book - -Author: Glenn Curtiss - Augustus Post - Paul Beck - Theodore Ellyson - Hugh Robinson - -Release Date: October 10, 2021 [eBook #66511] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: James Simmons - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CURTISS AVIATION BOOK *** -The Curtiss Aviation Book - -Transcriber's Note - -This book was transcribed from scans of the original found at the -Internet Archive. I have rotated some images. - -[Copyright, 1910, by The Pictorial News Co.] - -CURTISS' HUDSON RIVER FLIGHT OVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY - -THE CURTISS - -AVIATION BOOK - -BY - -GLENN H. CURTISS - -AND - -AUGUSTUS POST - -WITH CHAPTERS BY CAPTAIN PAUL W. BECK, U. S. A. - -LIEUTENANT THEODORE G. ELLYSON, U. S. N. - -AND HUGH ROBINSON - -With Numerous Illustrations from Photographs - -NEW YORK - -FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY - -PUBLISHERS - -Copyright, 1912, by - -FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY - -All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign - -languages, including the Scandinavian - -October, 1912 - -TO - -MRS. MABEL G. BELL - -WHO MADE POSSIBLE THE AERIAL EXPERIMENT ASSOCIATION - -THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY - -THE AUTHORS - -Table of Contents - -- PART I BOYHOOD AND EARLY EXPERIMENTS OF GLENN H. CURTISS by Augustus - Post - - CHAPTER I THE COMING AIRMEN AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER - - CHAPTER II BOYHOOD DAYS - - CHAPTER III BUILDING MOTORS AND MOTORCYCLE RACING - - CHAPTER IV BALDWIN'S BALLOON -- PART II MY FIRST FLIGHTS by Glenn H. Curtiss - - CHAPTER I BEGINNING TO FLY - - CHAPTER II FIRST FLIGHTS - - CHAPTER III THE "JUNE BUG" FIRST FLIGHTS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC - AMERICAN TROPHY AND FIRST EXPERIMENTS WITH THE HYDROAEROPLANE - - CHAPTER IV FIRST FLIGHTS IN NEW YORK CITY -- PART III MY CHIEF FLIGHTS AND THE WORK OF TO-DAY by Glenn H. Curtiss - - CHAPTER I THE RHEIMS MEET FIRST INTERNATIONAL AEROPLANE CONTEST - - CHAPTER II HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION FIRST AMERICAN - INTERNATIONAL MEET, AT LOS ANGELES - - CHAPTER III FLIGHT DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK - CITY - - CHAPTER IV THE BEGINNING OF THE HYDROAEROPLANE - - CHAPTER V DEVELOPING THE HYDROAEROPLANE AT SAN DIEGO–THE HYDRO - OF THE SUMMER OF 1912 -- PART IV THE REAL FUTURE OF THE AEROPLANE BY GLENN H. CURTISS WITH - CHAPTERS BY CAPTAIN PAUL W. BECK, U. S. A., LIEUTENANT THEODORE G. - ELLYSON, U. S. N., AND AUGUSTUS POST - - CHAPTER I AEROPLANE SPEED OF THE FUTURE - - CHAPTER II FUTURE SURPRISES OF THE AEROPLANE–HUNTING, TRAVEL, - MAIL, WIRELESS, LIFE-SAVING, AND OTHER SPECIAL USES - - CHAPTER III THE FUTURE OF THE HYDRO - - CHAPTER IV FUTURE PROBLEMS OF AVIATION - - CHAPTER V THE AEROPLANE AS APPLIED TO THE ARMY (By Captain - Paul W. Beck, U. S. A.) - - CHAPTER VI THE AEROPLANE FOR THE NAVY (With an Account of the - Training Camp at San Diego. By Lieutenant Theodore G. - Ellyson, U. S. N.) - - CHAPTER VII GLIDING AND CYCLE-SAILING A FUTURE SPORT FOR BOYS, - THE AIRMEN OF TO-MORROW (By Augustus Post.) -- PART V EVERY-DAY FLYING FOR PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR BY GLENN H. - CURTISS WITH CHAPTERS BY AUGUSTUS POST AND HUGH ROBINSON - - CHAPTER I TEACHING AVIATORS HOW AN AVIATOR FLIES - - CHAPTER II AVIATION FOR AMATEURS - - CHAPTER III HOW IT FEELS TO FLY (By Augustus Post.) - - CHAPTER IV OPERATING A HYDROAEROPLANE (By Hugh Robinson.) -- PART VI THE CURTISS PUPILS AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE CURTISS - AEROPLANE AND MOTOR BY AUGUSTUS POST - - CHAPTER I PUPILS - - CHAPTER II A DESCRIPTION OF THE CURTISS BIPLANE - - CHAPTER III THE CURTISS MOTOR AND FACTORY - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -- CURTISS' HUDSON RIVER FLIGHT–OVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY -- CURTISS THE BOY AND CURTISS THE MAN -- CURTISS WINNING WORLD'S MOTORCYCLE RECORDS -- THE BALDWIN ARMY DIRIGIBLE, WITH EARLY CURTISS MOTOR -- WIND WAGON AND ICE BOAT WITH AERIAL PROPELLER -- THE AERIAL EXPERIMENT ASSOCIATION -- STARTING TO FLY FIRST PUBLIC FLIGHT IN AMERICA; THE "JUNE BUG," -JUNE, 1908; BALDWIN IN GLIDER -- THE FIRST MACHINES THE "WHITE WING" AND "RED WING" -- CURTISS' FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN TROPHY -- WINNING THE GORDON BENNETT CONTEST IN FRANCE -- PRESIDENT TAFT WATCHING CURTISS FLY, HARVARD MEET, 1910 -- THE ALBANY-NEW YORK FLIGHT–START; OVER WEST POINT -- THE HUDSON FLIGHT–OVER STORM KING -- THE HUDSON FLIGHT–STOP AT POUGHKEEPSIE; FINISH, AT -GOVERNOR'S ISLAND -- THE EVOLUTION OF THE HYDRO;–THE FIRST HYDRO IN THE -WORLD; DUAL CONTROL HYDRO OF 1911; LANDING IN -HYDRO AT CEDAR POINT, OHIO -- ELY LANDING ON THE U. S. S. "PENNSYLVANIA" -- CURTISS AND HYDRO HOISTED ON U. S. S. "PENNSYLVANIA"; -- ELY LEAVING "PENNSYLVANIA" -- DIAGRAM OF CURTISS FLYING BOAT OF 1912 -- THE EVOLUTION OF THE HYDRO–THE FLYING BOAT OF -SUMMER 1912; THE 1911 HYDRO -- HYDRO FLIGHTS–CURTISS OVER LAKE ERIE; WITMER RIDING -THE GROUND SWELLS -- CAPTAIN BECK AND POSTMASTER-GENERAL HITCHCOCK -CARRYING THE MAIL -- STUDENTS OF AERIAL WARFARE–BECK, TOWERS, ELLYSON, -MCCLASKEY; WITH CURTISS AND ST. HENRY -- ELLYSON LAUNCHES HYDRO FROM WIRE CABLE -- HUGH ROBINSON'S FLIGHT DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI -- AUGUSTUS POST FLYING; AEROPLANE SHIPMENT -- CURTISS PUPILS–J. A. D. MCCURDY RACING AN AUTOMOBILE; -- LIEUTENANT ELLYSON; MR. AND MRS. W. B. ATWATER -- CURTISS PUPILS–C. C. WITMER, BECKWITH HAVENS, J. A. D. -MCCURDY, CROMWELL DIXON, CHAS. K. HAMILTON, -CHAS. F. WALSH, CHAS. F. WILLARD -- LINCOLN BEACHEY FLYING IN GORGE AT NIAGARA -- DIAGRAM OF CURTISS AEROPLANE, SHOWING PARTS -- DIAGRAM OF CURTISS MOTOR, SHOWING PARTS -- CURTISS MOTORS, OLD AND NEW -- AT THE AEROPLANE FACTORY, HAMMONDSPORT - -PART I BOYHOOD AND EARLY EXPERIMENTS OF GLENN H. CURTISS -by Augustus Post - -CHAPTER I THE COMING AIRMEN AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER - -The time has come when the world is going to need a new type of -men–almost a new race. These are the Flying Men. The great dream of -centuries has come true, and man now has the key to the sky. Every great -invention which affects the habits and customs of a people brings about -changes in the people themselves. How great, then, must be the changes -to be brought about by the flying machine, and how strangely new the -type of man that it carries up into a new world, under absolutely new -conditions! - -Each year there will be more need of flying men; so that in telling this -story of a pioneer American aviator, his struggles, failures, and -successes, it has been the desire to keep in mind not only the -scientific elders who are interested in angles of incidence, automatic -stability and the like, but also the boys and girls–the air pilots of -the future. It is hoped that there will be in these introductory -chapters–for whose writing, be it understood, Mr. Curtiss is not -responsible a plain unvarnished story of an American boy who worked his -way upward from the making of bicycles to the making of history, an -inspiration for future flights, whether in imagination or aeroplanes, -and that even the youngest reader will gain courage to meet the -obstacles and to overcome the difficulties which Glenn H. Curtiss met -and overcame in his progress to fame. - -Here is a man who is a speed marvel who has beat the world at it. First -on land, riding a motorcycle, next in a flying machine, and finally in a -machine that was both water and air craft, which sped over the surface -of the sea faster than man had ever travelled on that element, and which -rose into the air and came back to land with the speed of the fastest -express train; a man who traveled at the rate of one hundred and -thirty-seven miles an hour on land, fifty-eight miles an hour on the -water and who won the first International speed championship in the air. - -More than that, they may see what sort of a boy came to be the speed -champion and to know some of the traits that go to make the successful -airman, for it is said of the great aviators, as of the great poets, -they are born flying men, and not developed. The successful flying man -and maker of flying machines, such as Glenn H. Curtiss has shown himself -to be, realises how dangerous is failure, and builds slowly. He builds, -too, on his experience gained from day to day; having infinite patience -and dogged perseverance. And yet a great aviator must be possessed of -such marvelous quickness of thought that he can think faster than the -forces of nature can act, and he must act as fast as he thinks. - -He must be so completely in harmony with Nature and her moods that he -can tell just when is the right time to attempt a dangerous experiment, -and so thoroughly in control of himself that he can refuse to make the -experiment when he knows it should not be made, even though urged by all -those around him to go ahead. He must feel that nothing is impossible, -and yet he must not attempt anything until he is sure that he is ready -and every element of danger has been eliminated, so far as lies in human -power. He must realise that he cannot change the forces of nature, but -that he can make them do his work when he understands them. Some of -these qualities must be inbred in the man, but the life-story of Glenn -H. Curtiss shows how far energy, courage, and tireless perseverance will -go toward bringing them out. - -It is from among the country boys that the best aviators will be found -to meet the demands of the coming Flying Age. They have been getting -ready for it for a long time long before the days of Darius Green. Does -any one now read "Phaeton Rogers," that story of the inventive boy back -in the eighties, and recall the "wind-wagon" which was one of his many -inventions? There were many like him then, and there are more like him -now; always tinkering at something, trying to make it "go," and go fast. -And there are many of these who are building up, perhaps without knowing -it, the strong body, the steady brain, courage, perseverance, and the -power of quick decision the character of the successful airmen of the -future. - -The history of aviation is very brief, expressed in years. In effort it -covers centuries. First come the inventors, a calm, cautious type of -men, holding their ideas so well in trust that they will not risk their -lives for mere display and the applause of the crowd. Then the -exploiters, eager for money and fame; men who develop the possibilities -of the machines, always asking more and getting more in the way of -achievement with each new model built. Though covering a period of less -than a half score of years, aviation already has its second generation -of flyers, pupils trained by the pioneers, young and ambitious, eager to -explore the new element that has been made possible by their mentors. -From the country districts, where the blood is red, the brain steady and -the heart strong, will come many an explorer of the regions of the air. -Just as the city boy in developing the wireless telegraph strings his -antennae on the housetops and the roofs of the giant skyscrapers, so -will the country boy develop his glider or his aeroplane in the pasture -lands and on the steep hillsides of his own particular territory, and we -shall have a race of flying men to carry on the development of the -flying machine until it shall reach that long dreamed-of and sought-for -perfection. - -CHAPTER II BOYHOOD DAYS - -Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born at Hammondsport, New York, May 21, 1878. -His middle name shows his connection with the pioneer family for which -the town is named. Then Hammondsport was a port for canal boats that -came up Lake Keuka; nowadays it is an airport for the craft of the sky. -It is a quaint little town, lying on the shores of a beautiful lake that -stretches away to Penn Yann, twenty miles to the north. Glenn's old home -was called Castle Hill. It was nearly surrounded by vineyards and fruit -trees. It was once the property of Judge Hammond, who built the first -house in Hammondsport. On this site now stands the Curtiss factories. - -All about Hammondsport are the great vineyards that have made the town -famous for its wine, for Hammondsport is in the very heart of the -grape-growing section of New York State. These vineyards give the boys -of Hammondsport a fine opportunity to earn money each year, and Glenn -was always among those who spent the vacation time in tying up grape -vines, and in gathering the fruit on Saturdays and at other odd times. - -Some of the neighbours' children picked wintergreen and flowers, and -sold them to the summer excursionists. One time Glenn was invited to go -with them. He sold six bunches for sixty cents. His mother applied the -amount toward a pair of shoes in order to teach him the use and value of -money. He was then three years old and wore a fresh white dress and a -blue sash. - -Glenn was afterwards taught how to prune and tie vines and gather fruit -and at harvest time he was often seen with pony and wagon making a fast -run to the station to get the last load of grapes on the train. - -With the care of his sister and the work on the home vineyard, life was -not all play, for Glenn was "The Man of the House," after his father's -death, which occurred when he was four years old. At this time, he went -with his mother and sister, to live with his grandmother who lived on -the outskirts of the village. - -Hammondsport is divided by the main street, and the boys of the two -sections, like the boys in cities, were always at war. The factional -lines were tightly drawn and many were the combats between the up-town -boys and the low-town boys. The hill boys had a den in the side of a -bank that sloped down from Grandma Curtiss' yard, walled in with stones -of a convenient size. This gave them good ammunition and a great -advantage in time of battle. - -Among the members of the up-town gang were, "Fatty" Hastings and "Short" -Wheeler, "Jess" Talmadge and "Cowboy" Wixom and Curtley, as the boys -called Curtiss. He was captain of the band, because he had a sort of -ownership of the den. Thus the war waged until one day they punctured -Craton Wheeler's dog "Pickles," which so infuriated the enemy of the -lower village that they were on the point of storming the fort in the -hillside from above, and would no doubt have done so had they not -chanced to trample upon Grandma Curtiss' flower beds which caused this -indignant lady to issue forth and put the entire gang to rout. The cave -continued to be a safe refuge for the hillside gang until "Fatty" -Hastings grew too big to squeeze through the entrance and sometimes got -stuck just as the gang was ready to sally forth against the enemy, or -blocked the whole crew when they were in retreat. - -During the winter months Glenn gave his hand to making skate-sails, and -became very proficient at it, and when summer came and the boys went on -bird-nesting excursions in the woods, he was usually the daring one who -allowed himself to be lowered by a rope over the cliff's edge or climbed -to the topmost limbs of the big hickory trees. At school, mathematics -was young Curtiss's strong point, and when finally he came to pass his -final examinations in the high school, he topped his class in that study -with a perfect score of one hundred, and in Algebra he stood -ninety-nine. It is reassuring, however, to find that in spelling he was -barely able to squeeze through with a percentage of seventy-five. Glenn -sometimes slipped up on the figuring, but the principle was usually -right; he had figured that out beforehand. The boys of Hammondsport used -to say that Glenn would think half an hour to do fifteen minutes' work. -One wonders what they would have said, if they had been told that in -after years he was to think and plan and scheme for a year, and then -when he was all ready, to wait hour after hour, day after day, to -accomplish something requiring a little more than two hours' time; like -his flight from Albany to New York, the first great cross-country flight -made in America. - -When Curtiss was twelve years old his family went to live in Rochester, -New York, so that his sister might be able to attend a school for the -deaf at that place. He went on working at Rochester after school hours -and during vacation time, first as a telegraph messenger, then in the -great Eastman Kodak works, assembling cameras. He was one of the very -first boys hired by that establishment to replace men at certain kinds -of work, and while the men had received twelve dollars a week, Glenn -received but four dollars. Before long, however, he had induced his -employers to make his work a piece-work job, and had improved the -process of manufacture and increased the production from two hundred and -fifty to twenty-five hundred a day. He was thus able to earn from twelve -to fifteen dollars a week. It was while employed in the camera works at -Rochester that Curtiss saved the life of a companion who had fallen -through the ice on the Erie canal. When praised for his act of bravery -he simply remarked: "I pulled him out because I was the nearest to him." - -All during the time that Curtiss was working for others for wages, he -continued to tinker making things and then taking them apart. Once he -told some of his companions that he could make, out of a cigar box, a -camera that would take a good picture. Of course they laughed at him and -bet that he couldn't do it. But Glenn did do it, and a picture of his -sister with a book was produced and is still unfaded, and in good -condition, in possession of his family. He constructed a complete -telegraph instrument out of spools, nails, tin, and wire and this so -impressed the lady with whom the Curtisses boarded that she remarked to -one of her friends that "Glenn Curtiss will make his mark in the world -some day; you mark my words." This particular lady tells of the time -that Glenn used to talk of airships, and he was not yet sixteen years -old. Curtiss was fond of all sorts of sports, taking part in the games -the boys would get up after school and on Saturdays. He liked to play -ball, to run, jump, swim, and to ride a bicycle. - -His time was too much taken up, however, with more productive efforts, -such as the wiring of dwellings for electric light or telephones, to -permit of much time being given to boyish sports. - -He was most original and had a keen sense of humour. He was fond of an -argument, and had one striking characteristic; once he had made up his -mind as to the why and wherefore of a thing, he could never be induced -to change it. To illustrate this trait; one day an argument arose -between Glenn and another boy as to whether or not a whale is a fish, -Glenn holding that it could be nothing but a fish. The other boy finally -reenforced his argument by producing a dictionary to show that a whale -is not a fish, whereupon Curtiss asserted that the dictionary was wrong -and refused to accept it as authority. - -Curtiss was always eager for speed–to get from one place to another in -the quickest time with the least amount of effort. He was obsessed with -the idea of travelling fast. One of the first things he remembers, says -Curtiss, was seeing a sled made by one of his father's workmen for his -son beat every other sled that dashed down the steep snow-clad hills -around Hammondsport. He begged his father to let "Gene" make him a sled -that would go faster than Linn's. "Gene" made the sled and Glenn painted -it red, with a picture of a horse on it. Furthermore, he beat every sled -in Hammondsport or thereabouts. - -The bicycle became all the rage when Curtiss was growing into his early -teens and nothing was more certain than that he should have one as soon -as he could earn enough money to buy it. And when he got it he made it -serve his purposes in delivering telegrams, newspapers, and such like. -He developed speed and staying powers as a rider, and soon thought -nothing of making the trip from Rochester to Hammondsport to see his -grandmother, who still lived in the old home in that village. The roads -of New York were not as good as they are nowadays, when the automobile -forces improvements of the highways, but Curtiss rode fast nevertheless. -In fact, he managed all his regular work this way. His idea was first, -to find out just how to do it, and then do it. Then he would find out -how fast a certain task could be performed, and get through with it at -top speed. The surplus time he devoted to tinkering with something new. - -Grandmother Curtiss finally prevailed upon him to go back to -Hammondsport and live with her. For a time after his return he assisted -a local photographer and his experience in photography gained at this -time has since proved of great value to him, and, incidentally, to the -history of aviation; for in photographing his experiments Curtiss' -pictures have a distinct value, as much for being taken just at the -right instant, as for their pictorial detail. Following his photographic -employment, Curtiss took charge of a bicycle repair shop. It was a -little shop down by the principal hotel in Hammondsport, but Curtiss -foresaw the popularity and later the cheapness of the bicycle, and he -believed the shop would do a good business. James Smellie owned the -shop, but Curtiss' mechanical skill soon asserted itself and he became -the practical boss. This was in 1897. George Lyon, a local jeweler, was -a competitor of Smellie's in the bicycle business, and got up a big race -around the valley, a distance of five miles over the rough country -roads. When Smellie heard of the race he made up his mind that Curtiss -could win it and went about arranging the equipment of his employee. -That race has passed into the real history of the town of Hammondsport. -Everybody in the town and the valley was there, and great was the -excitement when the riders lined up for the start. They started from a -point near the monument in front of the Episcopal church and within a -few moments after the crack of the pistol they were all out of sight, -swallowed up in the dust clouds that marked their progress up the -valley. After a long interval of suspense a solitary rider appeared on -the home stretch, hunched down over his handle-bars and riding for dear -life, without a glance to right or left. It was Curtiss, who probably -has never since felt the same thrill of pride at the shouts of the -crowd. The next man was fully half a mile in the rear when Glenn crossed -the finish-line. - -This was Curtiss' first bicycle race, but later he acquired greater -speed and experience and rode in many races at county fairs in the -southern part of New York State. What's more, he won all of his races. -This was good for his bicycle business, which thrived in the summer, but -languished in the winter. During the dull period Curtiss took up -electrical work, wiring houses, putting in electric bells, and doing -similar work of a mechanical nature. An incident is told of his -mechanical skill at this time that illustrates his inquisitive mind. An -acetylene gas generator in one of the stores got out of order one day, -and no one in the store could tell just how to repair it. Curtiss had -never seen a gas generator, but that did not deter him from going at it. -He studied it out in a little while and then put his finger on the -trouble. After that the generator worked better than ever. A little -later he decided to build a gas generator after his own ideas. He -started with two tomato cans and built it. - -This was the first appearance of Curtiss' two tomato cans. They played -an important part in his subsequent experimental work, figuring all the -way through from this first gas generator to the carburetor of a -motorcycle, and at last to enlarge the water capacity of Charles K. -Hamilton's engine on his aeroplane so that he might cool his engine -better in making the record flight from New York to Philadelphia and -return in the same day. In this first case the two tomato cans developed -into an acetylene gas plant with several improvements, and his own home -and shop were lighted by it. Later the plant was enlarged so as to -furnish light for several business houses of Hammondsport. - -CHAPTER III BUILDING MOTORS AND MOTORCYCLE RACING - -In the spring of 1900 Curtiss embarked in the bicycle business for -himself, opening a shop near his old place of employment. This shop soon -came to be known as the "industrial incubator," because experiments of -many kinds were tried there a hatching-place for all sorts of new -machines. The first one developed was destined to open up to Curtiss a -new field of action, one that furnished the opportunity for new speed -records, and enlarged the scope of his activities beyond the limits of -the little town and the valley, and spread before him possibilities as -wide as the boundaries of the continent. - -Curtiss had ridden a bicycle in races, and got the utmost speed out of -it; but the bicycle, as a man-propelled vehicle, did not travel fast -enough to suit him. He therefore set about devising means for increasing -its speed possibilities. One day Smellie, his old employer, came into -Curtiss' shop, tired out and perspiring from his efforts in pedaling his -bicycle up the hill. "Glenn," he said, "I'm going to give the blamed -thing up until they get something to push it." That was Curtiss' cue, -and it promptly became his problem–getting something to push it! He -determined to mount a gasoline engine on a bicycle, and at once began to -search for the necessary castings. Finally he secured them and began the -task of building a motor. Unfortunately, the man who sold him the -castings sent no instructions for building a motor, so the problem was -left to Curtiss and to those who interested themselves in his work. They -studied and planned and made experiments, learning something new about -motors all the while. Eventually, with the assistance of local -mechanics, the castings were "machined" and the motor assembled. - -Curtiss afterward described it as a remarkable contrivance; but it did -the work. This motor had a two-inch bore and a two-an-a-half-inch -stroke, and drove the bicycle wheel by a friction roller pulley. First, -Curtiss made the pulley of wood, then of leather, and finally of rubber. -It was tried first on the front wheel and then on the rear one, and so -numerous were the changes in and additions to its equipment, that the -bystanders and there was the usual number of these saw only the humorous -side of the thing and declared that it looked like a sort of Happy -Hooligan bicycle with tin cans hung on wherever there was room. The -tomato can again came to the front in Curtiss' experiments, and now -served to fashion a rough and ready sort of carburetor, filled with -gasoline and covered over with a gauze screen, which sucked up the -liquid by capillary attraction. Thus it vaporized and was conducted to -the cylinder by a pipe from the top of the can. - -Then came the first demonstration of a bicycle driven by power other -than leg muscles, and it attracted almost as much attention in -Hammondsport as the first bicycle road race which Curtiss had won some -years before. The newfangled machine, which the village oracle declared -could not be made to go unless the rider put his legs to work, did not -promise much of a success on its initial trip. Curtiss started off for -the post-office, but had to pedal all the way there, the motor refusing -to do its part. Coming from the post-office, however, it began popping -and shoved the wheels around at an amazing rate, while Curtiss sat -calmly upright and viewed the excited citizens of Hammondsport as he -sped by. - -[Illustration: THE EVOLUTION OF AN AVIATOR] - -[Illustration: (A) POST CARD SENT BY CURTISS TO HIS WIFE, JANUARY -24, 1907 - -(B) CURTISS MAKING WORLD'S MOTORCYCLE RECORD, ORMOND] - -That was the beginning of Curtiss' motorcycle; but the ambitious -inventor did not rest with the first success. Work at the "incubator" -went on unceasingly. The young mechanical genius carried on his regular -duties during the days but spent most of the nights in his experiments. -Curtiss would not have said that he worked nights, but that he spent his -evenings in "doping out" the best way to build something. He has never -changed his habits in this respect. He still "dopes out" something for -the next day or the next month while "resting" from his daylight duties; -though the process would now be expressed in somewhat more scientific -terms. In truth, one may say that Curtiss worked all the time. In office -or shop hours, like other persons, he did what he had to do; while at -other times he did what he wanted to do. Curtiss was different only in -that he wanted to do those things which other people would call labor. -Experimental work was recreation to Curtiss, and because of this mental -attitude he was able to stick at a task day and night and keep up -"steam" all the while. - -Curtiss seldom planned on paper. Plans seemed to outline themselves in -his active mind, and when, later, he became an employer of a number of -men, he simply outlined his ideas, describing just what he wanted to -accomplish, and left it to their ingenuity. Sometimes one of his -assistants would ask him a question and after standing for minutes as if -he had not heard, Curtiss would suddenly reply and outline a task which -it would require all day to carry out. Once Curtiss had decided that a -certain course of action would bring certain mechanical results, it -usually turned out that way, and because of this and the further fact -that he was as good a workman as he was a designer, the men he had -gathered around him grew to regard his judgment as final and therefore -went ahead with absolute confidence as to the results. - -There was a remarkable spirit of cooperation in the "industrial -incubator." This spirit continued through the early years of Curtiss' -first business successes, and it obtains to-day in the big Curtiss -aeroplane and motor factories at Hammondsport. The alertness of the men -around Curtiss, and the atmosphere of cooperation may be due, in some -measure, to the curious interest they always hold as to what he will do -next and there is certain to be something happening out of the ordinary. -Thus, work with Curtiss seldom becomes monotonous and without its -surprises. - -To go back to the first motor Curtiss built; it was quickly found to be -too small, and he secured another set of castings, as large as he could -get. With these he constructed a motor with a cylinder three and a half -by five inches, and weighing a hundred and ninety pounds. This machine -proved to be a terror. It is true that it exploded only occasionally, -but when it did it almost tore itself loose from the frame. But it drove -the motorcycle as fast as thirty miles an hour and gained such a -remarkable reputation in Hammondsport that a story is still told in the -town of the time Curtiss made his first trip with it, when it carried -him through the village, up over the steep hills, through North Urbana -and as far as Wayne, where it ran out of gasoline and came to a stop of -its own accord. - -Thus Curtiss went ahead with his work to construct and improve his -motors, and improvement came with each successive one. The third motor -was better suited to the needs of the bicycle and furnished better -results. Meantime, Curtiss began to receive inquiries and even some -orders, and business took a decidedly favorable turn. Judge Monroe -Wheeler took a great liking to the young man, who used to come over to -his office to get the judge's stenographer to typewrite his letters, and -helped him to establish credit at the local bank, and in other ways. -Half a dozen fellow-townsmen became interested enough in Curtiss' -motorcycle experiments to put money into the business, and within a -short time a little factory was built on the hill back of Grandma -Curtiss' house. It was an inconvenient place to put up a factory, and -all the heavy material was hauled up to it with some difficulty, but the -light, finished product, which in this case could go under its own -power, rolled down the steep grade without trouble. In spite of these -little obstacles; in spite of the fact that Hammondsport is located at -the end of a little branch railroad which seems to the visitor to run -only as the spirit moves the engineer in spite of every handicap, the -business grew rapidly. - -Curtiss was, by this time, happily married and Mrs. Curtiss helped with -the office work at the factory, which stood then, as it does to-day, at -the very back door of the old Curtiss homestead on the hillside. Curtiss -used to take out his best motorcycle in these days and go off alone to -all the motorcycle races held in that section of the State. -Incidentally, he scooped in all the prizes, for he had the fastest -machine, and he was a finished rider. On Memorial Day in 1903, Curtiss -ventured far afield for an event that brought him his first notices in -the big newspapers of New York City. He entered and won a hill-climbing -contest at New York City, on Riverside Drive, and immediately afterward -mounted his wheel, rode up the Hudson to another race, at Empire City -Track, and won that also. This gave him the American championship. - -Later, at Providence, R. I., he established a world's record for a -single-cylinder motorcycle, covering a mile in fifty-six and two-fifths -seconds. While this was phenomenal speed, it was as nothing in -comparison with the record he was soon to establish. He built a -two-cylinder motor and on January 28, 1904, at Ormond Beach, Florida, he -rode ten miles in eight minutes fifty-four and two-fifth seconds, and -established a world's record that stood for more than seven years. -Curtiss was not content even with this. He wanted to travel faster than -man had ever traveled before. He had built a forty horse-power, -eight-cylinder motor for a customer who wanted it to put in a flying -machine which he was building, and in order to try out the motor Curtiss -built an especially strong motorcycle, using an automobile tire on the -rear wheel and a motorcycle tire on the front wheel. On a strong frame -the big forty horsepower motor was mounted. It was not given a thorough -try out at Hammondsport, for it was winter and snow lay deep on the -roads. With the aid of some of his shopmen, Curtiss took the freak -machine out on the snow-covered roads, merely for the purpose of seeing -if it could be started as it was geared in the machine. It proved that -it would start all right, and so it was hurriedly boxed and rushed to -the train, which was actually kept waiting several minutes. Curtiss was -going South to make new records, and even the railroad men on the little -branch road from Hammondsport to Bath, felt an interest in his -undertaking. This, by the way, is typical of the way things are done at -Hammondsport. When there is need for rushing matters, the men work night -and day without complaint. These last-moment rushes are often due to the -giving of much thought to the details before commencing to build, and -sometimes because, in building, improvements which must be incorporated -suggest themselves. Curtiss' rule, as he expresses it, is: "What is the -need of racing unless you think you are going to win; and if you are -beaten before you start, why take a chance?" But there are other -considerations for the builder of racing machines to take into account. -If your competitors know what you are doing, and they will know, -somehow, if you give them a little time, they will go you one better. -Therefore, this belated activity at the Curtiss factory is not always -without its motive. Take, for instance, the first big International race -for the Gordon Bennett aviation trophy, which Curtiss won at Rheims, -France, in 1909. In spite of the fact that Curtiss' motor was built in a -great hurry, barely giving the necessary time to finish it and reach -Rheims for the race, Bleriot, the chief French builder of the monoplane -type, changed his motor as soon as he had read a description of the one -Curtiss was to use. - -The motorcycle which Curtiss had built and mounted with the -eight-cylinder motor proved to be a world-beater the fastest vehicle -ever built to carry a man. It was taken to Ormond Beach, Florida, where -it was tried out on the smooth sandy shore, which stretches for miles, -as level as a billiard table and almost as hard as asphalt. Here, on -January 24, 1907, Curtiss mounted the heavy, ungainly vehicle and -traveled a mile in twenty-six and two-fifth seconds, at the rate of one -hundred and thirty-seven miles an hour! This stands to-day as the speed -record for man and machine. Curtiss, without goggles and with no special -precautions in the matter of costume, simply mounted the seat, took a -two-mile running start before crossing the line, and was off. Bending so -low over the handle-bars that he almost seemed to be lying flat and -merged into a part of the machine itself, he flashed over the mile -course in less time than it takes to read these dozen lines. This speed -trial was the culmination of weeks of study, work, and experiment. Day -after day, and even at night, Curtiss had schemed and worked; now to get -the weight properly placed and balanced; here to strengthen the frame -and overcome the danger from the torque, and the tendency to turn the -machine over, and finally to obtain the right sort of tires and to put -them on securely. Ordinary tires, on wheels revolving at such an amazing -speed, would have been cast off the rims like a belt off a pulley, by -the centrifugal force. - -These and a thousand other details were worked out so thoroughly that -the machine, when ready, required very little testing out. In describing -the trial Curtiss said that he could see nothing but a streak of grey -beach in front of him, a blur of hills on one side, and the white ribbon -of foaming surf on the other. The great crowd that watched the smoking, -whirring thing that flashed by as if fired from a great gun, caught but -a fleeting glimpse of Curtiss. - -The record could not be accepted as official, because the motor was too -big and powerful to be classed as a motorcycle engine. It therefore -stands as an absolutely unique performance, unequalled, and not even -approached as regards speed, until three years later, when Barney -Oldfield, driving a two hundred horse-power Benz automobile, covered a -mile over the same course in twenty-seven and thirty-three hundredths -seconds. - -Curtiss had developed, improved, and exhausted the motorcycle as far as -speed possibilities were concerned, and was soon to give it up for -something of far greater potential possibilities–the aeroplane. - -CHAPTER IV BALDWIN'S BALLOON - -Thomas Scott Baldwin was engaged in building a dirigible balloon in -California when he chanced to see a new motorcycle, the motor of which -seemed to be exactly what he wanted to propel his new airship. He -learned that it was the design and product of a man named Curtiss, at -Hammondsport, N. Y., with whom he entered into correspondence. The -result was that Captain Baldwin went to Hammondsport for a personal -interview with the man who had turned out the motor. - -Baldwin expected to find, as he afterward said, a big, important-looking -manufacturer, and great was his surprise to find a quiet, unassuming -young man, scarcely more than a youth. The jovial Baldwin and the -unobtrusive Curtiss became great friends at once. They discussed motors -of all sorts, but particularly motors suitable for dirigible balloons, -then in the first stage of development. When Baldwin asked Curtiss the -price of one of the type then used in the Curtiss motorcycle, he was -surprised at its cheapness, and ordered one on the spot. This was built -at once and proved successful. Later several other motors were built at -the Curtiss factory for Baldwin, each one showing some improvement, and -some of them designed to meet the increasing demand for a more powerful -motor of light weight for use in dirigible balloons. As a natural -consequence of Baldwin's success with the use of the Curtiss motor, it -was but a short time until it came to be the best known motor in America -for aeronautic work. At the St. Louis World's Fair, in 1904, Captain -Baldwin's "California Arrow," the only successful airship out of all -those which were brought from Europe and every part of America to -contest for big prizes, was equipped with one of Curtiss' motors. -Baldwin's success at St. Louis was a triumph for Curtiss, and soon all -dirigible balloons operating in this country were driven by Curtiss -motors. - -Hammondsport was now to have a new sensation and to witness an -experiment which eventually led to momentous developments. In order to -test the power of the motors he was building for Captain Baldwin, and -for the purpose of determining the efficiency of his aerial propeller, -Curtiss constructed a "wind-wagon," a three-wheel vehicle with the motor -and propeller mounted in the rear of the driver. When he took this queer -contrivance out on the road for its first trial, the town of -Hammondsport turned out to witness the fun. Consternation among the -usually mild-eyed work horses spread throughout the little valley as the -"wind-wagon" went scooting up and down the dusty roads, creating a -fearful racket. Before the start was made an automobile was sent ahead -to clear the way and to warn the drivers of other vehicles. The -automobile, however, was quickly overhauled, passed, and left far in the -rear by the whirring, spluttering, three-wheeled embryonic flying -machine. - -[Illustration: THE BALDWIN ARMY DIRIGIBLE–CURTISS MOTOR] - -Curtiss at front, at motor; Captain Thomas S. Baldwin at rear - -[Illustration: NEARLY UP IN THE AIR] - -(A) The wind wagon Curtiss in 1904. - -(B) Ice boat with aerial propeller - -Protests by farmers, business-men and others quickly followed this -experiment. They argued that it frightened the horses, made travel on -the roads unsafe, and was "bad for business generally." As the machine -had served its purpose with Curtiss, and had given Hammondsport its -little diversion, the famous "wind-wagon" passed into history, and, like -so many other of Curtiss' experiments, remains only in the memories of -those who were directly interested or those who watched in idle -curiosity. - -Other airships were built by Baldwin and Curtiss from time to time, and -these were used successfully in giving exhibitions throughout the United -States. The work of these two pioneers of the air had attracted the -attention of the United States Government, in the meantime, and great -was the elation at Hammondsport when an order came from the War -Department at Washington for a big dirigible balloon for the use of the -Signal Corps. Baldwin was commissioned to build the balloon and Curtiss -the motor to propel it. This was an important undertaking, and both -Baldwin and Curtiss appreciated the fact. It marked the beginning of -Governmental and military interest in aeronautics in this country, the -possibilities of which were already engaging the attention of the -military authorities of Europe. The success of this airship meant much -to both men, and Baldwin and Curtiss worked all through the winter of -1904-05 to make it so, Baldwin, meanwhile, having moved to Hammondsport -in order to be in touch with the Curtiss factory, where all the -mechanical parts of his airships were being made. - -In order to meet the specifications drawn up by the War Department, the -big airship was required to make a continuous flight of two hours under -the power of the motor, and be capable of manoeuvring in any direction. -Curtiss realised that in order to fill these requirements a new type -motor would be needed. He designed and set about building, therefore, a -water-cooled motor, something which had not been attempted at the -Curtiss factory up to this time, and the success of which marked a long -step in advance. Although Baldwin had built thirteen dirigibles, all of -which had been equipped with motors built by Curtiss, and all of which -had been operated successfully in exhibitions, the Government contract -was his most ambitious undertaking. About the balloon itself, there was -never any doubt; the thing that clung constantly in the minds of these -men who were bending every effort to the conquest of the air, was: "Will -the motor do its work in a two-hours' endurance test, and will it -furnish the necessary power to drive the big airship at a speed of -twenty miles an hour?" The conditions under which the trial was to be -made were entirely unique. The motor had to be suspended on a light but -substantial framework beneath the great gas-bag, and from this framework -the pilot and the engineer had to do their work. - -The Army dirigible was completed on time and its test took place at -Washington in the summer of 1905. Captain Baldwin acted as pilot and -Curtiss as engineer. The airship met every specification and was -accepted by the Government. A flight of two hours' duration was made -over the wooded hills of Virginia, and this stands to-day as the longest -continuous flight ever made by a dirigible airship in this country. - -PART II MY FIRST FLIGHTS by Glenn H. Curtiss - -CHAPTER I BEGINNING TO FLY - -In 1905, while in New York City, I first met Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, -the inventor of the telephone. Dr. Bell had learned of our light-weight -motors, used with success on the Baldwin dirigibles, and wanted to -secure one for use in his experiments with kites. We had a very -interesting talk on these experiments, and he asked me to visit him at -Bienn Bhreagh, his summer home near Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Dr. Bell had -developed some wonderfully light and strong tetrahedral kites which -possessed great inherent stability, and he wanted a motor to install in -one of them for purposes of experimentation. This kite was a very large -one. The Doctor called it an "aerodrome." The surfaces not being planes, -it could not properly be described as an aeroplane. He believed that the -time would come when the framework of the aeroplane would have to be so -large in proportion to its surface that it would be too heavy to fly. -Consequently, he evolved the tetrahedral or cellular form of structure, -which would allow of the size being increased indefinitely, while the -weight would be increased only in the same ratio. - -Dr. Bell had invited two young Canadian engineers, F. W. Baldwin and J. -A. D. McCurdy, to assist him, and they were at Baddeck when I first -visited there in the summer of 1907. Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, of the -United States Army, was also there. Naturally, there was a wide -discussion on the subject of aeronautics, and so numerous were the -suggestions made and so many theories advanced, that Mrs. Bell suggested -the formation of a scientific organisation, to be known as the "Aerial -Experiment Association." This met with a prompt and hearty agreement and -the association was created very much in the same manner as Dr. Bell had -previously formed the "Volta Association" at Washington for developing -the phonograph. Mrs. Bell, who was most enthusiastic and helpful, -generously offered to furnish the necessary funds for experimental work, -and the object of the Association was officially set forth as "to build -a practical aeroplane which will carry a man and be driven through the -air by its own power." - -[Illustration: THE AERIAL EXPERIMENT ASSOCIATION] - -Left to right: F.W. Baldwin, Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, Glenn Curtiss, -Alexander Graham Bell, J.A.D. McCurdy, Augustus Post - -[Illustration: STARTING TO FLY] - -(A) F. W. Baldwin makes first public flight In America. - -(B) The "June Bug," June, 1908. - -(C) Baldwin in Aerial Association's Glider - -Dr. Alexander Graham Bell was made chairman; F. W. Baldwin, chief -engineer; J. A. D. McCurdy, assistant engineer and treasurer; and Lieut. -Thomas Selfridge, secretary; while I was honored with the title of -Director of Experiments and Chief Executive Officer. Both Baldwin and -McCurdy were fresh from Toronto University, where they had graduated as -mechanical engineers, and Baldwin later earned the distinction of making -the first public flight in a motor-driven, heavier-than-air machine. -This was accomplished at Hammondsport, N. Y., March 12, 1908, over the -ice on Lake Keuka. The machine used was Number One, built by the Aerial -Experiment Association, designed by Lieutenant Selfridge, and known as -"The Red Wing." The experiments carried on at Baddeck during the summer -and fall of 1907 covered a wide range. There were trials and tests with -Dr. Bell's tetrahedral kites, with motors, and with aerial propellers -mounted on boats. Finally, at the suggestion of Lieutenant Selfridge, it -was decided to move the scene of further experiments to Hammondsport, N. -Y., where my factory is located, and there to build a glider. I had -preceded the other members of the Association from Baddeck to -Hammondsport in order to prepare for the continuance of our work. A few -days after my return I was in my office, talking to Mr. Augustus Post, -then the Secretary of the Aero Club of America, when a telegram came -from Dr. Bell, saying: "Start building. The boys will be down next -week." As no plans had been outlined, and nothing definite settled upon -in the way of immediate experiments, I was somewhat undecided as to just -what to build. We then discussed the subject of gliders for some time -and I finally decided that the thing to do was to build a glider at the -factory and to take advantage of the very abrupt and convenient hills at -Hammondsport to try it out. We therefore built a double-surface glider -of the Chanute type. - -As almost every schoolboy knows in this day of advanced information on -aviation, a glider is, roughly speaking, an aeroplane without a motor. -Usually it has practically the same surfaces as a modern aeroplane, and -may be made to support a passenger by launching it from the top of a -hill in order to give it sufficient impetus to sustain its own weight -and that of a rider. If the hill is steep the glider will descend at a -smaller angle than the slope of the hill, and thus glides of a -considerable distance may be made with ease and comparative safety. - -Our first trials of the glider, which we built on the arrival of the -members of the Experiment Association, were made in the dead of winter, -when the snow lay deep over the hillsides. This made very hard work for -everybody. It was a case of trudging laboriously up the steep hillsides -and hauling or carrying the glider to the top by slow stages. It was -easy enough going down, but slow work going up; but we continued our -trials with varied success until we considered ourselves skilful enough -to undertake a motor-driven machine, which we mounted on runners. - -CHAPTER II FIRST FLIGHTS - -It was my desire to build a machine and install a motor at once, and -thus take advantage of the opportunity furnished by the thick, smooth -ice over Lake Keuka at that season of the year. But Lieutenant -Selfridge, who had read a great deal about gliders and who had studied -them from every angle, believed we should continue experimenting with -the glider. However, we decided to build a machine which we believed -would fly, and in due time a motor was installed and it was taken down -on Lake Keuka to be tried out. We called it the "Red Wing," and to -Lieutenant Selfridge belongs the honour of designing it, though all the -members of the Aerial Experiment Association had some hand in its -construction. We all had our own ideas about the design of this first -machine, but to Lieutenant Selfridge was left the privilege of accepting -or rejecting the many suggestions made from time to time, in order that -greater progress might be made. A number of our suggestions were -accepted, and while the machine as completed cannot properly be -described as the result of one man's ideas, the honour of being the -final arbiter of all the problems of its design certainly belongs to -Lieutenant Selfridge. - -Now that the machine was completed and the motor installed, we waited -for favourable weather to make the first trial. Winter weather around -Lake Keuka is a very uncertain element, and we had a long, tiresome wait -until the wintry gales that blew out of the north gave way to an -intensely cold spell. Our opportunity came on March 12, 1908. There was -scarcely a bit of wind, but it was bitterly cold. Unfortunately, -Lieutenant Selfridge was absent, having left Hammondsport on business, -and "Casey" Baldwin was selected to make the first trial. We were all on -edge with eagerness to see what the machine would do. Same of us were -confident, others sceptical. - -Baldwin climbed into the seat, took the control in hand, and we cranked -the motor. When we released our hold of the machine, it sped over the -ice like a scared rabbit for two or three hundred feet, and then, much -to our joy, it jumped into the air. This was what we had worked for -through many long months, and naturally we watched the brief and -uncertain course of Baldwin with a good deal of emotion. Rising to a -height of six or eight feet, Baldwin flew the unheard-of distance of -three hundred and eighteen feet, eleven inches! Then he came down -ingloriously on one wing. As we learned afterward, the frail framework -of the tail had bent and the machine had flopped over on its side and -dropped on the wing, which gave way and caused the machine to turn -completely around. - -But it had been a successful flight and we took no toll of the damage to -the machine or the cost. We had succeeded! that was the main thing. We -had actually flown the "Red Wing" three hundred and eighteen feet and -eleven inches! We knew now we could build a machine that would fly -longer and come down at the direction of the operator with safety to -both. - -It had taken just seven weeks to build the machine and to get it ready -for the trial; it had taken just about twenty seconds to smash it. - -But a great thing had been accomplished. We had achieved the first -public flight of a heavier-than-air machine in America! - -As our original plans provided for the building of one machine designed -by each member of the Association, with the assistance of all the -others, the building of the next one fell to Mr. Baldwin, and it was -called the "White Wing." The design of the "Red Wing" was followed in -many details, but several things were added which we believed would give -increased stability and greater flying power. The construction of the -"White Wing" was begun at once, but before we could complete it the ice -on the lake had yielded to the spring winds and we were therefore -obliged to transfer our future trials to land. This required wheels for -starting and alighting in the place of the ice runners used on the "Red -Wing." An old half-mile race track a short distance up the valley from -the Lake was rented and put in shape for flights. The place was called -"Stony Brook Farm," and it was for a long time afterward the scene of -our flying exploits at Hammondsport. - -It would be tiresome to the reader to be told of all the discouragements -we met with; of the disheartening smashes we suffered; how almost every -time we managed to get the new machine off the ground for brief but -encouraging flights, it would come down so hard that something would -give way and we would have to set about the task of building it up -again. We soon learned that it was comparatively easy to get the machine -up in the air, but it was most difficult to get it back to earth without -smashing something. The fact was, we had not learned the art of landing -an aeroplane with ease and safety–an absolutely necessary art for every -successful aviator to know. It seemed one day that the limit of hard -luck had been reached, when, after a brief flight and a somewhat rough -landing, the machine folded up and sank down on its side, like a wounded -bird, just as we were feeling pretty good over a successful landing -without breakage. - -Changes in the details of the machine were many and frequent, and after -each change there was a flight or an attempted flight. Sometimes we -managed to make quite a flight, and others and more numerous merely -short "jumps" that would land the machine in a potato patch or a -cornfield, where, in the yielding ground, the wheels would crumple up -and let the whole thing down. Up to this time we had always used silk to -cover the planes, but this proved very expensive and we decided to try a -substitute. An entirely new set of planes were made and the new covering -put on them. They looked very pretty and white as we took the rebuilt -machine out with every expectation that it would fly. Great was our -surprise, however, when it refused absolutely to make even an -encouraging jump. For a time we were at a loss to understand it. Then -the reason became as plain as day; we had used cotton to cover the -planes, and, being porous, it would not furnish the sustaining power in -flight. This was quickly remedied by coating the cotton covering with -varnish, rendering it impervious to the air. After that it flew all -right. I believe this was the first instance of the use of a liquid -filler to coat the surface cloth. It is now used widely, both in this -country and in Europe. - -We had a great many minor misfortunes with the "White Wing," but each -one taught us a lesson. We gradually learned where the stresses and -strains lay, and overcame them. Thus, little by little, the machine was -reduced in weight, simplified in detail, and finally took on some -semblance to the standard Curtiss aeroplane of today. - -All the members of the Aerial Experiment Association were in -Hammondsport at this time, including Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. We had -established an office in the annex which had been built on the Curtiss -homestead, and here took place nightly discussions on the work of the -day past and the plans for the day to follow. Some of the boys named the -office the "thinkorium." Every night the minutes of the previous meeting -would be read and discussed. These minutes, by the way, were religiously -kept by Lieutenant Selfridge and later published in the form of a -bulletin and sent to each member. Marvellous in range were the subjects -brought up and talked over at these meetings! Dr. Bell was the source of -the most unusual suggestions for discussion. Usually these were things -he had given a great deal of thought and time to, and, therefore, his -opinions on any of his hobbies were most interesting. For instance, he -had collected a great deal of information on the genealogy of the Hyde -family, comprising some seven thousand individuals. These he had -arranged in his card index system, in order to determine the proportion -of male and female individuals, their relative length of life, and other -characteristics. Or, perhaps, the Doctor would talk about his scheme to -influence the sex of sheep by a certain method of feeding; his early -experiences with the telephone, the phonograph, the harmonic telegraph, -and multiple telegraphy. At other times we would do a jig-saw puzzle -with pictures of aeroplanes, or listen to lectures on physical culture -by Dr. Alden, of the village. Then, for a change, we would discuss, with -great interest and sincerity, the various methods of making sounds to -accompany the action of a picture, behind the curtain of the -moving-picture show, which we all had attended. Motorcycle construction -and operation were studied at the factory and on the roads around -Hammondsport. McCurdy used to give us daily demonstrations of how to -fall off a motorcycle scientifically. He fell off so often, in fact, -that we feared he would never make an aviator. In this opinion, of -course, we were very much in error, as he became one of the first, and -also one of the best aviators in the country. Atmospheric pressure, the -vacuum motor, Dr. Bell's tetrahedral construction, and even astronomical -subjects all found a place in the nightly discussions at the -"thinkorium." - -Of course there were many important things that took up our attention, -but we could not always be grave and dignified. I recall one evening -somebody started a discussion on the idea of elevating Trinity Church, -in New York City, on the top of a skyscraper, and using the revenue from -the ground rental to convert the heathen. This gave a decided shock to a -ministerial visitor who happened to be present. - -When summer came on there were frequent motorcycle trips when the -weather did not permit of flying, or when the shop was at work repairing -one of our frequent smashes. "Casey" Baldwin and McCurdy furnished a -surprise one day by a rather unusual long-distance trip on motorcycles. -"Let's go up to Hamilton, Ontario," said Baldwin, probably choosing -Hamilton as the destination because he was charged with having a -sweetheart there. - -"All right," answered McCurdy. - -Without a moment's hesitation the two mounted their wheels, not even -stopping to get their caps, and rode through to Hamilton, a hundred and -fifty miles distant, buying everything they required along the way. They -were gone a week and came back by the same route. - -A favourite subject of talk at the "thinkorium," at least between -McCurdy and Selfridge, was on some of the effects of the "torque" of a -propeller and whenever this arose we would expect the argument to keep -up until one or the other would fall asleep. - -After the nightly formal sessions of the members of the Association the -courtesy of the floor was extended to any one who might be present for -the discussion of anything he might see fit to bring up. Later we would -adjourn to Dr. Bell's room, where he would put himself into a -comfortable position, light his inevitable pipe, and produce his note -books. In these note books Dr. Bell would write down everything his -thoughts on every subject imaginable, his ideas about many things, -sketches, computations. All these he would sign, date, and have -witnessed. It was Dr. Bell's custom to work at night when there were no -distracting noises, though there were few of these at Hammondsport even -during the daylight hours; at night it is quiet enough for the most -exacting victim of insomnia. Dr. Bell often sat up until long after -midnight, but he made up for the lost time by sleeping until noon. No -one was allowed to wake him for any reason. The rest of us were up early -in order to take advantage of the favourable flying conditions during -the early morning hours. Dr. Bell had a strong aversion to the ringing -of the telephone bell the great invention for which he is responsible. I -occasionally went into his room and found the bell stuffed with paper, -or wound around with towels. - -"Little did I think when I invented this thing," said Dr. Bell, one day -when he had been awakened by the jingling of the bell, "that it would -rise up to mock and annoy me." - -While the Doctor enjoyed his morning sleep we were out on "Stony Brook -Farm" trying to fly. We had put up a tent against the side of an old -sheep barn, and out of this we would haul the machine while the grass -was still wet with dew. One never knew what to expect of it. Sometimes a -short flight would be made; at others, something would break. Or, maybe, -the wind would come up and this would force us to abandon all further -trials for the day. Then it was back to the shop to work on some new -device, or to repair damages until the wind died out with the setting of -the sun. Early in the morning and late in the evening were the best -periods of the day for our experimental work because of the absence of -wind. - -On May 22, 1908, our second machine, the "White Wing," was brought to -such a state of perfection that I flew it a distance of one thousand and -seventeen feet in nineteen seconds, and landed without damage in a -ploughed field outside the old race track. It was regarded as a -remarkable flight at that time, and naturally, I felt very much elated. - -CHAPTER III THE "JUNE BUG" FIRST FLIGHTS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN -TROPHY AND FIRST EXPERIMENTS WITH THE HYDROAEROPLANE - -Following the success of the "White Wing" we started in to build another -machine, embodying all that we had learned from our experience with the -two previous ones. Following our custom of giving each machine a name to -distinguish it from the preceding one, we called this third aeroplane -the "June Bug." The name was aptly chosen, for it was a success from the -very beginning. Indeed, it flew so well that we soon decided it was good -enough to win the trophy which had been offered by The Scientific -American for the first public flight of one kilometer, or five-eights of -a mile, straightaway. This trophy, by the way, was the first to be -offered in this country for an aeroplane flight, and the conditions -specified that it should become the property of the person winning it -three years in succession. The "June Bug" was given a thorough try-out -before we made arrangements to fly for the trophy, and we were confident -it would fulfill the requirements. - -The Fourth of July, 1908, was the day set for the trial. A large -delegation of aero-club members came on from New York and Washington, -among whom were Stanley Y. Beach, Allan E. Hawley, Augustus Post, David -Fairchild, Chas. M. Manley, Christopher J. Lake, A. M. Herring, George -H. Guy, E. L. Jones, Wilbur E. Kimball, Captain Thomas S. Baldwin and -many other personal friends. The excitement among the citizens of -Hammondsport in general was little less than that existing among the -members of the Aerial Experiment Association, and seldom had the Fourth -of July been awaited with greater impatience. - -[Illustration: THE FIRST MACHINES] - -(A) "The White Wing," Baldwin driving, 1908. - -(B) Selfridge's "Red Wing" on the ice, Lake Keuka - -[Illustration: CURTISS' FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN TROPHY] - -(July 4, 1908) - -When Independence Day finally dawned it did not look auspicious for the -first official aeroplane flight for a trophy. Clouds boded rain and -there was some wind. This did not deter the entire population of -Hammondsport from gathering on the heights around the flying field, -under the trees in the valley and, in fact, at every point of vantage. -Some were on the scene as early as five o'clock in the morning, and many -brought along baskets of food and made a picnic of it. The rain came -along toward noon, but the crowd hoisted its umbrellas or sought shelter -under the trees and stayed on. Late in the afternoon the sky cleared and -it began to look as if we were to have the chance to fly after all. The -"June Bug" was brought out of its tent and the motor given a try-out. It -worked all right. The course was measured and a flag put up to mark the -end. Everything was ready and about seven o'clock in the evening the -motor was started and I climbed into the seat. When I gave the word to -"let go" the "June Bug" skimmed along over the old race track for -perhaps two hundred feet and then rose gracefully into the air. The -crowd set up a hearty cheer, as I was told later for I could hear -nothing but the roar of the motor and I saw nothing except the course -and the flag marking a distance of one kilometer. The flag was quickly -reached and passed and still I kept the aeroplane up, flying as far as -the open fields would permit, and finally coming down safely in a -meadow, fully a mile from the starting place. I had thus exceeded the -requirements and had won the Scientific American Trophy for the first -time. I might have gone a great deal farther, as the motor was working -beautifully and I had the machine under perfect control, but to have -prolonged the flight would have meant a turn in the air or passing over -a number of large trees. The speed of this first official flight was -closely computed at thirty-nine miles an hour. - -Dr. Bell had gone to Nova Scotia, unfortunately, and, therefore, did not -witness the Fourth of July flight of the "June Bug." The other members, -however, were all present. It was a great day for all of us and we were -more confident than ever that we had evolved, out of our long and costly -experiments, a machine that would fly successfully and with safety to -the operator. Lieutenant Selfridge was particularly enthusiastic, and I -recall when Mr. Holcomb, special agent for a life insurance company, -visited the field one day and heard Selfridge talk about flying. - -"You must be careful, Selfridge," said Mr. Holcomb, "or we will need a -bed for you in the hospital of which I am a trustee." - -"Oh, I am careful, all right," replied Selfridge, but it was only a few -days later when he left Hammondsport for Washington, and was killed -while flying as a passenger with Orville Wright at Fort Meyer. - -In Selfridge we lost not only one of the best-posted men in the field of -aeronautics, a student and a man of practical ideas, but one of our -best-loved companions and co-workers, as well. - -Three machines had thus far been built and flown, first the "Red Wing," -designed by Lieutenant Selfridge; next the "White Wing," by Baldwin, and -last the "June Bug," by me. It was now McCurdy's turn and he designed a -machine which he named the "Silver Dart." While this was building we -decided to take the "June Bug" down to the lake, equip it with a set of -pontoons, or a boat, and attempt to fly from the water. It was my idea -that if we could design a float that would sustain the aeroplane on an -even keel and at the same time furnish a minimum of resistance, we would -be able to get up enough speed to rise from the water. Besides, the lake -would afford an ideal flying place, and, what was more important still, -a fall or a bad landing would not be nearly so likely to result in -injury to the aviator. - -Accordingly, we mounted the "June Bug" on two floats, built something -like a catamaran, and re-named it the "Loon." It required some time to -construct light and strong floats and it was not until the beginning of -November, 1908, that we were ready for the first attempt to fly from the -water ever made in this or any other country. The "Loon" was hauled down -to the lake from the aerodrome on a two-wheeled cart, there being no -wheels for rolling it over the ground. I remember we had to build a -platform on the cart and to strengthen the wheels to carry the weight of -nearly one thousand pounds which the added equipment had brought the -total weight up to. - -This first experimental hydroaeroplane was a crude affair as compared -with the machine in which I made the first successful flight from and -landing upon the water, more than three years later at San Diego, Cal. -The cleaner lines, the neat, light-weight boat and the other details of -the Curtiss hydroaeroplane offer as striking a contrast to the "Loon" as -the modern locomotive offers to the crude, clumsy affairs that now exist -only in the museums. So great is the difference that one is inclined to -marvel that we had any success whatever with the first design. - -We made many attempts to rise from the water in the "Loon," but owing to -the great weight were unable to make any real flights, although the -observers on shore were sure that the pontoons were sometimes clear of -the water. By the end of November our experiments had convinced every -one of us that we needed more power and more time than we had at our -disposal just then. The best motor we had at our command was able to -deliver only enough power to drive the "Loon" at twenty-five miles an -hour on the water. This was not enough to get the machine into the air, -unless assisted by a strong head wind, and we were not anxious to try -flying in a strong wind. - -In the meantime McCurdy's machine, the "Silver Dart," had been completed -and mounted on wheels. The first flight was made by McCurdy on December -12, 1908, over the "Stony Brook" flying field. The "Silver Dart" was -practically the same as the "June Bug." Shortly after this it was -shipped to Dr. Bell's place at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, where McCurdy and -"Casey" Baldwin used it all through the winter in practice, making -flights from the ice and covering all the country thereabouts. McCurdy -estimates that in his some two hundred flights in the "Silver Dart," he -covered more than a thousand miles. - -CHAPTER IV FIRST FLIGHTS IN NEW YORK CITY - -As a result of the winning of the Scientific American Trophy, the -Aeronautical Society of New York City placed an order in the winter of -1908-09 for an aeroplane to be demonstrated at Morris Park Track, New -York City, in the spring. - -Plans were outlined for enlarging the Hammondsport factory and work -commenced on the machine ordered by the Aeronautical Society. It was the -plan of this Society to purchase the aeroplane and have one or more of -its members taught to fly it. The machine was finished in due time, -thoroughly tried out at Hammondsport before it was shipped to New York, -and finally sent to the old Morris Park Race Track, where the -Aeronautical Society had arranged for the first public exhibition ever -held in the history of aviation. There, on June 26, 1909, I had the -honour of making the first aeroplane flights in New York City, in the -machine bought by the Aeronautical Society. - -The Society intended to make Morris Park the scene of aviation meets and -of experiments with gliders, but the grounds proved too small and I -recommended a change to some other place in the vicinity of New York -City, where there was plenty of open country and where the danger from -unexpected landings would be minimized. I looked over all the suitable -places around New York City and finally decided upon Mineola, on Long -Island. The Hempstead Plains, a large, level tract lying just outside -Mineola, offered an ideal place for flying and the Aeronautical Society -machine was brought down there from Morris Park. - -There was such a fine field for flying at Mineola that I decided to make -another try for the Scientific American trophy, which I had won on the -previous Fourth of July at Hammondsport with the "June Bug." I wanted -that trophy very much, but in order to become possessed of it I had to -win it three years in succession, the conditions being changed from year -to year to keep pace with the progress and development of aviation. The -second year's conditions required a continuous flight of more than -twenty-five kilometers (about sixteen miles) in order to have the flight -taken into account in awarding the prize, which was to go to the person -making the longest official flight during the year. - -I believed I could make a fine showing at Hempstead Plains and -preparations were made for the attempt. The aeroplane was put together -near Peter MeLaughlin's hotel and a triangular course of one and a third -miles was measured off. After I had made a number of trial flights over -the course I sent formal notice to the Aero Club of America that all was -ready for the official flight, and the Club sent Mr. Charles M. Manley -down as official representative to observe the trial for the Scientific -American trophy. - -On July 17th, 1909, a little more than a year from the first official -flight of the "June Bug" at Hammondsport, we got out on the field at -Mineola at sunrise, before the heavy dew was off the grass, and made -ready. It was a memorable day for the residents of that particular -section of Long Island, who had never seen a flying machine prior to my -brief trial flights there a few days before. They turned out in large -numbers, even at that early hour, and there was a big delegation of -newspapermen from the New York dailies on hand. Flying was such a -novelty at that time that nine-tenths of the people who came to watch -the preparations were sceptical while others declared that "that thing -won't fly, so what's the use of waiting 'round." There was much -excitement, therefore, when, at a quarter after five o'clock, on the -morning of July 17, I made my first flight. This was for the Cortlandt -Field Bishop prize of two hundred and fifty dollars, offered by the Aero -Club of America to the first four persons who should fly one kilometer. -It took just two and a half minutes to win this prize and immediately -afterward I started for the Scientific American trophy. - -The weather was perfect and everything worked smoothly. I made twelve -circuits of the course, which completed the twenty-five kilometers, in -thirty-two minutes. The motor was working so nicely and the weather man -was so favourable, that I decided to keep right on flying, until finally -I had circled the course nineteen times and covered a distance of -twenty-four and seven-tenths miles before landing. The average speed was -probably about thirty-five miles an hour, although no official record of -the speed was made. - -Great was the enthusiasm of the crowd when the flight ended. I confess -that I, too, was enthusiastic over the way the motor had worked and the -ease with which the machine could be handled in flight. Best of all, I -had the sense of satisfaction that the confidence imposed in me by my -friends had been justified. - -As the machine built for the Aeronautical Society had thus met every -requirement, I agreed to teach two members to fly at Hempstead Plains. -Mr. Charles F. Willard and Mr. Williams were the two chosen to take up -instruction, and the work began at once. Mr. Willard proved an apt pupil -and after a few lessons mastered the machine and flew with confidence -and success, circling about the country around Mineola. - -These flights at Mineola gave that place a start as the headquarters for -aviators, and it soon became the popular resort for everyone interested -in aviation in and near the city of New York. - -[Illustration: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN TROPHY] - -PART III MY CHIEF FLIGHTS AND THE WORK OF TO-DAY by Glenn H. Curtiss - -CHAPTER I THE RHEIMS MEET FIRST INTERNATIONAL AEROPLANE CONTEST - -Prior to the first flights in New York City I had formulated plans for -an improved machine, designed for greater speed and equipped with a more -powerful motor. I wanted to take part in the first contest for the -Gordon Bennett Aviation cup at Rheims, France, August 22 to 29, 1909. -This was the first International Aviation Meet held, and much was -expected of the French machines of the monoplane type. Great was my -gratification, therefore, when I received word from the Aero Club of -America, through Mr. Cortlandt Field Bishop, who was then president, -that I had been chosen to represent America at Rheims.[1] - -Without allowing my plans to become known to the public I began at once -to build an eight-cylinder, V-shaped, fifty horse-power motor. This was -practically double the horse-power I had been using. Work on the motor -was pushed day and night at Hammondsport, as I had not an hour to spare. -I had kept pretty close watch on everything that had been printed about -the preparations of the Frenchmen for the Gordon Bennett race and -although it was reported that Bleriot, in his own monoplane, and Hubert -Latham, in an Antoinette monoplane, had flown as fast as sixty miles an -hour, I still felt confident. The speed of aeroplanes is so often -exaggerated in press accounts that I did not believe all I read about -Bleriot's and Latham's trial flights. - -The motor was finished, but there was no time to put it in the new -machine and try it out before sailing. It was, therefore, given a short -run on the block, or testing-frame, hurriedly packed, and the entire -equipment rushed to New York barely in time to catch the steamer for -France. - -The time was so short between the arrival of our steamer and the opening -of the meet that in order to get to Rheims in time to qualify, we had to -take the aeroplane with us on the train as personal baggage. Thanks to -the kindness of the French railway officials, who realised our -situation, and evidently had imbibed some of the prevailing aviation -enthusiasm, we arrived at Rheims in quick time. In those early days of -aviation there was not the keen partisanship for monoplane or biplane -that one finds everywhere to-day; nor was there the strong popular -feeling in France in favor of the monoplane that exists today. An -aeroplane was simply an aeroplane at that time, and interesting as such, -but naturally all Frenchmen favored their compatriots who were entered -in the race, particularly Bleriot, who had just earned world-wide fame -by his flight across the English channel. The Frenchmen, as well as -Europeans in general, fully expected Bleriot to win with his fast -monoplane. - -My own personal hopes lay in my motor. Judge of my surprise, therefore, -upon arriving at Rheims, to learn that Bleriot, who had probably heard -through newspaper reports that I was bringing over an eight-cylinder -motor, had himself installed an eight-cylinder motor of eighty -horse-power in one of his light monoplanes. When I learned this, I -believed my chances were very slim indeed, if in fact they had not -entirely disappeared. The monoplane is generally believed to be faster -than the biplane with equal power. I had just one aeroplane and one -motor; if I smashed either of these it would be all over with America's -chances in the first International Cup Race. I had not the reserve -equipment to bring out a new machine as fast as one was smashed, as -Bleriot and other Frenchmen had. Incidentally, there were many of them -smashed during the big meet on the Plain of Bethany. At one time, while -flying, I saw as many as twelve machines strewn about the field, some -wrecked and some disabled and being hauled slowly back to the hangars, -by hand or by horses. For obvious reasons, therefore, I kept out of the -duration contests and other events, flying only in such events as were -for speed, and of a distance not to exceed twenty kilometers, which was -the course for the Gordon Bennett contest in 1909. - -It is hard enough for any one to map out a course of action and stick to -it, particularly in the face of the desires of one's friends; but it is -doubly hard for an aviator to stay on the ground waiting for just the -right time to get into the air. It was particularly hard for me to keep -out of many events at Rheims held from day to day, especially as there -were many patriotic Americans there who would have liked to see -America's only representative take part in everything on the programme. -I was urged by many of these to go out and contest the Frenchmen for the -rich prizes offered and it was hard to refuse to do this. These good -friends did not realise the situation. America's chances could not be -imperilled for the sake of gratifying one's curiosity, or national -pride. On top of the urgings of my American friends to go out and fly -and take chances of having a whole machine when the day for the Gordon -Bennett should arrive, I was penalised for not starting in the speed -race, the Prix de la Vitesse, the penalty being one-twentieth of the -time made when I should start in this event. However, I made a number of -trial flights and ten official ones, during the meet, without mishap, -except a sprained ankle. This was the result of running through growing -grain at the time of landing and being thrown out of the machine. I was -also fortunate in being the only aviator who took part in this first big -meet to land at the hangar after each flight. - -During this period of waiting, and making explanations to enthusiastic -Americans who could not understand why I did not fly all the time, my -mechanician, "Tod" Shriver,[2] attracted a tremendous amount of -attention from the throngs that visited the hangars because he worked in -his shirt sleeves. They thought "Tod" picturesque because he did not -wear the French workman's blouse. Shriver used to say that if he were -picturesque in shirt sleeves there were about fifty million perfectly -good Americans across the Atlantic who formed probably the most -picturesque crowd on earth. - -In the try-outs it became evident to the Frenchmen that my aeroplane was -very fast and it was conceded that the race for the Gordon Bennett Cup -would lie between Bleriot and myself, barring accidents. After a -carefully timed trial circuit of the course, which, much to my surprise, -I made in a few seconds less than M. Bleriot's time, and that, too, with -my motor throttled down slightly, I gained more confidence. I removed -the large gasoline tank from my machine and put on a smaller one in -order to lessen the weight and the head-resistance. I then selected the -best of my three propellers, which, by the way, were objects of -curiosity to the French aviators, who were familiar only with the metal -blades used on the Antoinette machine, and the Chauviere, which was -being used by M. Bleriot. M. Chauviere was kind enough to make a -propeller especially fitted to my aeroplane, notwithstanding the fact -that a better propeller on my machine would lessen the chances of the -French flyers for the cup. However, I decided later to use my own -propeller, and did use it and won. - -August 29 dawned clear and hot. It was agreed at a meeting of the -Committee, at which all the contestants were present, that each -contestant should be allowed to make one trial flight over the course -and that he might choose his own time for making it, between the hours -of ten o'clock in the morning and six o'clock in the evening. The other -starters were Bleriot, Lefebre, and Latham for France, and Cockburn for -England. As I have already stated, Bleriot was the favourite because of -his trip across the English channel and because of his records made in -flights at various places prior to the Rheims meet. - -As conditions were apparently good, I decided to make my trial flight -shortly after ten o'clock. The machine was brought out, the engine given -a preliminary run, and at half past ten I was in the air. Everything had -looked good from the ground, but after the first turn of the course I -began to pitch violently. This was caused by the heat waves rising and -falling as the cooler air rushed in. The up and down motion was not at -all pleasant and I confess that I eased off on the throttle several -times on the first circuit. I had not then become accustomed to the -feeling an aviator gets when the machine takes a sudden drop. On the -second round I got my nerve back and pulled the throttle wide open and -kept it open. This accounts for the fact that the second lap was made in -faster time than the first. The two circuits were made safely and I -crossed the finish line in seven minutes, fifty-five seconds, a new -record for the course. - -Now was my chance! I felt that the time to make the start for the Cup -was then, in spite of the boiling air conditions, which I had found -existed all over the course and made flying difficult if not actually -dangerous. We hurriedly refilled the gasoline tank, sent official notice -to the judges, carefully tested the wiring of the machine by lifting it -at the corners, spun the propeller, and the official trial was on. I -climbed as high as I thought I might without protest, before crossing -the starting line probably five hundred feet so that I might take -advantage of a gradual descent throughout the race, and thus gain -additional speed. The sun was hot and the air rough, but I had resolved -to keep the throttle wide open. I cut the corner as close as I dared and -banked the machine high on the turns. I remember I caused great -commotion among a big flock of birds which did not seem to be able to -get out of the wash of my propeller. In front of the tribunes the -machine flew steadily, but when I got around on the back stretch, as we -would call it, I found remarkable air conditions. There was no wind, but -the air seemed fairly to boil. The machine pitched considerably, and -when I passed above the "graveyard," where so many machines had gone -down and were smashed during the previous days of the meet, the air -seemed literally to drop from under me. It was so bad at one spot that I -made up my mind that if I got over it safely I would avoid that -particular spot thereafter. - -Finally, however, I finished the twenty kilometers in safety and crossed -the line in fifteen minutes, fifty seconds, having averaged forty-six -and one-half miles an hour. When the time was announced there was great -enthusiasm among the Americans present, and every one rushed over to -offer congratulations. Some of them thought that I would surely be the -winner, but of this I was by no means certain. I had great respect for -Bleriot's ability, and besides, Latham and his Antoinette might be able -to make better speed than they had thus far shown. In a contest of this -sort it is never safe to cheer until all the returns are in. I confess -that I felt a good deal like a prisoner awaiting the decision of a jury. -I had done my best, and had got the limit of speed out of the machine; -still I felt that if I could do it all over again I would be able to -improve on the time. Meantime Cockburn, for England, had made a start -but had come down and run into a haystack. He was only able to finish -the course in twenty minutes, forty-seven and three-fifth seconds. This -put him out of the contest. - -Latham made his trial during the afternoon but his speed was five or six -miles an hour slower than my record. The other contestants were flying -about thirty-five miles an hour, and were, therefore, not really serious -factors in the race. - -It was all up to M. Bleriot. All day long he tinkered and tested, first -with one machine and then another; trying different propellers and -making changes here and there. It was not until late in the afternoon -that he brought out his big machine, Number 22, equipped with an -eight-cylinder water-cooled motor, mounted beneath the planes, and -driving by chain a four-bladed propeller, geared to run at a speed -somewhat less than that of the engine. He started off at what seemed to -be a terrific burst of speed. It looked to me just then as if he must be -going twice as fast as my machine had flown; but it must be remembered -that I was very anxious to have him go slow. The fear that he was -beating me was father to the belief. - -As soon as Bleriot was off Mr. Cortlandt Field Bishop and Mr. David -Wolfe Bishop, his brother, took me in their automobile over to the -judges' stand. Bleriot made the first lap in faster time than I had made -it, and our hearts sank. Then and there I resolved that if we lost the -cup I would build a faster aeroplane and come back next year to win it. - -[Illustration: WINNING THE GORDON BENNET CONTEST IN FRANCE] - -(A) Curtiss flying at Rheims, (B) The welcome home to Hammondsport - -[Illustration: Copyright, 1910, by Photo News Co. - -"A POSITION HIGHER THAN THE PRESIDENT'S" - -President Taft watching Curtiss fly, Harvard Meet, 1910] - -Again Bleriot dashed past the stand and it seemed to me that he was -going even faster than the first time. Great was my surprise, therefore, -when, as he landed, there was no outburst of cheers from the great -crowd. I had expected a scene of wild enthusiasm, but there was nothing -of the sort. I sat in Mr. Bishop's automobile a short distance from the -judges' stand, wondering why there was no shouting, when I was startled -by a shout of joy from my friend, Mr. Bishop, who had gone over to the -judges' stand. - -"You win! You win!" he cried, all excitement as he ran toward the -automobile. "Bleriot is beaten by six seconds!" - -A few moments later, just at half past five o'clock, the Stars and -Stripes were slowly hoisted to the top of the flagpole and we stood -uncovered while the flag went up. There was scarcely a response from the -crowded grand stands; no true Frenchman had the heart to cheer. A good, -hearty cheer requires more than mere politeness. But every American -there made enough noise for ten ordinary people, so that numbers really -counted for very little in the deep feeling of satisfaction at the -result of the first great contest in the history of aviation. Mr. Andrew -D. White, accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt and Miss Ethel Roosevelt, came -over to our car and congratulated me. Quentin Roosevelt, who had been in -a state of excitement throughout the day, declared it "bully," while his -brother Archie wanted to be shown all about the working of the machine. -M. Bleriot himself, good sportsman that he is, was among the first to -extend congratulations to America and to me personally. - -There was a reason beyond the mere patriotism why the Americans felt so -happy over the result; it meant that the next international race would -be held in the United States, and that the best foreign machines would -have to come across the ocean to make a try for the cup the following -year. - -In commenting upon the result the Paris Edition of the New York Herald -said that the race had rehabilitated the biplane; that while the -lightness and bird-like lines of the monoplane had appealed to the crowd -as the ideal representation of artificial flight, "the American aviator -proved that the biplane not only possessed qualities of carrying weight -and undoubtedly of superior stability, but that, if need be, it can -develop speed equal to, if not superior to, its smaller rival." - -Offers of engagements to fly in Germany and Italy came pouring in. To -accept these meant a good deal of money in prizes, for it had been -proven that I had the fastest aeroplane in the world. I accepted some of -them, as I had learned that the conditions for flying at the big meets -in Europe were almost ideal and that there was a tremendous amount of -interest everywhere, among all classes. A big meet was organized at -Brescia, Italy, and I went there from Rheims. - -Here I carried my first passenger, the celebrated Italian poet and -author, Gabriele D'Annunzio. He was wildly enthusiastic over his -experience, and upon being brought back to earth said with all the -emotion of his people: "Until now I have never really lived! Life on -earth is a creeping, crawling business. It is in the air that one feels -the glory of being a man and of conquering the elements. There is the -exquisite smoothness of motion and the joy of gliding through space–It -is wonderful! Can I not express it in poetry? I might try." - -And he did express it in poetry, a beautiful work published sometime -later. - -After winning the Grand Prize at Brescia and taking a wonderful motor -trip over the Alps with Mr. Bishop, I hurried home to America to look -after my business affairs, about which I had not had time even to think -during the Rheims and Brescia meets. - -NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST - -Delegations of enthusiastic friends met Mr. Curtiss in New York, among -them members of the Aero Club of America and other representative -organisations. There followed a series of luncheons and dinners which -seemed without end. Among all these the luncheon given by the Aero Club -of America at the Lawyers' Club was notable because every one present -showed such a warm interest in the success of American aeronautics, and -such a firm determination not only to keep the trophy in this country, -but to defend it the next year in an aviation meet that should be even -greater than that with which Rheims had led the way. - -But the real celebration took place in the little village of -Hammondsport, the place where Mr. Curtiss was born and reared, and where -he knew every man, woman, and child. The men in the factory and all his -other warm friends got together and decided that there must be something -out of the ordinary when he got back to town. They planned a procession -all the way from Bath to Hammondsport, a distance of ten miles, with -fireworks along the route. But a heavy rain came on just in time to -spoil the fireworks plan, so they engaged a special train and this -passed through a glow of red fire all the way home from Bath. At the -Hammondsport station there was a carriage to draw him up the hill to his -home, and fifty men furnished the motive power. There were arches with -"Welcome" in electric lights, banners, fireworks, and speeches. Through -the pouring rain there was a continuous procession of his friends and -acquaintances–townspeople who had always given him their loyal support -and the men from the shop who had made his success possible. - -It was after eleven o'clock when the crowd dispersed–an almost unholy -hour for Hammondsport.–AUGUSTUS POST. - -CHAPTER II HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION FIRST AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL -MEET, AT LOS ANGELES - -I was not permitted to remain long in Hammondsport, although there was -much work for me to do there in the way of planning improvements in the -factory, as well as on my aeroplane, which had now come to be known -throughout the world by reason of winning the Gordon Bennett Cup. There -were tempting offers from all quarters to give exhibitions with the -flying machine, which up to that time had been seen in but few places in -this country. Some of these offers were accepted because I could not -afford to reject them. Moreover, it required a great deal of money to -run the shop, and there was no commercial demand for aeroplanes. They -were, as yet, valuable only as "show machines," to see which the public -was willing to pay goodly sums. For a long time preparations had been -going on at New York City to celebrate the tri-centenary of the -discovery of the Hudson river, and the centenary of the first steamboat -trip on that stream by Fulton in the Clermont. It had been the idea of -the originators of the Hudson-Fulton celebration–an idea that was -expressed in the tentative plans published long before the celebration -itself–that the new conquest of the air should be recognised, in some -way, at the same time. At first it was intended that some sort of -airship should accompany the naval parade the entire length of the -Hudson, with a replica of Hendrik Hudson's Half Moon leading the way, -Robert Fulton's old steamboat Clermont following, and the airship -hovering above them thus furnishing a striking illustration of the -wonderful advancement in the means of locomotion in a hundred years, and -signalising the new science of air navigation. With this end in view the -Celebration Committee engaged the Wright Brothers and myself to bring -aeroplanes to New York, furnishing us with every facility on Governor's -Island, in the Lower Bay, from which point all flights were to be made. - -But aerial navigation in the fall of 1909 was not such a sure and -certain thing as all that. Much depended upon the wind and weather, and -it was soon demonstrated that the best that could be hoped for at the -time of the celebration would be flights made at such times as the wind -would permit. Day after day the public waited anxiously for flights to -be made up the Hudson from Governor's Island, but day after day the wind -blew up or down the Hudson in such blasts that it was not deemed safe to -attempt a trip. For it must be remembered that there is scarcely a more -difficult course anywhere in the country than over the Hudson river in -the vicinity of New York. On both sides of the river, which is a -swift-running stream, rise lofty hills, and at some places precipitous -cliffs called the Palisades. On the New York side are miles upon miles -of lofty apartment houses along Riverside Drive. If the wind blows -across the river, either from the east or west, dangerous currents and -eddies suck down through the canon-like streets, or over the steep -Palisades, making flying extremely hazardous. For this reason there has -never, even up to this time (August, 1912), been any flying to speak of -over the Hudson, and for these reasons, the great river will not become -a popular flying course for aeroplanes until they are so constructed as -to be able to defy the treacherous, puffy wind currents. The -hydroaeroplane, however, may navigate the course with safety, as it is -perfectly safe in one of these machines to fly within a few feet of the -water where there is the least danger from contrary air currents. - -So much was printed in the New York newspapers while we were waiting for -propitious weather that the public was keyed up to expect great things -from the aeroplanes–far greater than the aeroplane could accomplish. -Bulletins were posted by the newspapers from day to day, informing the -public that flights would surely be made "to-day" provided the wind -abated. In the meantime interest was doubly stimulated by the -announcement of a ten-thousand-dollar prize for the first air-flight -over Fulton's course, from New York to Albany, or from Albany to New -York. One of the paintings made at the time as an "advance notice," I -remember, showed so many aerial dreadnaughts in the sky, passing down -the river by the Palisades at the same time, that one was forced to -wonder how all of them were going to find room to navigate. However, the -atmosphere had cleared long before the actual flight was made down the -Hudson, the following summer. - -In spite of the disappointment felt by the public at not seeing a fleet -of aeroplanes sporting over the Hudson daily during the Hudson-Fulton -celebration, there were many other things to divert the attention of New -York's five millions and some few hundred thousands of visitors from -this and other countries. The week of pomp and pageantry culminated in -the most wonderful marine and land parades ever staged in this country, -and seldom, if ever, excelled in the Old World. The marine parade -extended all the way up to Albany, and at every stopping place there was -a repetition, on a smaller scale, of the scenes of enthusiasm and -general holiday spirit that had prevailed in the Metropolis. New York -City was decorated as no one had ever seen it decorated before, and the -great fleet of over a hundred warships that swung at anchor in the -Hudson were visited by thousands by day and were outlined in myriads of -electric lights at night, disguising their ominous guns in soft shadow -and giving them a peaceful and almost fairy-like appearance. Then there -were the dirigible balloons to command the attention of the crowds that -thronged Riverside Drive waiting for the aeroplanes. They, too, were -after the rich prize offered by the New York World. They furnished the -only real contest during the Hudson-Fulton celebration. There were two -of them, one entered by the intrepid Captain Thomas Baldwin, and the -other by a Mr. Tomlinson. These were housed in great tents raised within -an enclosure at Riverside Drive and One Hundred and Nineteenth street, -behind a high fence, on which was painted "Hudson-Fulton Flights." This -was the center of interest for great crowds for days during the period -of waiting. Captain Baldwin, always popular with the people wherever he -goes, was the centre of interest with the crowds that stood around the -sheds, watching the mild, blunt noses of the big dirigibles as they -bobbed and swayed with the gusts that swept around Grant's Tomb, -reminding one of the ceaseless weaving of a restless elephant. But the -elements seemed to be as much against the dirigibles as against the -aeroplanes. Tomlinson made a start, after a long wait, but came to grief -almost at once, while Captain Baldwin fared but little better. His trip -extended but a few miles up the river, when he was forced to come down, -thus ending the chances of the dirigibles. - -The aeroplanes were scarcely more fortunate. October winds around New -York are most unruly things, and at that particular period seemed worse -than usual. Weather-wise folk learned after awhile to look out at the -flags on the high buildings; if they stood out straight from the staff, -the people went about their business, knowing there would be no flying -that day. But every one kept an ear cocked for the firing of a big -cannon on Governor's Island, the signal that a flight was about to be -made. Even these were deceiving, for there were so many salutes being -fired by the great fleets in the river and bay, that no one could tell -when to give heed to gun signals. So the crowds sat along Riverside -Drive, or depended upon the unhappy and over-worked policemen for word -of the aeroplanes. Some people were disposed to hold the policemen -personally responsible for the failure of the airships to fly. "You'd -think," said one of the blue-coated guardians on Riverside Drive, "that -I was keepin' 'em back, the way these people go at me. They blame me and -not the wind!" - -The wind held out and the week of festivities ended; still there had -been no flying. I could not remain in New York any longer, as I had -accepted an engagement some time before to fly at St. Louis. I was -obliged therefore, much to my chagrin, and the disappointment of the -crowds, to leave the city without making a flight up the river, although -I did make a short flight over Governor's Island. - -Mr. Wilbur Wright, however, remained in New York, and during the -following week made a magnificent flight up the river from Governor's -Island to Grant's Tomb and return, a distance of about twenty miles. -This gave the larger part of New York's millions their first glimpse of -an aeroplane in flight. - -At St. Louis we gave a very successful meet. There were flights by -Captain Baldwin, Lincoln Beachey, and Roy Knabenshue, in their dirigible -balloons, and myself in my aeroplane. The weather conditions were -favourable, and St. Louis turned out enthusiastic throngs to witness the -exhibitions. - -The Pacific Coast, always progressive and quick to seize upon every -innovation, no matter where it may be developed, had been clamoring for -some time for an aviation meet. The enterprising citizens of Los Angeles -got together and put up a large sum of money to bring out from Europe -and the eastern part of the United States, a number of representative -aviators for an international meet, the first ever given in this -country. Louis Paulhan, one of the most celebrated French aviators, was -brought over with a biplane and a monoplane, and there were a number of -American entries, including Charles F. Willard and myself. Los Angeles -furnished the first opportunity for a real contest in this country -between the French and American machines, and these contests aroused -immense interest throughout the country. - -The importance of the Los Angeles meet to the aviation industry in this -country was very great. The favourable climatic conditions gave -opportunities for every one to fly in all the events, and the wide -publicity given to the achievements of Paulhan and others, especially to -the new world's altitude record established by the French aviator, -stimulated interest throughout the country. There was cross-country -flying such as had not been seen in this country, brilliant exhibitions -of altitude flying, and speed contests of the hair-raising variety. -Sometimes it takes just such a public demonstration as the Los Angeles -meet not only to spread the news of the general progress of mechanical -flight, but to show the builders of aeroplanes themselves just what -their machines are capable of. - -It was at the Los Angeles meet, by the way, that Charles F. Willard -coined that apt and picturesque phrase which soon was used the world -over in describing air conditions. Willard had made a short flight and -on coming down declared the air "was as full of holes as a Swiss -cheese." This made a great hit with the newspapermen, who featured it, -using it day after day in their stories until it went the rounds of the -press of the world. There were special articles written on "holes in the -air," and interviews of prominent aviators to determine how it feels to -fall into "a hole in the air." - -The expression was more picturesque than accurate, for it is not -necessary to explain, in this advanced stage of aviation, that there are -no "holes" in the atmosphere. If there were a hole in the atmosphere, a -clap of thunder would result, caused by the rushing in of the -surrounding air to fill the vacuum. The only holes in the air are the -streaks that follow a rifle bullet or a flash of lightning. The real -cause of the conditions described by Willard, and which has since -probably been responsible for the death of several well known aviators, -is a swift, downward current of air, rushing in to fill a vacuum that -follows a rising current from a heated area. The hot air rises and the -cool air rushes down to take its place. An aeroplane striking one of -these descending currents drops as if the entire atmospheric support had -been suddenly removed, and if it be not high enough, may strike the -ground with fatal results to the aviator. Every experienced airman has -met these conditions. They are especially noticeable over water, streaks -of calm water showing where the up-currents are just starting, and waves -or ripples where the down-currents strike the surface. - -The representative of the Aero Club of America at the Los Angeles meet -was Mr. Cortlandt Field Bishop, of New York, who had been at Rheims the -previous summer when I won the Gordon Bennett Cup and who had been of -inestimable assistance to me at that time. Mr. Bishop had his -oft-expressed wish to fly gratified at Los Angeles. He was taken up by -Louis Paulhan several times, and Paulhan also took Mrs. Bishop for her -first aerial ride. Great crowds came out at the Los Angeles meet, and -they for the first time in the history of aviation in this country -expected the aviator to fly and not to fall. Paulhan did some wonderful -cross-country flying, and as a climax to the week of aerial wonders, he -established a world's altitude record by ascending 4,165 feet. This was -regarded as marvellous at that time. Since then the mark has been -successively raised by Brookins, Hoxsey, Le Blanc, Beachey, Garros and -others. Legagneux now (September, 1912) holds the record at 18,760 feet. - -Interest in aviation was keen following the Los Angeles meet and I -decided to try for the New York World's ten-thousand-dollar prize, which -was still open, for a flight down the Hudson from Albany to New York -City. Notwithstanding all the natural obstacles in the way of the -accomplishment of the undertaking, the conditions were so fair as to -stops, time-limit, etc., and it was so obviously a prize offered to be -won, that I considered it worth a serious effort. - -I fully realised that the flight was much greater than anything I had -yet attempted, and even more difficult than Bleriot's great flight -across the English channel from France to England, news of which was -still ringing throughout the world, and even greater than the projected -flight from London to Manchester, England, and for which a prize of -fifty thousand dollars had been offered. Although the course covered -about the same distance as the London-Manchester route, there was not -the difficulty of landing safely over the English route. The Hudson -flight meant one hundred and fifty-two miles over a broad, swift stream, -flowing between high hills or rugged mountains the entire distance and -with seldom a place to land; it meant a fight against treacherous and -varying wind currents rushing out unawares through clefts in the -mountains, and possible motor trouble that would land both machine and -aviator in the water with not much chance of escape from drowning, even -if uninjured in alighting. - -CHAPTER III FLIGHT DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER FROM ALBANY TO NEW YORK CITY - -To fly from Albany to New York City was quite an undertaking in the -summer of 1910. I realised that success would depend upon a dependable -motor and a reliable aeroplane. In preparation for the task, therefore, -I set the factory at Hammondsport to work to build a new machine. While -awaiting the completion of the machine, I took a trip up the Hudson from -New York to Albany to look over the course and to select a place about -half way between the two cities where a landing for gasoline and oil -might be made, should it become necessary. - -There are very few places for an aeroplane to land with safety around -New York City. The official final landing place, stipulated in the -conditions drawn up by the New York World, was to be Governor's Island, -but I wanted to know of another place on the upper edge of the city -where I might come down if it should prove necessary. I looked all over -the upper end of Manhattan Island, and at last found a little meadow on -a side hill just at the junction of the Hudson and Harlem rivers, at a -place called Inwood. It was small and sloping, but had the advantage of -being within the limits of New York City. It proved fortunate for me -that I had selected this place, for it later served to a mighty good -advantage. - -There was quite a party of us aboard the Hudson river boat leaving New -York City one day in May for the trip to Albany. As an illustration of -the scepticism among the steamboat men, I remember that I approached an -officer and asked several questions about the weather conditions on the -river, and particularly as to the prevailing winds at that period of the -year. Incidentally, I remarked that I was contemplating a trip up the -river from New York to Albany in an aeroplane and wanted to collect all -the reliable data possible on atmospheric conditions. This officer, whom -I afterward learned was the first mate, answered all my questions -courteously, but it was evident to all of us that he believed I was -crazy. He took me to the captain of the big river boat and introduced -me, saying: "Captain, this is Mr. Curtiss, the flying machine man; -that's all I know," in a tone that clearly indicated that he disclaimed -all responsibility as to anything I might do or say. - -Copyright, 1910, by The Pictorial News Co. - -[Illustration: THE ALBANY-NEW YORK HUDSON FLIGHT] - -(A) Start of the flight at Albany. Mrs. Curtiss and Augustus Post -standing by Curtiss. (B) Over West Point Military Academy–"The new kind -of invader." - -Copyright, 1910, by The Pictorial News Co. - -[Illustration: THE HUDSON FLIGHT] - -Over Storm King - -The captain was very kind and courteous, asking us to remain in the -pilot house, where we might get a better view of the country along the -way, and displaying the keenest interest in the project. He answered all -our questions about the winds along the Hudson and seemed to enter -heartily in the spirit of the thing until we approached the great bridge -at Poughkeepsie and I began to deliberate whether it would be better to -pass over or beneath it in the aeroplane. Then it seemed really to dawn -upon the captain for the first time that I was actually going to fly -down the river in an aeroplane. He apparently failed to grasp the -situation, and thereafter his answers were vague and given without -interest. It was "Oh, yes, I guess so," and similar doubtful -expressions, but when we finally left the boat at Albany he very kindly -wished me a safe trip and promised to blow the whistle if I should pass -his boat. - -Albany afforded a better starting place than New York, because there -were convenient spots where one might land before getting well under -way, should it become necessary. This was not true of the situation at -New York City. As to the advantage of prevailing winds, it seemed to be -in favour of Albany as the starting place, and I finally decided to have -everything sent up to the capital city. On my way up I had stopped at -Poughkeepsie, in order to select a landing place, as at least one stop -was deemed necessary to take on gasoline and to look over the motor. We -visited the State Hospital for the Insane, which stands on the hill just -above Poughkeepsie, and which seemed to be a good place to land. Dr. -Taylor, the superintendent, showed us about the grounds, and when told -that I intended stopping there on my way down the river in a flying -machine, said with much cordiality: "Why, certainly, Mr. Curtiss, come -right in here; here's where all the flying machine inventors land." - -Notwithstanding the Doctor's cordial invitation to "drop in on him," we -went to the other side of Poughkeepsie, and there found a fine open -field at a place called Camelot. I looked over the ground carefully, -locating the ditches and furrows, and selected the very best place to -make a safe landing. Arrangements were made for a supply of gasoline, -water, and oil to be brought to the field and held in readiness. It was -fortunate that I looked over the Camelot field, for a few days later I -landed within a few feet of the place I had selected as the most -favoured spot near Poughkeepsie. This is but one thing that illustrates -how the whole trip was outlined before the start was made, and how this -plan was followed out according to arrangement. - -I shall always remember Albany as the starting place of my first long -cross-country flight. My machine was brought over from Hammondsport and -set up; the Aero Club sent up its official representatives, Mr. Augustus -Post and Mr. Jacob L. Ten Eyck, and the newspapers of New York City sent -a horde of reporters. A special train was engaged to start from Albany -as soon as I got under way, carrying the newspapermen and the Aero Club -representatives, as well as several invited guests. It was the purpose -to have this train keep even with me along the entire trip of one -hundred and fifty-two miles, but as it turned out, it had some trouble -in living up to the schedule. - -The aeroplane, christened the "Hudson Flier," was set up on Rensselaer -Island. It was now up to the weather man to furnish conditions I -considered suitable. This proved a hard task, and for three days I got -up at daybreak, when there is normally the least wind, ready to make an -early start. On these days the newspapermen and officials, not to -mention crowds of curious spectators, rubbed the sleep out of their eyes -before the sun got up and went out to Rensselaer Island. But the wind -was there ahead of us and it blew all day long. The weather bureau -promised repeatedly, "fair weather, with light winds," but couldn't live -up to promises. I put in some of the time in going over every nut, bolt, -and turnbuckle on the machine with shellac. Nothing was overlooked; -everything was made secure. I had confidence in the machine. I knew I -could land on the water if it became necessary, as I had affixed two -light pontoons to the lower plane, one on either end, and a -hydro-surface under the front wheel of the landing-gear. This would keep -me afloat some time should I come down in the river. - -We bothered the life out of the weather observer at Albany, but he was -always very kind and took pains to get weather reports from every point -along the river. But the newspapermen lost faith; they were tired of the -delay. I have always observed that newspapermen, who work at a high -tension, cannot endure delay when there is a good piece of news in -prospect. One of those at Albany during the wait, offered to lay odds -with the others that I would not make a start. Others among the -journalists believed I was looking for free advertising, and when -another of the advertised starters for the World prize reached Albany he -was greeted with: "Hello, old man, are you up here to get some free -advertising, too?" One of the Poughkeepsie papers printed an editorial -about this time, in which it said: "Curtiss gives us a pain in the neck. -All those who are waiting to see him go down the river are wasting their -time." This was a fair sample of the lack of faith in the undertaking. - -The machine was the centre of interest at Albany during the wait. It -seemed to hold a fascination for the crowds that came over to the -island. One young fellow gazed at it so long and so intently that he -finally fell over backwards insensible and it was some time before he -was restored to consciousness. Then one of the newspapermen dashed a -pail of water over him and at once sent his paper a column about it. -They had to find something to write about and the countryman, the flying -machine, and the fit made a combination good enough for almost any -newspaper-man to weave an interesting yarn about. - -Our period of waiting almost ended on Saturday morning, May 30th. The -"Hudson Flier" was brought out of its tent, groomed and fit; the special -train provided by the New York Times to follow me over the New York -Central, stood ready, with steam up and the engineer holding a -right-of-way order through to New York. The newspapermen, always on the -job, and the guests were watching eagerly for the aeroplane to start and -set out on its long and hazardous flight. - -Then something happened–the wind came up. At first it did not seem to be -more than a breeze, but it grew stronger and reports from down the river -told of a strong wind blowing up the river. This would have meant a head -gale all the way to New York, should I make a start then. Everything was -called off for the day and we all went over and visited the State -Capitol. The newspapermen swallowed their disappointment and hoped for -better things on the morrow. - -Sunday proved to be the day. The delay had got somewhat on my nerves and -I had determined to make a start if there was half a chance. The morning -was calm and bright–a perfect summer day. News from down the river was -all favourable. I determined it was now or never. I sent Mrs. Curtiss to -the special train and informed the World representative and the Aero -Club officials that I was ready to go. Shortly after eight o'clock the -motor was turned over and I was off! - -It was plain sailing after I got up and away from Rensselaer Island. The -air was calm and I felt an immense sense of relief. The motor sounded -like music and the machine handled perfectly. I was soon over the river -and when I looked down I could see deep down beneath the surface. This -is one of the peculiar things about flying over the water. When high up -a person is able to see farther beneath the surface. - -I kept a close lookout for the special train, which could not get under -way as quickly as I had, and pretty soon I caught sight of it whirling -along on the tracks next to the river bank. I veered over toward the -train and flew along even with the locomotive for miles. I could see the -people with their heads out the windows, some of them waving their hats -or hands, while the ladies shook their handkerchiefs or veils -frantically. It was no effort at all to keep up with the train, which -was making fifty miles an hour. It was like a real race and I enjoyed -the contest more than anything else during the flight. At times I would -gain as the train swung around a short curve and thus lost ground, while -I continued on in an air line. - -All along the river, wherever there was a village or town, and even -along the roads and in boats on the river, I caught glimpses of crowds -or groups of people with their faces turned skyward, their attitudes -betokening the amazement which could not be read in their faces at that -distance. Boatmen on the river swung their caps in mute greeting, while -now and then a river tug with a long line of scows in tow, sent -greetings in a blast of white steam, indicating there was the sound of a -whistle behind. But I heard nothing but the steady, even roar of the -motor in perfect rhythm, and the whirr of the propeller. Not even the -noise of the speeding special train only a few hundred feet below -reached me, although I could see every turn of the great drive-wheels on -the engine. - -On we sped, the train and the aeroplane, representing a century of the -history of transportation, keeping abreast until Hudson had been past. -Here the aeroplane began to gain, and as the train took a wide sweeping -curve away from the bank of the river, I increased the lead perceptibly, -and soon lost sight of the special. - -It seemed but a few minutes until the great bridge spanning the Hudson -at Poughkeepsie, came into view. It was a welcome landmark, for I knew -that I had covered more than half the journey from Albany to New York, -and that I must stop to replenish the gasoline. I might have gone on and -taken a chance on having enough fuel, but this was not the time for -taking chances. There was too much at stake. - -I steered straight for the centre of the Poughkeepsie bridge, and passed -a hundred and fifty feet above it. The entire population of Poughkeepsie -had turned out, apparently, and resembled swarms of busy ants, running -here and there, waving their hats and hands. I kept close watch for the -place where I had planned to turn off the river course and make a -landing. A small pier jutting out into the river was the mark I had -chosen beforehand and it soon came into view. I made a wide circle and -turned inland, over a clump of trees, and landed on the spot I had -chosen on my way up to Albany. But the gasoline and oil which I had -expected to find waiting for me, were not there. I saw no one for a -time, but soon a number of men came running across the fields and a -number of automobiles turned off the road and raced toward the -aeroplane. I asked for some gasoline and an automobile hurried away to -bring it. - -I could scarcely hear and there was a continual ringing in my ears. This -was the effect of the roaring motor, and strange to say, this did not -cease until the motor was started again. From that time on there was no -disagreeable sensation. The special train reached the Camelot field -shortly after I landed and soon the newspaper-men, the Aero Club -officials, and the guests came climbing up the hill from the river, all -eager to extend their congratulations. Henry Kleckler, acting as my -mechanic, who had come along on the special train, looked over the -machine carefully, testing every wire, testing the motor out, and taking -every precaution to make the remainder of the journey as successful as -the first half. The gasoline having arrived, and the tank being -refilled, the special train got under way; once more I rose into the -air, and the final lap of the journey was on. - -Out over the trees to the river I set my course, and when I was about -midstream, turned south. At the start I climbed high above the river, -and then dropped down close to the water. I wanted to feel out the air -currents, believing that I would be more likely to find steady air -conditions near the water. I was mistaken in this, however, and soon got -up several hundred feet and maintained about an even altitude of from -five hundred to seven hundred feet. Everything went along smoothly until -I came within sight of West Point. Here the wind was nasty and shook me -up considerably. Gusts shot out from the rifts between the mountains and -made extremely rough riding. The worst spot was encountered between -Storm King and Dunderberg, where the river is narrow and the mountains -rise abruptly from the water's edge to more than a thousand feet on -either side. Here I ran into a downward suction that dropped me in what -seemed an interminable fall straight down, but which as a matter of fact -was not more than a hundred feet or perhaps less. It was one of -Willard's famous "holes in the air." The atmosphere seemed to tumble -about like water rushing through a narrow gorge. At another point, a -little farther along, and after I had dropped down close to the water, -one blast tipped a wing dangerously high, and I almost touched the -water. I thought for an instant that my trip was about to end, and made -a quick mental calculation as to the length of time it would take a boat -to reach me after I should drop into the water. - -The danger passed as quickly as it had come, however, and the machine -righted itself and kept on. Down by the Palisades we soared, rising -above the steep cliffs that wall the stream on the west side. Whenever I -could give my attention to things other than the machine, I kept watch -for the special train. Now and then I caught glimpses of it whirling -along the bank of the river, but for the greater part of the way I -out-distanced it. - -Soon I caught sight of some of the sky-scrapers that make the sky-line -of New York City the most wonderful in the world. First I saw the tall -frame of the Metropolitan Tower, and then the lofty Singer building. -These landmarks looked mighty good to me, for I knew that, given a few -more minutes' time, I would finish the flight. Approaching Spuyten -Duyvil, just above the Harlem river, I looked at my oil gauge and -discovered that the supply was almost exhausted. I dared not risk going -on to Governor's Island, some fifteen miles farther, for once past the -Harlem river there would be no place to land short of the island. So I -took a wide sweep across to the Jersey side of the river, circled around -toward the New York side, and put in over the Harlem river, looking for -the little meadow at Inwood which I had picked out as a possible landing -place some two weeks before. - -There I landed on the sloping hillside, and went immediately to a -telephone to call up the New York World. I told them I had landed within -the city limits and was coming down the river to Governor's Island soon. - -I got more oil, some one among the crowd, that gathered as if by magic, -turned my propeller, and I got away safely on the last leg of the -flight. While I had complied with the conditions governing the flight by -landing in the city limits, I wanted to go on to Governor's Island and -give the people the chance to see the machine in flight. - -From the extreme northern limits of New York to Governor's Island, at -the southern limits, was the most inspiring part of the trip. News of -the approach of the aeroplane had spread throughout the city, and I -could see crowds everywhere. - -New York can turn out a million people probably quicker than any other -place on earth, and it certainly looked as though half of the population -was along Riverside Drive or on top of the thousands of apartment houses -that stretch for miles along the river. Every craft on the river turned -on its siren and faint sounds of the clamour reached me even above the -roar of my motor. It seemed but a moment until the Statue of Liberty -came into view. I turned westward, circled the Lady with the Torch and -alighted safely on the parade ground on Governor's Island. - -General Frederick Grant, commanding the Department of the East, was one -of the first officers who came up to extend congratulations and to -compliment me on the success of the undertaking. From that moment I had -little chance for anything except the luncheons and dinners to which I -was invited. First came the luncheon at the Astor House given by the New -York World, and then the big banquet at the Hotel Astor, presided over -by Mayor Gaynor and attended by many prominent men interested in -aviation. The speeches were all highly laudatory, of course, and there -were many predictions by the orators that the Hudson river would become -a highway for aerial craft, as it had for steam craft when Fulton first -steered the old Clermont from New York to Albany. - -On the trip down from Albany I carried a letter from the mayor of that -city to Mayor Gaynor, and delivered it in less time than it would have -taken the fastest mail train. My actual flying time was two hours, -fifty-one minutes, the distance one hundred and fifty-two miles, and the -average speed fifty-two miles an hour. - -From Albany to Poughkeepsie is eighty-seven miles, and by making this in -a continuous flight I had, incidentally, won the Scientific American -trophy for the third time. It now became my personal property, and its -formal presentation was made at the annual dinner of the Aero Club of -America for that year. - -NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST - -The newspapers made much of Mr. Curtiss' flight, drawing comparisons -between the Hudson river course and the flight made by Bleriot across -the English channel, and the trip of Paulhan from London to Manchester, -which he had just accomplished a flight of about the same distance, for -which he received fifty thousand dollars from the London Daily Mail. - -The New York Times offered a large prize for a flight from New York to -Philadelphia and return, immediately afterward, which Charles K. -Hamilton won, and also offered a prize of twenty-five thousand dollars -for a flight between New York and Chicago, which was never won. Mr. W. -E. Hearst was also moved to offer fifty thousand dollars for a flight -between New York and a point on the Pacific Coast, the offer standing -open for one year. This flight was accomplished by Calbraith P. Rodgers, -but was not concluded within the time limit. - -There was, naturally, an outburst of editorial comment from newspapers -all over the United States, not only long and scholarly leaders, but -brief, snappy paragraphs that make the press of this country an -interesting record of public feeling and sentiment on all extraordinary -achievements. For instance, the St. Louis Times spoke of the passing of -the new aerial menace over West Point where cadets were studying the -history of military science along ancient lines, and the Chicago -Inter-Ocean chuckled over how this latest achievement "would jar old -Hendrik Hudson." - -Copyright, 1910, by The Pictorial News Co. - -[Illustration: THE HUDSON FLIGHT] - -(A) Stop at Poughkeepsie. (B) Finish, at Governor's Island - -[Illustration: THE EVOLUTION OF THE HYDRO] - -(A) The first hydro in the world–the "June Bug" on pontoons, -Hammondsport, November 5, 1908. (B) Developing Hydro at San Diego -Curtiss and Ellyson in hydro of winter, 1911; dual control–either of two -military aviators may steer. (C) Curtiss Landing in hydro at Cedar -Point, Ohio. - -The Newark News declared that "the Indian canoe, the Half moon, the -Clermont and the Curtiss biplane each represented a human achievement -that marked an epoch," while the Providence News believed that "valuable -as was astronomer Halley's naming of a comet, Mr. Curtiss has -accomplished something of more practical value to the world" and the -York Gazette compared the flight down the Hudson Valley by the aeroplane -to the conquest of the North Pole. There were other interesting points -of view taken by the press, the Birmingham News, for instance, -expressing the opinion that the New York World was extravagant, as "it -had paid $10,000.00 for Curtiss' ticket from Albany to New York, when it -might have brought him down by train for $4.65." The Battle Creek -Enquirer said that Mr. Curtiss ought to go into politics, for "a man who -can soar as high, stay up as long, travel as far, light as safely, all -on wind, would have the rest of them tied to the post." But the Savannah -News intimated that nobody could blame Mr. Curtiss from flying away from -the Albany Legislature at the rate of a mile a minute. The Birmingham -Age-Herald declared that the way was paved for other and greater -flights, even across the Atlantic ocean, and indeed, the ocean flight -now seemed to the press a not far distant possibility. The Rochester -Chronicle-Democrat argued that the bench and bar would now have an -opportunity for the exercise of all their legal ability to settle the -question "who owns the air!" But it was left to the Houston Post to -break into poetry in the following outburst of local pride: - -"The wonder is that Curtiss did -Not pass New York and onward whiz -Southwest by south, half south, until -He got where Houston, Texas, is." - -But perhaps the most characteristic comments were those like that of the -New York Evening Mail: - -"In every newspaper that you picked up yesterday you read a thrilling -account of the great achievement of Glenn H. Curtiss. The detailed -description of his wonderful flight stirred every emotion in you. Chills -ran up your spine and tears of joy came to your eyes as you read on and -on of the courage of the man who propelled his airship at a speed of -fifty-three miles an hour at a height of a thousand feet above the -earth. He realised all of the time that a broken bolt or some little -thing gone wrong might dash him to death." It is of course quite -impossible to give even a small proportion of the bright comments that -were made by the newspapers not only of this country, but even by the -foreign press. The New York Times sent a special train to follow the -flight, on which I rode as the representative of the Aero Club of -America. Here is my report in the Times: - -"7:02–A. M. Mr. Curtiss started from Van Rensselaer Island, Albany. -Jacob L. Ten Eyck official starter for Aero Club of America. - -7:03–Passed over the city limits of Albany. - -7:20–New Baltimore. - -7:26–Twenty-one miles. The Times special train caught up with aeroplane. - -7:27–Milton Hook brick yards. Wind still. Aeroplane flying about 45 -miles per hour. Passed lighthouse on west side of Hudson River. - -7:32–Stockport. Twenty-four miles. - -7:35–Hudson. Twenty-nine miles. Aeroplane flying high. Catskill Mountain -houses could be seen in the distance. Machine flying steady, water was -calm, small ripples along the surface. - -7:36–Thirty miles. The Times special train passed through tunnel -parallel with 'plane. - -7:40–2 Tower 81, New York Central Railroad. Greensdale ferry. - -7:41–Catskill on west shore of Hudson River. Flying high. - -7:44–Water trough in centre of track. Train equal with 'plane. Linlithgo -Station. - -7:46–Germantown steamer dock. Aeroplane flying well. - -7:48–Passed old steamboat on west side of the river. Germantown Station. -Aeroplane pitched when foot oil pump was used. Slight ripples on the -water. - -7:51–*The Times* special train running parallel with aeroplane. - -7:53–Tivoli. Forty-four miles. Aeroplane 1,000 feet high. Wind slightly -from the west. - -7:58–Barrytown. Forty-nine miles. Aeroplane about 800 feet high, -descending a little lower until about 400 feet high. - -8:03–Kingston. Brick yards on west shore of river. Mr. Curtiss is flying -very near The Times special train, within perhaps 100 yards. - -8:04–Aeroplane turns toward west. Heads a little more into the wind and -crosses to the west side of the river at high speed. - -8:05–Private yacht dock on east side of river. Aeroplane flying high -again. - -8:06–Rhinecliff: Ferry. Fifty-four miles. Aeroplane has been flying one -hour and four minutes. Seems to be flying well. - -8:08–Passing Tower 67, New York Central Railroad. - -8:08–*The Times* special train passed through tunnel. Mr. Curtiss goes -back to west side of river, flying over ice-houses. - -8:11–Passed lighthouse in middle of river. The aeroplane seems to be -rising and falling slowly on the varying currents of air. River is very -wide at this point. There are large stone crushers on the west shore, -and a large stone building of an institution on the bank of the river. - -8:12–Staatsburg. Sixty miles. - -8:16–Aeroplane now is passing over a large white house, some private -residence on the west shore of the river. Aeroplane is flying past -freight train on the West Shore Railroad. - -8:18–Hyde Park Station. Sixty-four miles. The Times special train -passing water trough in centre of railway track. Passing Insane Asylum -at Poughkeepsie. - -8:20–Passing upper portion of Poughkeepsie. 'Plane over river. - -8:24–Passing Poughkeepsie Bridge. Aeroplane about 200 feet above it. - -8:25 1/2–*The Times* special train goes through Poughkeepsie Station. - -8:30–*The Times* special train arrives at Gill's Mill Dock, opposite -landing place of Mr. Curtiss. Aeroplane landed according to Mr. -Curtiss's watch on his machine at 8:26. I left special train and went to -the field where Mr. Curtiss had landed, arriving a few minutes later. -The tanks of the machine were filled with eight gallons of gasoline and -one gallon and a half of oil. The machine was examined carefully and -found to be in good order, one wire being stayed to prevent vibration. -George Collingwood took The Times special train party to New Hamburg -Station. - -9:26–Mr. Curtiss started for New York from field on property of Mr. -Gill. - -9:31–Camelot. - -10:02–West Point. Aeroplane passed over Constitution Island at an -altitude of about 400 feet above the land. - -10:06–Manitou. - -10:15–Ossining. Aeroplane flying on west side of the river. - -10:25–Dobbs Ferry. - -10:30–Yonkers. Aeroplane flying about level with top of Palisades. - -10:35–Landed 214th Street. Inwood. After passing down river to Dyckman -Street and returning to Spuyten Duyvil and passing over drawbridge the -aeroplane landed upon the property of the Isham estate. - -11:42–Mr. Curtiss left his landing place, flying again over the -drawbridge, out over the Hudson River, turned south. - -12:00–M. Passed New York City and landed at Governor's Island at noon. - -"Mr. Curtiss also entered for the Scientific American trophy and the -first flight from Albany to the landing place at Poughkeepsie, the exact -distance of which is to be determined later, will count as a record for -this event, and if not exceeded in the year will stand as Mr. Curtiss's -trial for this trophy. - -"The figures as finally corrected show that Mr. Curtiss was in the air -on the first leg of his flight from Albany to the Gill farm near -Poughkeepsie 1 hour and 24 minutes; from the Gill farm to the Isham -estate at 214th Street 1 hour and nine minutes, and from 214th Street to -Governor's Island 18 minutes, making a total flying time for the 150 -miles of 2 hours and 51 minutes. - -"Figured on the basis of 150 miles for the entire flight, Mr. Curtiss is -shown to have maintained an average speed of 52.63 miles per hour."–A. -P. - -CHAPTER IV THE BEGINNING OF THE HYDROAEROPLANE - -The Albany Flight was a great stimulus to aeronautics in this country. -Prizes were at once offered in several different places by several -different newspapers, and a great many cities wanted to have public -flights made and particularly wanted flights to be made over water. - -At Atlantic City I flew over the ocean, making a record for fifty miles -over water on a measured course. It was here at the same time that -Walter Brookins made a world's altitude record of over six thousand feet -in a standard Wright machine. Later I flew from Cleveland to Cedar -Point, near Sandusky, Ohio, a distance of sixty miles over the waters of -Lake Erie, and returned next day in a rain storm. - -After making flights in Pittsburgh, Pa., I thought that a successful -meet could be held in New York City, so I arranged to have all of our -forces gathered together at Sheepshead Bay race track, near Brighton -Beach, N. Y., and during the week of August 26, 1910, we had an -aeroplane meet at which Messrs. J. C. Mars, Charles F. Willard, Eugene -B. Ely, J. A. D. McCurdy, and Augustus Post made flights and this meet -was so successful that it was continued for a second week. Mr. Ely flew -to Brighton Beach and took dinner and then flew back. Mr. Mars flew out -over the Lower Bay and we had all five of the machines in the air at one -time on several occasions a record for New York at that time. It was -here that Mr. Post made a Bronco Busting Flight over the hurdles at the -Sheepshead Bay track, landing safely after putting his machine through -all manner of thrilling manoeuvres. - -The Harvard Aeronautical Society had arranged a meet at Boston, Mass., -which followed directly after this one, and Claude Grahame-White, the -famous English aviator, who was later to win the Gordon Bennett cup at -Belmont Park, came over from England, bringing his fast Bleriot -monoplane with him. A special race was arranged between Mr. White in his -Bleriot and my racing biplane. The meet was a great success, and but a -very small margin separated Mr. White's Bleriot and my machine when we -tried out our best speeds. - -Then came a meet at Chicago,[3] after which it was arranged that three -machines should start to fly from Chicago to New York for the New York -Times' prize of $25,000. A team was made up and Mr. Ely was chosen to -make the attempt to fly to New York. This was a very ambitious -undertaking for this period in the history of aviation in America, for -the longest flight that up to this time had been made in this country -was between New York and Philadelphia, one hundred and eighty miles; -while the distance between Chicago and New York was fully one thousand -miles and landings were very difficult to accomplish in the broken -country along the way. Mr. Ely made a good attempt, but there was not -sufficient time to complete the trip as flights had already been -arranged at Cleveland, Ohio, and in order to go there, this attempt was -given up. - -The Gordon Bennett Aviation Cup race was the next thing to arouse the -interest of patriotic Americans and the Aero Club of America had been -busy with arrangements for a big meet to be held at Belmont Park, near -New York. This was the largest undertaking that the club had up to this -time attempted and they taxed every possible resource, with the splendid -result of securing all the foremost fliers of Europe, as well as of -America, to participate. - -I had built a machine for the trials which I thought would be very fast -and had constructed it as a type of monoplane in order to cut down the -head resistance to the very least possible point. America was -represented by Anthony Drexel, Jr., in a Bleriot; by the Wright -Brothers, who had constructed a racing machine by putting a powerful -motor in a small machine which was about one-half the size of their -regular model, and by Mr. Charles K. Hamilton, who flew a Curtiss type -machine, but with a large power motor of another make. Mr. Grahame-White -won the race in his Bleriot, although Mr. Alfred Leblanc, representing -France, made remarkable time, but on the last lap ran into a telegraph -pole on one of the turns and smashed his machine and had a most -miraculous escape from being killed. - -I did not try out my monoplane, although my regular type was the -speediest standard biplane at the meet and was very well handled by Ely, -Mars, Willard, and McCurdy who flew in the contests. I had given up -public flying in contests at this time. - -A new line of thought or to express it more accurately, the following -out of a very old one was taking my interest and a great part of my -time. The experiments I had in mind involved the problem of flying from -the water and alighting on the water. - -The season of 1910 was now far advanced and it was time to make plans -for the winter. Flying meets were to be held at Los Angeles again, and -also at San Francisco, and California seemed the best place to go, for -the weather there would be most favourable not only for winter flying, -but also for carrying on the experiments which I had in mind. Meantime, -when it seemed as if all the paths were open to the aeroplane over the -land, and it was only a question of development, not of pioneering, it -was suggested to me by the New York World to launch an aeroplane from -the deck of a ship at sea and have it fly back to shore carrying -messages. - -The Hamburg American Steamship Company offered their ocean liner -Pennsylvania for this test, and I sent a standard Curtiss biplane to be -operated by J. A. D. McCurdy. The ship was fitted with a large platform, -erected on the stern, a platform sloping downward, and wide enough to -allow an aeroplane set up on it to run down so that it could gather -headway for its flight. The plan was to take McCurdy and the aeroplane -fifty miles out to sea on the outward voyage from New York, and then -launch them from the platform. - -A mishap at the last moment upset all the well-laid plans. In trying out -the motor just as the Pennsylvania was about to leave her dock at -Hoboken, an oil can, carelessly left on one of the planes by a mechanic, -was knocked off and fell into the whirling propeller. The result was a -broken propeller, and as the ship could not delay its sailing long -enough for us to get another, the attempt was abandoned. - -In the meantime, however, the Navy became interested in the sea -experiments and offered the armoured cruiser Birmingham, then at Hampton -Roads, to be fitted up with a similar platform for launching an -aeroplane. This was accepted and Eugene Ely, who was flying in a meet at -Baltimore and already in the vicinity of Norfolk, took his Curtiss -biplane over to the Birmingham for the test, fired with enthusiasm by -McCurdy's attempt. On November 14 the Birmingham, equipped with a -platform for starting the aeroplane, awaited good weather for the -flight. The good weather did not come and after waiting impatiently on -board for some time, Ely determined to risk a start, even though there -was a strong wind coming off shore carrying a heavy mist that made it -almost impossible to see more than half a mile. The ship was at anchor, -but starting up his motor he flew off with the greatest ease, slightly -touching the water with the wheels of his machine, but quickly rising -and flying straight to shore, where he landed without difficulty. - -This flight attracted world-wide attention, especially among the -officers of the navies of the world. It was the first demonstration of -the claims of the aeronautical enthusiasts of the navy that an aeroplane -could be made that would be adaptable to the uses of the service, and it -appeared to substantiate some of the things claimed for it. - -When I found that business would bring me to California during the -winter, and probably would keep me there for several months, I decided -to grasp the opportunity to do the development work I had long wanted to -do, and at the same time to request the honour of instructing -representative officers of the Army and Navy in the operation of the -aeroplane. I believed the time had arrived when the Government would be -interested in any phase of aviation that promised to increase the -usefulness of the aeroplane for military service. - -So, on November 29, 1910, I sent letters to both Secretary Dickinson of -the War Department and to Secretary Meyer of the Navy Department, -inviting them to send one or more officers of their respective -departments to Southern California, where I would undertake to instruct -them in aviation. I made no conditions. I asked for and received no -remuneration whatsoever for this service. I consider it an honour to be -able to tender my services in this connection. Other governments had -already organised their aeronautical military branches and instructed -men to fly, and it seemed to me that our own Government would do -likewise were the opportunity afforded the officers to familiarise -themselves with the aeroplane. - -The invitations to the War and Navy Departments were written just prior -to my departure for the Pacific Coast, and three weeks later I was -notified that the Secretary of the Navy had accepted, and that they -would detail officers for instruction. - -It began to look, even to the doubters, as if an aeroplane could be made -adaptable to the uses of the Navy, as the aeronautic enthusiasts of the -service had claimed. The experiment begun would have to be completed, -however, by flying from shore to the vessel, and for this opportunity we -were eager. The chance came when we were all at San Francisco and -another Pennsylvania, this time the big armoured cruiser, was in the -bay. Rear Admiral Thomas, and Captain Pond, in command of the -Pennsylvania, readily consented to assist in these further experiments. -The Pennsylvania went to Mare Island to be outfitted, Ely and I going -there to tell the Navy officials at the station just what would be -required for such a hazardous test. - -The platform was like that built on the Birmingham, but in the case of a -flight to, instead of from, a ship the serious problem is to land the -aeroplane on the deck and to stop it quickly before it runs into the -masts of the ship, or other obstructions. The platform was built over -the quarterdeck, about one hundred and twenty-five feet long by thirty -feet wide, with a slope toward the stern of some twelve feet. Across -this runway we stretched ropes every few feet with a sand bag on each -end. These ropes were raised high enough so they could catch in -grab-hooks which we placed under the main centrepiece of the aeroplane, -so that catching in the ropes the heavy sand bags attached would drag -until they brought the machine to a stop. - -To protect the aviator and to catch him in case he should be pitched out -of his seat in landing, heavy awnings were stretched on either side of -the runway and at the upper end of it. - -[Illustration: ELY LANDING ON U.S.S. PENNSYLVANIA] - -[Illustration: TWO FAMOUS MILITARY TEST FLIGHTS] - -(A) Curtiss and hydro hoisted on U. S. S. "Pennsylvania," at San Diego. - -(B) Ely leaving "Pennsylvania," San Francisco harbor - -When all arrangements had been completed, and only favourable weather -was needed to carry out the experiment, I was obliged to leave for San -Diego, and, therefore, was unable to witness the flight. I regarded the -thing as most difficult of accomplishment. Of course, I had every faith -in Ely as an aviator, and knew that he would arrive at the ship without -trouble, but I must confess that I had misgivings about his being able -to come down on a platform but four feet wider than the width of the -planes of the aeroplane, and to bring it to a stop within the hundred -feet available for the run. - -Ely rose from the Presidio parade grounds, flew out over the bay, -hovered above the ship for an instant, and then swooped down, cutting -off his power and running lightly up the platform, when the drag of the -sand bags brought him to a stop exactly in the centre, probably one of -the greatest feats in accurate landing ever performed by an aviator. As -I have said, the platform was only four feet wider than the planes of -the Curtiss biplane that Ely used, yet the photograph taken from the -fighting top of the ship shows the machine touching the platform -squarely in the centre. When one stops to think that the aeroplane was -travelling about forty miles an hour when it touched the deck and was -brought to a stop within a hundred feet, the remarkable precision of the -aviator will be appreciated. - -Not only was there not the least mishap to himself or to the machine in -landing, but as soon as he had received a few of the many excited -congratulations awaiting him, he started off again and flew back the ten -miles to the camp of the 30th Infantry on the Aviation Field, where wild -cheers greeted the man and the machine that had for the first time -linked the Army and the Navy. For this is what, in the wars of the -future, or even in the preservation of the future's peace, the aeroplane -is certainly going to do, joining as nothing else can the two branches -of the service. - -I don't think there has ever been so remarkable a landing made with an -aeroplane as Ely's, and probably never so much store put by the mere act -of coming down in the right place. A few feet either way, a sudden puff -of wind to lift the aeroplane when it should descend, or any one of a -dozen other things, might have spelled disaster for the whole -undertaking, deprived the daring aviator of a well earned success, and -the world of a remarkable spectacular demonstration of practical -aviation. - -On the day of the test I was in San Diego and awaited news from San -Francisco with a good deal of impatience. When at last the Associated -Press bulletin announced that Ely had landed without mishap I first felt -a great relief that there had been no accident to mar the success of the -thing, and then a sense of elation that we had taken another long step -in the advancement of aviation. - -Early in January I went to Southern California to establish an -experimental station, and at the same time to instruct the officers of -the Army and Navy whom I had invited the War and Navy Departments to -assign for that purpose. A part of our experiments were along the line -of a new "amphibious" machine that had been on my mind ever since my -first experiments in Hammondsport. - -I believed that with the proper equipment for floating and attaining a -high speed on the water, an aeroplane could be made to rise as easily as -it could from the land.[4] I had carried these experiments just far -enough in Hammondsport to convince me that the thing was feasible, when -I was obliged to discontinue them to take up other business. I knew it -would be safer to land on the water than on land with the proper -appliances, and that it would be easier to find a suitable landing place -on water, for the reason that it always affords an open space, while it -is often difficult to pick a landing place on the land. So, when I made -preparations for my flight from Albany to New York City, I fitted -pontoons beneath the chassis of my machine and a hydro-surface under the -front wheel. I wanted to be prepared for alighting on the water should -anything go amiss. As a matter of fact, the river course was the only -feasible one for this flight, as there were mountains and hills for -almost the entire distance. - -It was while on that trip that I decided to build an aeroplane that -would be available for starting or landing on the water. I don't know -that I had the idea of its military value when I first planned it; but -it came to me later that such a machine would be of great service should -the Navy adopt the aeroplane as a part of its equipment. I thought the -next step from pontoons, to float an aeroplane safely on the water, -would be a permanent boat so shaped that it could get up speed enough so -the whole machine could rise clear of the water and fly in the air. - -It was important to find a location where it would be possible to work -along the lines I had mapped out a place where I might be free from the -pressing calls of business and the hampering influence of uncertain -climatic conditions. In short I wanted a place with the best climate to -be found in this country, with a field large enough and level enough for -practice land flights by beginners, and with a convenient body of smooth -water for experiments with a machine that would start from or land upon -water. - -Above all, I wanted a place not easy of access to the curious crowds -that gather wherever there is anything novel to be attempted; for a -flying machine never loses its attraction to the curious. Mankind has -been looking for it ever since the beginning of the world, and now that -it is actually here he can't get away from it, once it is in sight. A -machine that has actually carried a man through the air takes on a sort -of individuality all its own that acts as a magnet for the inquiring -mind. Once people have really seen an aeroplane fly, they want to know -what makes it fly and to come into personal contact with the machine and -the man who operates it. - -San Diego was brought to my attention as affording every advantage for -experimental work in aviation. A study of the weather bureau records -here showed a minimum of wind and a maximum of sunshine the year round. -I visited that city in January, 1911, and after a thorough inspection of -the grounds offered as an aviation field, decided to make that city the -headquarters for the winter and to carry on the experimental and -instructional work there. - -North Island, lying in San Diego Bay, a mile across from the city, was -turned over to me by its owners, the Spreckels Company. It is a flat, -sandy island, about four miles long and two miles wide, with a number of -good fields for land flights. The beaches on both the ocean and bay -sides are good, affording level stretches for starting or landing an -aeroplane. Besides, the beaches were necessary to the water experiments -I wished to make. North Island is uninhabited except by hundreds of jack -rabbits, cottontails, snipe, and quail. It joins Coronado Island by a -narrow sand spit on the south side, which is often washed by the high -tides. Otherwise the two islands are separated by a strip of shallow -water a mile long and a couple of hundred yards wide, called Spanish -Bight. Thus the island on which we were to do our experimenting and -training was accessible only by boat and it was a comparatively easy -matter to exclude the curious visitor whenever we desired to do so. -There was no particular reason for excluding the public other than the -desire to work unhampered by crowds, which is always a distracting -influence. - -In the meantime Lieutenant Theodore G. Ellyson of the submarine service, -then stationed at Newport News, Virginia, had been detailed by the Navy -Department to report to me in California for instruction in aviation. He -had joined me in Los Angeles, where, though there are all the climatic -requirements, and good fields for practice flights, the ideal body of -smooth water for experiments on that element was lacking. The War -Department responded later, instructing General Bliss, commanding the -Department of California at San Francisco, to detail as many officers as -could be spared to go to San Diego for instruction in the art of flying. - -There was much eagerness among the officers of the Department of -California and I was informed that some thirty applications were made -for the detail. Lieutenant (now Captain) Paul W. Beck, of the Signal -Corps, located at the Presidio, San Francisco, and Lieutenant John C. -Walker, Jr., of the 8th Infantry, Monterey, Cal., were named at once, -and later Lieutenant C. E. M. Kelly, 30th Infantry, San Francisco, was -added to the Army's representation. This made a list of four officers, -three from the Army and one from the Navy, and with these I began work. -In February, however, the Navy Department designated Ensign Charles -Pousland of the destroyer Preble, at San Diego, to join Lieutenant -Ellyson as a Navy pupil in aviation. - -There are a dozen good landing or starting fields on North Island, but -we chose the one on the south side, which gave us easy access to the -smooth shallow water of Spanish Bight. A field was cleared of weeds and -sagebrush, half a mile long by three or four hundred yards wide. Sheds -to house the machines were built by the Aero Club of San Diego, and -landings put in for the small boats that carried us to and from the -city. The Spreckels Company gave us every assistance in fitting the -place up, and the people of San Diego, anxious to make the island the -permanent home of an aviation experimental station and school, were -prompt to lend a hand and to impress upon us the climatic advantages of -their city. - -I have asked Lieutenant Ellyson to write his own story of the work on -North Island, and it is to be found in another part of this book. - -CHAPTER V DEVELOPING THE HYDROAEROPLANE AT SAN DIEGO–THE HYDRO OF THE -SUMMER OF 1912 - -January had nearly passed before the first machine was ready. Although -this proved unsuccessful, I was not discouraged and learned a good deal -about what sort of a float was necessary to support the aeroplane and -how it acted when under way over the water. Nearly every day for over -two weeks we dragged the machine down to the edge of the water, launched -it on the smooth surface of San Diego Bay, and drew it out again after -testing out some new arrangement of floats and surfaces. We kept it in a -hangar, or shed, on the beach, and there we would sit and study and -change and plan how to improve the float. - -We were in the water almost all day long; no thought was given to wet -clothing and cold feet. We virtually lived in our bathing suits. The -warm climate aided us, but there were some chilly days. Discomfort and -failure did not deter the Army and Navy officers, who watched and worked -like beavers, half in and half out of the water. - -On the 26th of January the first success came. That day the aeroplane -first rose from the water and succeeded in alighting gently and without -accident after the flight. A page was added to aviation history, which -extended its domain and opened the lakes, rivers, and seas to the -hitherto land-locked flying machine. It was no more a land bird, but a -water fowl as well. - -The machine was crude, and there remained many things to be improved, -but the principle was correct. We kept adjusting the equipment, adding -things and taking them off again to make some improvement; perhaps the -float was too heavy, or leaked, or the spray would fly up and chips -would be knocked out of the whirling propeller, which the drops of water -would strike like shot out of a gun. The least projection on the floats -would send up spray while travelling at such high speed as was made -through the water. The balance of the machine was as troublesome as -anything, because the push of the propeller would give it a tendency to -dive if the floats were not properly adjusted. - -When we brought the machine out on the 26th day of January I felt that -we ought to get some results. There were no crowds of people present and -there was no announcement of what was about to happen. I had not -expected to make a flight, but climbed into the aviator's seat with a -feeling that the machine would surely rise into the air when I wished, -but that I would only try it on the water to see how the new float -acted. Lieutenant Ellyson spun the propeller and I turned the machine -into the wind. It ploughed through the water deeply at first, but -gathered speed and rose higher and higher in the water and skipped more -and more lightly until the float barely skimmed the surface of the bay. -So intent was I in watching the water that I did not notice that I was -approaching the shore and to avoid running aground I tilted the -horizontal control and the machine seemed to leap into the air like a -frightened gull. So suddenly did it rise that it quite took me by -surprise. - -But I kept the machine up for perhaps half a mile, then turned and -dropped lightly down on the water, turned around and headed back to the -starting point. The effect of that first flight on the men who had -worked, waited, and watched for it was magical. They ran up and down the -beach, throwing their hats up into the air and shouting in their -enthusiasm. - -I now headed about into the bay, in the direction of San Diego, and rose -up into the air again even more easily than the first time. I flew for -half a mile and turned twice to see how the machine would act in the air -with the clumsy-looking float below it. The naval repair ship Iris -caught sight of me as I went flying by and sent its siren blast far out -over the water, and all the other craft blew their whistles, until it -seemed as if all San Diego knew of the achievement. Satisfied that it -was all right, I landed within a few yards of the shore, near the -hangar. - -We made flights nearly every day after this, taking the Army and Navy -officers as passengers. I found the machine well adapted for passenger -work and it became very popular. While experimenting we kept changing -things from day to day, adding and taking off, lightening the machine, -or adding more surface. We tried putting on an extra surface, making a -triplane, and got remarkable lifting power. We changed the floats and -finally made one long, flat-bottomed, scow-shaped float, twelve feet -long, two feet wide, and twelve inches deep. It was made of wood, the -bow being curved upward the full width of the boat and at the stern -being curved downward in a similar manner. This single float was placed -under the aeroplane so that the weight was slightly to the rear of the -centre of the float, causing it to slant upward, giving it the necessary -angle for hydroplaning on the surface of the water. - -I will confess that I got more pleasure out of flying the new machine -over water than I ever got flying over land, and the danger, too, was -greatly lessened. - -I then decided upon a test which I had been informed the Navy regarded -as very important. In fact, I had been told that the Secretary of the -Navy regarded the adaptability of the aeroplane to navy uses as -depending very largely on its ability to alight on the water and be -hoisted aboard a warship. With the hydroaeroplane I had developed, I had -no doubts about being able to do this, without any platform or -preparation on board the vessel. - -So, on February 17, at San Diego, I sent word over to Captain Charles F. -Pond, commanding the armoured cruiser Pennsylvania, then in the harbour, -that I would be pleased to fly over and be hoisted aboard whenever it -was convenient to him. He replied immediately, "come on over." The -Pennsylvania is the ship that Ely landed on at San Francisco in his -memorable flight, and it was Captain Pond who at that time gave over his -ship and lent every assistance in his power to make the experiment the -success it was. He lent his aid to this second experiment as willingly -as he did to the first. - -There were no special arrangements necessary for this test. All that -would be needed to get the aeroplane and its operator on board would be -to use one of the big hoisting cranes, just as they are used for -handling the ship's launches. - -The hydroaeroplane was launched on Spanish Bight, and in five minutes I -was on the way. The machine skimmed over the water for a hundred yards -and then rose into the air. In two or three minutes I was alongside the -cruiser, just off the starboard quarter. There was a strong tide running -and when I shut off the propeller the aeroplane drifted until a rope -thrown from the ship was made fast to one of the planes by Lieutenant -Ellyson of the Navy. It was drawn in close to the side of the ship, -where a boat crane was lowered and I hooked it in a wire sling attached -to the top of the planes. I then climbed up on top of the aeroplane and -slipped my leg through the big hook of the crane, not caring to trust -too much weight to the untested sling. - -In five minutes from the time I landed on the water alongside the ship, -the hydroaeroplane reposed easily on the superstructure deck of the big -cruiser, just forward of the boat crane. It had been the easiest sort of -work to land it there, and thus one more of the problems that stood in -the way of a successful naval aeroplane was overcome. - -The rest of the experiment was performed with equal promptness and ease. -After a stay of ten minutes on the cruiser, the aeroplane was dropped -overboard by the big boat crane, the propeller was cranked by one of the -military pupils in aviation, and I got under way for the return trip to -the island. Two minutes later I brought the hydroaeroplane to a stop a -few yards away from the hangar on the beach. The entire time taken from -the moment I left North Island for the cruiser to the moment I landed on -the water at the hangar on my return was less than half an hour, and yet -within this brief space had been written one of the most interesting -chapters in the history of naval aviation. - -I regard this experiment as one of the most interesting, from my idea of -a military experiment, that had been attempted up to that time, for the -reason that no special equipment was needed on board the ship. Obviously -the objections to the landing of an aeroplane on deck from a flight had -to be overcome, and this could be done with a machine that could land on -the water and be picked up. For a flight from the ship, all that was -necessary was to drop it over the side and watch it rise from the water -into the air. Such a machine could be "knocked down" and stored in a -very small space when not in use; and when wanted for a flight, it could -be brought out and set up in a short time on deck. - -An aeroplane sent from a scout ship on a scouting flight must, to be -efficient, be able to carry a passenger, especially if it be sent for -any purpose other than as a messenger, where speed would be the first -consideration. But if sent to seek information as to an enemy's -position, to take observations and make maps of the surrounding country, -or with any of a dozen other objects in view where a trained observer -would be necessary, it seems to me it should be equipped to carry at -least two, and possibly three, persons the aviator and two passengers. -There were many machines capable of carrying one or more passengers on -land flights, so I set about equipping one to carry passengers on water -flights. - -This I first succeeded in doing on February 23, when I took up -Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson of the Navy, in the hydroaeroplane. We rose -from the water without difficulty, flew over San Diego Bay and -returning, alighted on the water with perfect ease. - -This was all very well and good where a flight was to be made from the -water and back to the water; but I believed we should go further and -provide a machine that would be able to go from one to the other from -water to land and land back to water before it could be said that all -the difficulties of making the aeroplane adaptable to both Army and Navy -uses had been overcome. This was of comparatively easy accomplishment, -and on Sunday, February 26, I made the first flight from water to land -and from land back to water. Starting from North Island, on the waters -of Spanish Bight, I flew out over the ocean and down the beach to a -point near Coronado Hotel, where I came down on the smooth sand of the -beach. Returning, the machine started from the beach and came back to -the water on Spanish Bight whence I had started. - -With these achievements it seems to me the aeroplane has reached the -point of utility for military purposes either for the Army or Navy. It -now seems possible to use it to establish communication between the Navy -and Army, when there are no other means of communication. That is, a -warship could launch an aeroplane that can fly over sea and land and -come to earth on whichever element affords the best landing. Having -fulfilled its mission on shore it could start from the land, and, -returning to the home ship, land at its side and be picked up, as I was -picked up and hoisted aboard the Pennsylvania at San Diego. - -Here let me call attention to the splendid field that California offers -for the development of aviation, with its climate, permitting aviation -to be pursued all the year, and its large winter tourist population with -wealth and leisure to devote to furthering the art of flight. In -California even the legislature recognises the increasing popularity of -flying, and it has given careful attention to the formation of laws to -protect the aeroplane and the aviator. - -There remained one thing further to accomplish complete success with the -hydroaeroplane, and that was to devise a method of successfully -launching the machine from a ship without touching the water and without -resorting to any cumbersome platform or any other launching apparatus -that would interfere with the ship's ordinary working. To accomplish -this would solve the principal obstacle that stood in the way of using -the hydroaeroplane at sea. - -Lieutenant Theodore G. Ellyson, of the United States Navy, had been -working out a plan for doing this and it was not until September, 1911, -that the experiment was finally completed at Hammondsport, where -operations were continued after breaking up the camp at San Diego, late -in the spring. - -A platform sixteen feet high was erected on the shore of Lake Keuka and -a wire cable two hundred and fifty feet long was stretched from the -platform to a spile under water out in the lake. The hydroaeroplane was -set on this wire cable near the platform on which the men stood to start -the propeller. A groove was made along the bottom of the boat in which -the cable fitted loosely, to guide it as it slid down, until sufficient -headway was obtained to enable the wings of the aeroplane to support the -weight of the machine. A trial of this method of launching was entirely -successful. The machine started down the cable gathering headway and we -all watched it gracefully rise into the air and fly out over the lake. -This launching from a wire is the last step in the development of -handling the aeroplane and it is hardly possible to foresee all the many -important applications which will be made in the future of this type of -machine, since a cable can be easily stretched from the bow of any -vessel, which can then steam into the wind, easily enabling an aeroplane -to be launched in almost any weather, while it can without difficulty -land under the lea of the vessel and be hoisted on board again. - -As the wireless has almost revolutionised ocean navigation by furnishing -a means of constant communication between steamers, perhaps the -hydroaeroplane will be able to bring passengers back to shore or take -them from shore to a ship on the high sea, or enable visits to be made -between ships that pass on the ocean. Great, powerful hydroaeroplanes -may be able to cross the ocean itself at high speed, and they will no -doubt add greatly to the safety of ocean travel, as well as furnish the -Navy with an arm of destruction much more far-reaching than its most -effective guns or torpedoes. - -Frank Coffyn in May, 1912, took a belated passenger from the Battery, -New York City, out to a steamer as it was steaming out of the lower bay -and landed him safely aboard a hint of future possibilities. - -We had a curious opportunity to prove how the hydroaeroplane can be an -arm of preservation as well as destruction, when at the Chicago meet of -1911. Simon, dashing over the lake, dropped in his machine. Hugh -Robinson had been putting a hydroaeroplane through its evolutions, to -the great interest of the crowd, who evidently thought it a sort of -freak machine, but when Simon fell Robinson was after him instantly, and -for the first time in the history of the world, a man flew through the -air from dry land, alighted on the water beside a man in distress, and -before anything else could get there, invited him to fly back to shore -with him. As there were boats close at hand, the offer was not needed, -but the value of the land-air-water machine had been proved, for it had -left its hangar and flown a mile from shore in a little more than a -minute. - -The hydroaeroplane can already fly sixty miles an hour, skim the water -at fifty miles, and run over the earth at thirty-five miles. Driven over -the surface of the water the new machine can pass the fastest motor boat -ever built and will respond to its rudder more quickly than any water -craft afloat. Its appeal will be as strong to the aquatic as to the -aerial enthusiast. - -Flying an aeroplane is thrilling sport, but flying a hydroaeroplane is -something to arouse the jaded senses of the most blase. It fascinates, -exhilarates, vivifies. It is like a yacht with horizontal sails that -support it on the breezes. To see it skim the water like a swooping gull -and then rise into the air, circle and soar to great heights, and -finally drop gracefully down upon the water again, furnishes a thrill -and inspires a wonder that does not come with any other sport on earth. - -The hydroaeroplane is safer than the ordinary aeroplane, and for this -reason is bound to become the most popular of aerial craft. The beginner -can take it out on his neighboring lake or river, or even the great -bays, and skim it over the water until he is sure of himself and sure -that he can control it in the air. He can fly it six feet above the -water for any distance, with the feeling that even if something should -happen to cause a fall, he will not be dashed to pieces. The worst he -will get is a cold bath. - -The hydroaeroplane may compete with motor boats as a water craft, or in -the air with the fastest aeroplane. It can start from the land on its -wheels, but launch itself on the water where there is lack of room for -rising from the land. - -Its double qualities as a water and air craft make possible flights that -could not be attempted with the aeroplane. - -At Cedar Point, Ohio, I had to fly the new machine when a strong gale -was blowing across Lake Erie, kicking up a heavy surf. However, I -determined to make the attempt under what were extremely trying -conditions, and so started it on the beach and under the power of the -aerial propeller, launched it through a heavy surf. - -Beyond the surf I found very rough water, but turning the machine into -the wind, I arose from the water without the least difficulty, and -circled and soared over the lake for fifteen minutes. I landed without -trouble on the choppy water a few hundred yards off shore, and after -guiding the hydroaeroplane up and down the beach for the inspection of -the great crowd, made a second flight of ten minutes' duration, and -landed safely upon the sandy beach. That was the hardest test I have -ever given the hydroaeroplane, and I think a very severe one. I am -satisfied that it can be used in more than ordinarily rough water, if it -is properly handled. - -There is no question that in this particular line of aeronautics, -America is now leading the world; but the hydroaeroplane contests -recently held at Monte Carlo and the experiments made in France by the -Voisin Brothers' "Canard," which was erroneously hailed by the French -press as being the first occasion when a machine had risen from the -water with two men, show that the French are not far behind us. - -Other experiments have been made in Europe by Fabre, who was the first -to achieve any degree of success in this line, and by the Duf aux -Brothers on the Lake of Geneva, to say nothing of the flights made by -Herbster, the old Farman pilot, on an Astra-Wright at Lucerne, and if -the American aeronautic industry does not awaken to the immediate -possibilities along this line, it will once more be overtaken by -Europeans. - -There are thousands of men throughout the country who would gladly take -up a new mechanical sport as a successor to motor boating and motoring -if they felt they could do so with a reasonable degree of safety to -themselves, and adequate assurance that the life of their machine would -be commensurate to the price paid for it. - -Followers of the sport of motor boating, which has made thousands of -converts during the past few years, are already turning to the -hydroplane, which skims over the water at much greater speed and less -power. The next step will be the hydroaeroplane, which can skim over the -water in exactly the same way and has the further enormous advantage of -rising into the air whenever the driver so desires. The sport should -develop rapidly next summer and be in full swing in a few years. Several -improvements of detail will have to be made. Ways of housing the -craft–of stopping the engine–of muffling the roar of the motor, will be -devised; while more comfort for the pilot and passengers will be -arranged. - -If a cross-country flight is too dangerous to attempt because of the -rough character of the land, the hydroaeroplane can follow a river -course with perfect safety. Or, if there is no water course and the -country is level, it can take the land course with equal safety. - -In short, it matters little whether an aerial course takes one over land -or water, the hydroaeroplane is the safest machine for flight. With the -"Triad," as we called the machine from its triple field–air, land, and -water–the Great Lakes offer no impassable obstacle to a long flight, and -it is within the vision of him who watches the trend of things, that an -over-sea flight is not far in the future. - -NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST - -THE "FLYING BOAT" - -At San Diego, on Jan. 10, 1912, a new type of Curtiss hydroaeroplane, or -"flying boat," was given its first trial on the bay. It had been -designed and constructed under strict secrecy at Hammondsport. The -public knew nothing as to the details of this craft until it was taken -out on the bay in order to test its balance and speed on the water. - -This craft, which was equipped to carry a passenger, was driven by a -sixty horse-power motor. In contact with the water, it went at over -fifty miles an hour; and lifted off the water, it travelled at more than -sixty miles an hour in the air. It differs in many respects from the -hydroaeroplane now in use by the United States Navy officers who, by the -way, were present and witnessed the test. There were two propellers -instead of one and these were driven by clutch and chain transmission. -They were really "tractors," being in front of the planes; the motor had -a new automatic starter, and there was also a fuel gauge and bilge pump. -The transmission has since been changed to direct drive. - -The boat, or hydro equipment, contained a bulkhead fore and aft, was -twenty feet long, with an upward slope in front and a downward slope in -the rear. The hydro equipment, which was more like a boat than anything -yet designed, was able to withstand any wind or wave that a motor boat -of similar size could weather. The aviator sat comfortably in the hull -with the engine not behind him, but forward in the hull in this model. - -THE "FLYING FISH" - -A "No. 2 flying boat," just built by Mr. Curtiss, and successfully -tested on Lake Keuka, Hammondsport, in July, 1912, is the "last word" in -aviation so far. An illustration in this book, made from photographs -taken in mid-July, 1912, shows fully the bullet-shape of the "flying -fish." - -It is a real boat, built with a fish-shaped body containing two -comfortable seats for the pilot and passenger or observer, either of -whom can operate the machine by a system of dual control, making it also -available for teaching the art of flying. - -All the controls are fastened to the rear of the boat's hull, which -makes them very rigid and strong, while the boat itself, made in -stream-line form, offers the least possible resistance to the air, even -less than that offered by the landing gear upon a standard land machine. -Above the boat are mounted the wings and aeroplane surface. In the -centre of this standard biplane construction is situated the eighty -horse-power motor with its propeller in the rear, thus returning to the -original practice, as in the standard Curtiss machines, of having a -single propeller attached direct to the motor, thus doing away with all -chains and transmission gearing which might give trouble, and differing -from the earlier model flying boat built in San Diego, California, last -winter (1911-12), which was equipped with "tractor" propellors -propellers in front driven by chains. - -The new flying boat is twenty-six feet long and three feet wide. The -planes are five and a half feet deep and thirty feet wide. It runs on -the water at a speed of fifty miles an hour, and is driven by an eighty -horse-power Curtiss motor. At a greater speed than this it cannot be -kept on the water, but rises in the air and flies at from fifty to sixty -miles per hour. - -[Illustration: DIAGRAM OF THE CURTISS FLYING BOAT NO. 2.] - -The boat itself is provided with water-tight compartments so that if any -one compartment should be damaged the flotation afforded by the other -would be sufficient to keep the craft afloat. It is also provided with -wheels for making a landing on the shore; these wheels fold up, thus not -interfering in the slightest with its manoeuvres over the water. The -boat is so strongly built that it can be readily beached even through a -high surf and handled the same as a fisherman would handle his dory, or -it may be housed afloat like a motor boat or anchored to a buoy like a -yacht. - -In rough water the spray-hood with which this type of boat is provided -protects the navigators from getting wet and enables the craft to be -used very much as you might use a high speed motor boat, with the added -excitement of being able to rise above other crafts or fly over them if -they get in the way. It looks very much like a flying fish in the air -and although designed to skim close to the surface of the water at high -speed it can rise to as high an altitude as the standard land machine. - -Mr. Curtiss states: "My idea was to provide a machine especially adapted -for the requirements of the sportsman, one that would be simple to -operate and absolutely safe. During the tests which we have made with -this flying boat it carried three people with ease and the boat rose -without difficulty with the extra passenger, although it is only -designed to accommodate two people." - -With the hydroaeroplane a safe landing can always be made, and if, -through inexperience or carelessness of the driver, a bad landing is -made, no injury to the operator or passenger can occur other than what -may result from a "ducking." - -[Illustration: THE EVOLUTION OF THE HYDRO] - -(A) (B) The flying boat of summer, 1912–on land and in the air. (C) A -contrast–the hydroaeroplane of winter, 1911. - -[Illustration: HYDROAEROPLANE FLIGHTS] - -(A) Curtiss driving the "Triad" over Lake Erie, ground-swells at -Atlantic City. - -(B) Witmer riding the ground-swells at Atlantic City. - -This boat shows how directly aeroplane-builders are turning to air craft -available for amateur sport–not for exhibition "stunts." Such boats will -have ample protection for the passenger and be able to carry a large -quantity of fuel together with wireless apparatus and provisions, so -that long overwater journeys may be made in comparative comfort, and -also well within the radius of communication by wireless. And most of -all they are safe!–A. P. - -THE NAVY ON THE HYDRO (AUGUSTUS POST) - -Captain Washington Irving Chambers, head of the Aeronautical Bureau, -United States Navy, in a speech delivered at the Aeronautical Society's -banquet in New York, said: - -"The hydroaeroplane is the coming machine so far as the navy is -concerned; in fact, it has already come.[5] The navy machine built by -Glenn Curtiss has had several tryouts and has proved itself a success. I -recently had a flight with Mr. Curtiss in this machine, the 'Triad,' at -Hammondsport, N. Y. - -"With two passengers seated side by side, the control can be shifted -from one to the other easily while in the air. When we had gone a mile -Curtiss yelled to me to take the control. The levers had been explained -to me on the ground, but I had not familiarised myself with them for the -purpose of handling the machine under way. I turned on a notch and the -front plane tilted up, bringing the machine off the water to a level of -four feet in the air. We kept this level for another mile or two, when -Curtiss took the control again. He turned the plane lever another notch -and we rose to a ten-foot level and encircled the lake several times -without changing from this level more than a foot or two, lower or -higher." - -As a justification of Captain Chambers' remarks, the Aero Club of -America, at their annual banquet held on January 27, 1912, awarded the -"Collier Trophy" to Mr. Curtiss for his successful development and -thorough demonstration of the hydroaeroplane, the terms of the deed of -gift stating that "it shall be awarded annually for the greatest -achievement in aviation in America, the value of which has been -demonstrated by use during the preceding year." - -The trophy is a group in bronze by Ernest Wise Keyser of New York, -representing the triumph of man over gravity and other forces of nature. -The trophy was donated by Robert J. Collier, president of the Aero Club -of America.–A. P. - -PART IV THE REAL FUTURE OF THE AEROPLANE BY GLENN H. CURTISS WITH -CHAPTERS BY CAPTAIN PAUL W. BECK, U. S. A., LIEUTENANT THEODORE G. -ELLYSON, U. S. N., AND AUGUSTUS POST - -CHAPTER I AEROPLANE SPEED OF THE FUTURE - -If you look over the books on aviation that were published even a -comparatively short time ago, you will see how much of them is given to -prophecies and how little to records of performance. Because, of course, -as soon as the aeroplane came into existence every one with eyesight and -a little imagination could see that here was a new factor in the world's -work that would change the course of things in almost every way, and -naturally every one began to forecast the possibilities of aerial -flight. And at first, when the machine was really so little known, even -to the inventor, that aviators hesitated to push it to the extreme of -its possibilities, writers had more to say about what the aeroplane -would probably do than what it had actually done. But the aeroplane, -which is bound to break all speed-records, has made history at the -fastest rate yet. Day by day we move things over from the prophecy -department to the history chapter, and as the days slip by on their rush -to join the future, hardly one but leaves a record of accomplishment and -achievement to justify the aeroplane prophets. - -At first, as I have just said, aviators could not believe in the powers -of the machine; we used to trim down our garments to the lightest point, -to avoid extra weight, whereas now we bundle up in heavy furs, or wear -two suits, one over the other, to meet the intense cold of the upper -air; and a great surplus of weight can be carried by almost all -machines. We used to wait for a calm almost absolute before going up it -used to be a regular thing to see aviators wetting their fingers and -holding them up to see from which direction the faint breezes were -coming or dropping bits of paper to see if the air was in that complete -stillness we used to think necessary for successful flight. When I was -waiting for just the right moment in Albany to begin the Hudson Flight -which, because of the unusual and absolutely unknown atmospheric -conditions over a river flowing between precipitous and irregular hills, -had to be timed with unusual care the Poughkeepsie paper in an editorial -said the "Curtiss gives us a pain in the neck." - -Even after I had made the flight the Paterson Call made the wait a -reason for denying the use of aeroplanes in time of war, pointing out -how amusing it would be to see in the newspaper reports of the wars of -the future, "Battle postponed on account of the weather!" Whereas now we -go up without hesitation into what is actually a gale of wind, and under -weather conditions that would have made the first flyers think it -absolute suicide. - -This discussion of the future of the aeroplane will have more of a basis -of solid fact for its prophecy than if it had been written a couple of -years ago. Some ideas the world has as to the future of the machine we -have had reluctantly to abandon or at least indefinitely to postpone, -but so many new fields of activity have opened that one may only sketch -the principal lines along which it is reasonable to expect the aeroplane -and the art and science of mechanical flight to develop. - -The most practical present and future uses of the aeroplane in the order -of relative importance which it seems to me that these uses will -naturally take, are: for sport, war, and special purposes which the -aeroplane itself will create. - -SPEED–PRESENT AND FUTURE - -In saying "for sport" I mean both for the aviator himself and for the -spectators interested in watching his aerial evolutions and enthusiastic -over results; over sporting competitions, speed races, and record -flights of all kinds. Such flights provide as much fun for the fellow -who looks on as the fellow who flies and gives an opportunity for those -who take pleasure in acting in an official capacity to exercise -authority to their hearts' content! - -Speed will always be a most important factor in the development of the -sporting side of aviation. Almost all races depend upon speed and -activity; and the aeroplane, the material embodiment and symbol of -speed, equals and in many cases surpasses the speed of the wind. - -Speed will have no bounds in the future. As I have already said briefly -in passing, aeroplanes will soon be going considerably over one hundred -miles per hour. A motorcycle has gone at the rate of one hundred and -thirty-seven miles per hour and an aeroplane should be able to go even -faster. With the help of a strong wind blowing in the direction of -flight, two hundred miles an hour ought to be possible of attainment. -Machines for high speed, however, must have some means of contracting -the wing area or flattening out the curve in the planes so that when we -want to go fast, we can reduce the amount of surface of the machine to -lessen friction and so that when we want to go more slowly and land, we -can increase the size of the wing surface. - -The Etrich machine built in Austria has been constructed so that the -curvature of the planes can be changed by operating a lever near the -pilot; this enables the machine to attain high speed in flight and to -fly more slowly in starting and landing. - -The record is one hundred and eight miles an hour now (September, 1912) -and we will not be surprised to see it climb up in proportion as rapidly -as the altitude record did in 1911. - -There is no wonder that an aeroplane race should create such absorbing -interest, almost amounting to a craze, in the mind of the public -directly interested. Speed is the one thing about the aeroplane that -appeals both to the practical and to the imaginative man; the man of -business, to whom saving time means saving money, and the poet, or the -man of leisure, to whom the words "make a bee-line"–that is, an air -line–have always stood for speed and directness. Now in earth or rail -friction-machines, the limit of speed has almost been reached, except in -the case of monorail vehicles, and there seems to be little progress in -this direction. With the aeroplane, on the contrary, speed is only in -its infancy. None of the difficulties that check the development of -speed in the automobile or locomotive attend the aeroplane. What means -speed now–ninety or ninety-five miles an hour–merely marks a stage in -the machine's development; a hundred and fifty an hour is even now -within its possibilities, and a much greater speed is by no means beyond -the vision of the present generation. What the boys of to-day are going -to see when they grow up no one can foretell. It is largely a question -of motive power that and the reduction of resistance. In the latter -respect I have already materially cut down the resistance of the newest -type of Curtiss machine, in order to increase the speed. I was able, as -I have said, to win the International Cup at Rheims in 1909 with a speed -of forty-seven and one-half miles an hour. At Los Angeles during the -past winter my latest type was able to fly more than seventy miles an -hour, and the same type of engine, an eight-cylinder, has also been made -more powerful, thus the increased speed is due to the improvements in -the lines of the machine, the reduction of surface, and the controls, -and the increase of the power of the motor. - -There is still room for reduction of surfaces, minor improvements in the -general outlines and in the control; but the largest element in any -increase of speed must rest with the development of the motor. Increased -power is the tendency, with as much reduction in weight as possible. -Personally, I can't see much room for reduction in weight. At present I -am using a motor of my own manufacture that weighs but three pounds to -the horse-power. This I consider extremely light as compared, for -instance, with the engines used in submarines of the Navy, which weigh -from sixty to seventy pounds to the horse-power. Still, there will be -some reduction in weight per horse-power. - -With the great speed that will undoubtedly mark the aeroplane flights -even of the near future, the physical endurance of the operator will -count for a great deal in long flights. By the time we can fly much over -a hundred miles an hour there will have to be some means of protection -devised for the operator, for anyone who has travelled sixty or seventy -miles an hour in an automobile knows how uncomfortable such a trip -becomes if it keeps up over long distances. The driver of an aeroplane -sitting out in front unprotected causes far more "head-resistance." It -will be an easy matter to arrange some sort of protection for him. - -How strong this "head-resistance" can be, I realised in a curious -experience while racing with Ely at Los Angeles, going at probably -sixty-five miles an hour. I looked upward to see just where Ely was -flying, and as I raised my head the wind got under my eyelids and puffed -them out like toy balloons. For a moment I was confused and could -scarcely see, but as soon as I turned my gaze on the ground the wind -pressure forced the lids back into their normal position. - -SAFER THAN AUTOMOBILE RACES - -I believe there are fewer dangers in racing aeroplanes than in racing -automobiles. Races run over the ground have to contend against -obstructions to the course, tire troubles, and "skidding" on a wet -track, or in making sharp turns. None of these exist in the race in the -air. The course is always clear, there is no "track," wet or dry, and as -for the turns that look so desperate to the inexperienced observer on -the ground, the operator, far from slipping out of his seat as he -"banks" sharply, sits tight and feels as if he were going on an even -keel. If you can imagine how the water in a pail would feel as you swing -the pail around your head so fast that not a drop spills, you can -realise the sense of stability that the aviator feels as he whirls -around a circular course at a tremendous rate of speed, in fact, once an -aeroplane is up in the air, it is often safer to travel fast than it is -to travel slow. - -ACCIDENTS - -Of course it would be folly, in view of the list of accidents, fatal and -otherwise, that the newspapers print and reprint every time a noted -aviator falls, to assert that there is no danger in flying. I doubt if -the American man, especially the American young man, would take to the -aeroplane so enthusiastically if the sport were as safe as parlour -croquet. There is, of course, always danger of something going wrong -with an aeroplane in flight that may bring it down too quickly for -safety, but unless the derangement is vital, an expert aviator can make -a safe landing, even with a "dead" motor. And the dangers of flight are -growing less and less every year as the machine is improved and as the -aviator becomes more skilful and more experienced in air conditions. The -report of the French Government for 1911 shows that there have been only -one-tenth as many fatal accidents in proportion to the number of flights -made, as in the first year of aviation, but each accident has made ten -times as much stir. - -INCREASE IN SKILL - -Perhaps the greatest advancement in aviation during the past year has -been due to the increased skill of the aviators. Men like Beachey, -McCurdy, Willard, Brookins, Parmelee, Latham, Radley, and others who -have made flights in this country, have shown remarkable strides in the -art of flying. This advancement has been in experience–in knowing what -to do in all sorts of weather–in taking advantage of air currents and in -knowing how to make safe landings when trouble occurs. A year ago it -would have looked like a desire to commit suicide to attempt some of the -"stunts" these men now perform as a part of their daily exhibitions. - -At the same time, I want to make it plain that, personally, I do not -now, nor ever have encouraged so-called "fancy" flying. I regard some of -the spectacular gyrations performed by any of half a dozen flyers I know -as foolhardy and as taking unnecessary chances. I do not believe fancy -or trick flying demonstrates anything except an unlimited amount of -nerve and skill and, perhaps, the possibilities of aerial acrobatics. - -CROSS-COUNTRY RACES - -The year 1912 in America is the year of great cross-country flights. We -have already seen the foreshadowing of this development in the great -flights of Atwood from St. Louis to New York and Rodgers from coast to -coast. Rodgers' trip was a great feat. Just think! Clear across the -United States and so many smashes that only a man with indomitable will -and pluck would have kept on to success. Rodgers became an expert at -landing and made landings almost anywhere. Soon we shall see, instead of -men flying alone as in the case of these trips, double flights with two -pilots relieving each other so that the distance covered in flights may -be increased, and the capabilities of machines for endurance can be -fully shown. - -The Gordon Bennett International Cup race at Chicago this year brought -to this country two of the best racing machines in the world and has -stimulated interest in aviation to a higher pitch than it has ever had -in the United States. At the next Gordon Bennett, I hope to see an -American surpass even Vedrines' speed of one hundred and five miles an -hour for one hundred twenty-four and eight-tenths miles. - -RACING TYPES OF TO-MORROW - -There have been many meets since Rheims, some international, some of -local importance; indeed almost every citizen of a civilised country has -had a chance to attend some one of them without too great a journey, but -what I have said of one meet is true to some degree of all: that racing -and contests in general, especially between different makes of machines, -is of the greatest use to the development of the aeroplane, just as -competition among automobile manufacturers, in putting out racing -machines, helped the development of that vehicle. - -There are at the present time a number of types and makes of aeroplanes, -each claiming some especial advantage over the others, and trying to -demonstrate it. Some of these will drop out–some of them have dropped -already–some will develop toward the aeroplane of the future, which we -can only infer from the machines of to-day. The way to bring about this -"survival of the fittest" is by speed contests and endurance races, -where the American manufacturer pits his machine against the -foreign-made article and the biplane contends against the monoplane. - -The public believed, when these two types came into being, that there -would be a sharp division of uses between them; that the biplane would -excel in just certain directions, the monoplane in others, and the -public has watched the various records of speed, of endurance, of -distance, as they changed back and forth between the two types, and has -found that deciding their relative merits and assigning their special -uses was by no means the simple and summary process they thought it -would be. The contests will have to evolve new rules and regulations; -for instance, there will have to be some means of handicapping machines -with very high-power engines and small plane surface as in the case of -monoplanes, which, with a minimum of plane surface and high power -engines, have a speed advantage over the biplanes, that with equal -engine power have much larger plane surface. Perhaps the method of -handicapping now used in certain races of stock automobiles, that is -cubic displacement of the engine, will be adopted. - -PUBLIC INTEREST IN MEETS - -The aviation meet at Los Angeles, California, in 1911, was a good -indication of what great and deep interest the public have in contests -in the air, and will have in the great races of the future. - -Aeroplane flights called thirty thousand people through the gates the -second day of the ten days' meet. This is the biggest crowd, I believe, -that ever paid admission to an aviation meet, in this country, and -probably the largest that has ever attended any outdoor attraction -except the world's series baseball games and the few big football games. -In addition, there was a considerable crowd on the outside who did not -pay admission, but the actual paid admissions on Sunday were more than -thirty thousand. This third annual meet did better than either of those -held during the two previous years, and this, I am convinced, proves -that aviation is a standard and lasting attraction. - -CHAPTER II FUTURE SURPRISES OF THE AEROPLANE–HUNTING, TRAVEL, MAIL, -WIRELESS, LIFE-SAVING, AND OTHER SPECIAL USES - -Many will be the future uses of the aeroplane; special uses not -necessarily dependent on speed. - -Sportsmen are likely to find in the aeroplane, especially in the hydro, -an admirable vehicle for hunting, aside from their interest in its -racing capacity. Already there is pending in the California legislature -a bill designed to regulate shooting from an aeroplane, intended as an -addition to the California aeroplane traffic regulations, described -later. While this bill is probably intended as more or less of a joke, -it has been thoroughly demonstrated that it is possible to shoot wild -ducks from an aeroplane. Hubert Latham proved this fact in his -Antoinette monoplane at Los Angeles. - -Latham flew from Dominguez Field to the Bolsa Chica Gun Club on the -shore of the Pacific, ten miles away, and chased wild ducks for thirty -minutes, finally bagging one. The sportsmen of California thought they -saw in this feat of Latham's the near approach of a time when the -aeroplane would be utilised for exterminating game, and seemed much -exercised over the incident. The newspapers saw only the humour of the -incident, however, and the sportsmen were quickly reassured. - -Latham, not content with this achievement and thirsting for new thrills, -said that he was going to fly up into the Rocky Mountains and shoot -grizzly bears. His last undertaking was to take his aeroplane with him -to the Congo where he went to hunt big game and to use the aeroplane in -this novel and sensational sport. Strange to relate, after having braved -all the dangers of the air, he met his fate by being gored to death by a -wounded and infuriated wild buffalo, in July, 1912. - -Some ranchers out west have clubbed together to purchase an aeroplane -for hunting wolves which have been killing their cattle, and four -aviators flew over San Fernando Valley in California recently, eagerly -watching the underbrush for a sight of two fugitive bandits who for two -days had eluded a large sheriff's posse after attempting to hold up a -railway agent and mortally wounding a deputy at San Fernando. Each -aviator was sworn in as a deputy and carried with him an observer -provided with a powerful field glass. They reported that they could see -objects very clearly below. - -In scouring the hills one of the observers thought that he had surely -spotted his man and the plane was dipped abruptly toward the ground. On -returning he said, "It was a dog I saw and I'll bet that dog is running -yet." - -I have heard on the best of authority that an aviator in this country -chased a buzzard until it fell exhausted and that in Europe this same -game was played by a German aviator upon a large stork. - -AERIAL BIRD-NETTING - -On my practice flights in a hydroaeroplane over San Diego Bay, I noticed -on several occasions that pelicans and sea gulls and even wild ducks got -in my path, and I was sometimes obliged to change my course in order to -avoid the slow-flying fowl. It occurred to me that with a net affixed to -the forward part of the planes it would have been an easy matter to run -down and bag a pelican, and possibly a sea gull. The ducks are too quick -to be caught by an aeroplane, as yet. Chasing ducks in an aeroplane and -catching them in a net would be about as thrilling a sport as one can -imagine. Perhaps when the killing of wild fowl with guns shall have -palled on sportsmen, we shall see the method of "netting" them with an -aeroplane come into use. Something after the manner of scientists who -hunt the lepidoptera. - -Mrs. Lillian Janeway Platt Atwater, of New York, while taking -instructions in the operation of the hydroaeroplane at North Island, -early in 1912, tried my new method of catching seabirds. She asked -Lieut. J. W. McClaskey, instructor at the Curtiss school, to take out -the hydroaeroplane, with her as a passenger, and attempt to catch a -pelican or gull with a net. The instructor promptly agreed and for -almost half an hour the big hydroaeroplane with Lieut. McClaskey and -Mrs. Atwater chased pelicans and sea gulls up and down the bay. They -discontinued the hunt only when a large pelican barely escaped becoming -entangled in the propeller, which would have smashed it and possibly -caused an accident. On another occasion Mrs. Atwater did actually -succeed in catching a gull while flying with her husband. - -Shooting rabbits from an aeroplane would be comparatively easy. I came -to this conclusion while flying over North Island, which is covered with -weeds and sagebrush for the most part, with hundreds of jack-rabbits and -cottontails living there. At first these rabbits were terribly -frightened by the aeroplane and ran in all directions to escape. They -soon became used to the sight, however, and would watch the aeroplane -with a great deal of curiosity. One of the big jack-rabbits, either from -fright or curiosity, waited too long to get out of the way of Harry -Harkness in his Antoinette, when he made a rather abrupt descent, and it -was cut in two by the propeller. - -MAIL-CARRYING - -One of the most important special uses to which the aeroplane is -particularly adapted is for carrying the mail. Royal mail was first -actually handled at Allahabad in India last summer, during which over -6,000 letters were transferred. This service was planned to prove the -great value of an aeroplane post during war time to a besieged town. A -mail route via aeroplane was established on trial between London and -Windsor in England, which carried several tons of mail matter. And in -this country last fall Postmaster-General Frank H. Hitchcock and Captain -Paul Beck, U. S. A., inaugurated the first aerial postal service -regularly established in the United States, over a route between the -Aero Club of America's flying grounds at Nassau Boulevard on Long -Island, and Mineola, L. I. A picturesque account of this little episode -is given by Frank O'Malley, who wrote: - -"The flying events of the day at the Nassau Boulevard aviation meet came -to an end in a hubbub of joyousness among 1,500 spectators on the -grounds. - -"Lieutenant Milling had busted the American record and was still flying -for the world's record when a tall, youngish man decked out in a blue -serge suit, and a gray cap, climbed into the Curtiss machine driven by -Captain Paul Beck of the army. - -"'The Hon. Frank H. Hitchcock, Postmaster-Gen'rul of the whole United -States,' the megaphone man began to holler,'will now fly to Mineola with -Captain Beck to deliver the mail. Postmaster-Gen'rul Hitchcock of the -United States will carry the mail-bag on his knees and drop the bag at -Mineola into a circle in which will be the Postmaster-Gen'rul of I mean -the Postmaster of Mineola. Ladies and gentlemen, Postmaster-Gen'rul -Hitchcock.' (Much applause.) - -"Mr. Hitchcock wasn't around to hear all this and so didn't lift his -gray cap in acknowledgment. He was far out on the field with -Attorney-General Wickersham and Captain Beck. Post Office Inspector -Doyle handed the Postmaster-General a mail bag containing one thousand, -four hundred and forty postcards and one hundred and sixty-two letters, -and Captain Beck and the Postmaster-General hiked off in a northerly -direction for the high spots, - -"The Curtiss circled three-quarters of the field and then climbed -rapidly until it was three hundred or four hundred feet above the south -end of the track. Ovington, who had also got under way with a second bag -of mail in his monoplane, shot up into the same acre of sky occupied by -Captain Beck and Mr. Hitchcock and shot eastward as a track finder for -Captain Beck's machine. - -"The field could see the two machines almost all the time during the -cross-country flight. The way the biplane with a passenger pegged along -just behind the monoplane with only a pilot aboard was a caution. Over a -big white circle painted on the Mineola real estate, Ovington from his -monoplane and the Postmaster-General from Captain Beck's machine, -plumped down to Mineola the two pouches and hit within the circle in -each case. - -"The biplane teetered slightly as the mail bag was released and then the -two machines made a circle and spun back to where the crowd stood on -tiptoe peering over fences at Nassau Boulevard. - -"'I was up once before,' the Postmaster-General said after he had shaken -hands all around upon his return to earth.' That was at Baltimore with -Count de Lesseps in his Bleriot. The biplane to-day I found was much -steadier. - -"'Fly again? I hope so, because I like the experience very much. My trip -to-day was especially enjoyable because at Baltimore I could see very -little of the ground below, owing to the closed-in construction of a -monoplane. To-day from the biplane all this end of Long Island was -stretched out to be looked at. - -[Illustration: CARRYING THE MAIL–NASSAU BOULEVARD, 1911] - -Right to left: Attorney-general Wickersham, Captain Paul Beck, -Postmaster-General Hitchcock, with mail-bag. - -[Illustration: STUDENTS OF AERIAL WARFARE] - -Beck, St,. Henry, and Curtiss studying a flight by Kelley - -Military pupils. Left to right: McClaskey, Curtiss, Beck, Towers, -Ellyson - -"'Yes, air-routes are all right for practical mail-carrying,' Mr. -Hitchcock continued, in answer to a question.'I mean,' he smiled,'the -air is all right, but the vehicles must continue toward perfection. But -even with the aeroplane as it is now it would be very useful to us, -particularly in some parts of the country. - -PRACTICAL VALUE TO-DAY FOR MAIL-CARRYING - -"'Take along the Colorado River in the canon district of Yuma, for -instance, or in parts of Alaska. Along the Colorado there are places -where detours of fifty miles out of the way are made in mail routes to -get to a bridge. An aeroplane could hop right across the river. - -"'The expensiveness of maintaining an aeroplane service is an obstacle, -but that will diminish. I would like to see the Post Office Department -do something definite in this direction for the good effect it would -have in stimulating the development of the machine. Fliers at present -have many lean months between the meets.'" - -Ever since Postmaster-General Hitchcock made this trip he has been an -enthusiastic advocate of the aeroplane as a means of transporting mail -over difficult routes. During the next few months he granted permission -to a number of aviators, including Ovington, Milling, Arnold, Robinson, -Lincoln Beachey, Charles F. Walsh, Beckwith Havens, Charles C. Witmer, -and Eugene Godet, all of whom fly Curtiss machines, to act as special -mail carriers, and these men have carried mail bags in similar -exhibiting tests from aviation fields to points near the Post Office. -Among the cities where such tests have been officially made are -Rochester, N. Y.; Dubuque, Iowa; Fort Smith, Ark.; Temple and Houston, -Texas; Atlanta, Savannah, Columbia, and Rome, Ga.; and Spartanburg and -Salisbury, N. C. - -The record for long-distance mail carrying is held by Hugh Robinson, who -took a bag of mail at Minneapolis, Minn., and carried it on his long -flight down the Mississippi River in a hydroaeroplane as far as Rock -Island, Ill. The distance covered by Robinson was 375 miles on this -trip, and letters and first class mail matter were put off and taken on -at Winona, Minn.; Prairie du Chien, Wis.; Dubuque and Clinton, Iowa; and -Rock Island, Ill. - -Of course the aeroplane is, at present, best suited for carrying mail in -localities where the weather is equable; in such places it offers a -speedy, direct, and dependable service. These numerous experiments in -mail-carrying by aeroplane have brought about the urging of an -appropriation by Congress for this purpose. The second Assistant -Postmaster-General, who is in charge of mail transportation, in a report -that has just been made public at the time I am writing this, asks for -$50,000 for the transportation of mails by aeroplane. Part of this fund -may be devoted to mail routes in the Alaskan interior. One government -has actively entered on practical mail-carrying by aeroplane. Belgium -has voted a fund to establish routes across seven hundred miles of -impenetrable Congo jungle. - -WIRELESS - -The aeroplane is ideal for use with wireless telegraphy and the -combination of the aeroplane's ability to obtain information and the -ability to transmit it by wireless will be one of its most important -future developments in practical usefulness. - -Wireless experiments do not involve any great problem, as messages have -been successfully transmitted from an aeroplane to land stations many -times. The receiving of a wireless message by an operator in an -aeroplane from a land station or from a warship involves considerable -difficulty because of the noise and vibration of the motor, but it is -expected, however, that this will be soon entirely overcome and that it -will be possible to transmit or receive telegrams in an aeroplane to or -from distant points with the same ease and accuracy that it is now seen -on the ground or on the water. - -The telegraph seems to be the companion of the locomotive, the telephone -of the automobile, and now wireless has its side-partner in the -aeroplane! - -Important experiments are being carried on by the signal corps of every -army with various methods of communication with an aeroplane in flight -and by the aviator with those on the ground. They have tried an -instrument for making smoke signals, with large and small puffs, -reviving a method used by the American Indians in the pioneer days and -quite familiar to all boys who have played Indian in the country. - -FORESTRY SURVEY - -The supervisor of the Selway forest, consisting of 1,600,000 acres, -which was formerly part of the Nez Perces reserve in Idaho, predicts -that aeroplanes and wireless telegraphy will be important factors in -forest fire prevention before a far distant date. He believes that a man -in an aeroplane could do more accurate and extensive survey work in the -forests of the Pacific slope country in a few hours when forest fires -are raging than is usually accomplished by twenty rangers in a week. -With wireless stations installed on peaks in the chief danger zones, he -believed it would be a comparatively easy task to assemble men and -apparatus to check and extinguish the flames and prevent fires from -spreading. - -MOVING PICTURES - -Aeroplanes have already been used for purposes of photography and moving -picture machines have also been attached to them and some remarkable -pictures taken. One of the large moving picture magnates said, "Now, Mr. -Curtiss, if you can take a series of moving pictures showing a trip -across the United States, I do not care if it takes you a year to get it -and even though it is taken piecemeal, or one section at a time over the -main cities on the way, I will pay you well for it. We will take the -film, trim it down, and run it through at lightning speed taking our -audience from New York to San Francisco 'as the bird flies' in twenty -minutes." - -The value of moving pictures taken from above and from a swift -low-flying machine is apparent at a glance. The contour of the country -is shown as in no other way, and now that warfare is going to have a -quite different point of view, even a different range of action, it is -important that schools, and especially military schools, should be made -familiar with this aspect of the land. The flat map is superseded by -such a panoramic view. In time of actual war, moving pictures taken in -this way will have a unique value. - -In photographing reviews of troops, public celebrations, lines of -battleships, or any scenes that require a panoramic representation, the -aeroplane has been used with success. It can also be of great service in -photographing animals and rare birds which may inhabit regions otherwise -inaccessible. With the advance of nature study and the steady -development of "camera hunting," the aeroplane will be used more and -more for such purposes as well as for photographing mountain tops and -other insurmountable or dangerous places to reach. - -Robert G. Fowler has had some surprisingly good motion pictures taken -from his machine during his cross-continent flight, by an operator -sitting beside him, his camera placed on a temporary stand. - -Mr. Frank W. Coffyn took a most interesting series of moving pictures of -New York City from the water front, portraying the Battery, the Brooklyn -Bridge, and the famous Statue of Liberty in the harbour. Mr. Coffyn used -a hydroaeroplane for this purpose, which made his flights comparatively -safe. In fact, such a feat would have been well nigh impossible for a -machine that could not land on the water, for there are no places where -an aeroplane can land in the business section of New York unless the -aviator should land on one of the large buildings, and then he would -have great difficulty in getting away again.[6] - -Great care has to be exercised to keep the machine on an even keel, so -that the operator can manage the roll of film. - -LIFE-SAVING - -Another branch of the government service that will no doubt be greatly -aided by aeroplanes are the Life Saving Stations along the coast, whose -regular equipment might well include an aeroplane to fly to wrecks and -carry a line from shore to ship when the high seas make it impossible to -launch a lifeboat. It might be impracticable to go out during the period -of severe storm, but there is always a calm in the air after a storm, as -well as the proverbial calm before one, while the high seas in which a -lifeboat cannot live are still running. The aeroplane or the -hydroaeroplane, dashing through the air, even through high wind, would -bring the line that means life to helpless men clinging to a wreck. - -I am awaiting with earnest expectation the first time that an aeroplane -actually saves a life; when that takes place, it will have conquered the -heart of the people as well as fascinated its intellect, aroused its -awe, or compelled its admiration. The first period of enthusiastic -acceptance of the new machine has been succeeded in the mind of the -general non-flying public by an admiration not at all like affection. - -Realising how many lives have been given to its development, feeling -that the aviator takes, as they call it, "his life in his hands," the -crowd at a flying-meet feels with all its great and growing interest, an -attraction in which figures not a little fear and distrust. The first -time that an aeroplane saves a life as it can and will do many times it -will have begun to conquer this public distrust. That is why the exploit -of the hydroaeroplane already described, in coming first to the aid of -the aviator in the water, had a value far greater than its apparent -importance.[7] - -EXPLORING AND ESCAPE FROM DANGER - -The aeroplane will find one of its important uses not only in taking -pictures of inaccessible spots, but also in crossing otherwise -impassable places, especially in times of pressing need when fire, -earthquake, volcanic eruptions that leave beds of molten lava, -explosions, pestilences, floods, or other devastations occur, and quick -assistance is necessary. - -In engineering and mining matters, the aeroplane may be of assistance in -exploring the best places to locate the route for railroads through -mountain passes and into such places as "Death Valley" where the salt -deposits are located. - -TRAVEL - -An important field in the sporting world of aviation of course will be -carrying passengers and initiating novices into the mysteries of the air -lanes and into the pleasures of aerial touring. - -In this delightful method of travel the panorama below is equal to any -of the magnificent landscapes which may be seen from high mountains and -besides, the view is attended by most delicious thrills and sensations, -and when a good pilot is in control of the machine the passenger is sure -of a pastime absolutely unequalled for mere joy, aside from further use -or benefit it may have. - -While travelling over torrid places like deserts and arid wastes, as -well as burning prairies, the aviator can fly high where the air is cool -and clear and escape the great humidity and the deadly alkali dust. - -As for mountain climbing, it will have lost its peculiar fascination -when the aeroplane will be to mountains what the elevator is to high -buildings. The landscape has a greater, far greater beauty; for an -aviator can see a great distance over a level plane. At the height of -one mile you can, theoretically, see ninety-six miles in every direction -and as you ascend the distance to the horizon becomes greater. In hilly -country, one hill hides another when you look from the ground, but when -you are high up in the sky, like the eagle, the mountains all seem to -lose their height and appear flat and naturally your view is -unobstructed. - -At great altitudes the sky becomes very deep blue and if you kept going -up you would reach a point finally where the sky became black and the -sun appeared like a ball of fire all by itself as a candle flame does in -the dark. - -FOR HEALTH - -In these regions there is no dust in the air to diffuse the light and -the air is dry and consequently excellent for persons with lung trouble. -There is even a possibility that physicians will advise patients -suffering from tuberculosis to ascend to these high altitudes, and it is -a fact that Hubert Latham was threatened with this disease, yet enjoyed -good health after taking up aviation, only to be killed by a wild -buffalo, as related. Perhaps this is one of those cases I was looking -for where the aeroplane has saved a life. - -METEOROLOGY - -An aeroplane will bring quick reports of changes in the weather. Rapid -investigations of conditions which exist in the strata of air at varying -altitudes above the surface of the earth, made by the use of flying -machines, may lend us material aid in understanding those conditions -which are closer to earth. - -The study of the weather and meteorological conditions becomes of -greater and greater importance as the progress in the science of -aviation advances. The currents of air that are regular in their -direction of movement, like the trade winds, must be mapped and charted, -for with the aid of a strong wind an aviator can make marvellous speed, -as the speed of the wind is added to the speed of his machine and with -an aeroplane capable of making one hundred miles an hour a favourable -wind of fifty miles an hour would increase the total speed by one half. -For the wind is now no longer an obstacle to flight, and as I have -already noted at the beginning of this chapter, this is one of the most -noticeable advancements in aviation, one that can readily be seen, -understood, and appreciated even by the uninitiated. - -THE TENDENCY TOWARD HYDROS - -There is always more or less danger in flying over land, and the rougher -its surface the more difficult and dangerous the matter of landing. The -safest place and the most uniform surface is to be found over the water, -and there is much less danger to the aviator flying there than over the -land. The strength of the wind can be easily judged by the height of the -waves, and squalls and puffs can be seen coming so that if they seem to -be very bad you can come down on the surface of the water or skim along -very near it with the greatest safety, if you are in a hydroaeroplane. -Rivers will no doubt become the favourite highways of travel for the -airman, as they were once the only great avenues for the march of -civilisation when the canoe or the rude boat was the only vehicle of -transportation. This brings us naturally to another consideration of the -air-land-water machine. - -CHAPTER III THE FUTURE OF THE HYDRO - -The most interesting type of flying machine for sport and pleasure is -the hydroaeroplane, and this is undoubtedly the machine with the -greatest possibilities for the future. Indeed, it opens up an entirely -new region of activity, as boundless as the ocean itself, and as various -as the different bodies of water. Built along the lines of a motor boat -with the addition of aeroplane surfaces or horizontal sails, this craft -will be used for much the same purposes as motor boats are now, but in -ways immeasurably more varied and more effective. - -The boat portion will be made large and comfortable for pleasure trips -and will be a veritable sportsman's machine which can be run up to a -dock where it can make an easy landing and be tied up when not anchored -out from shore. There will be a comfortable cabin, with cushioned seats -for the navigators, and celluloid windows will be placed in the planes, -so that the view below will not be obstructed. It will be handled in -heavy seas without difficulty. - -With such an air and water craft you can go off hunting or fishing; you -can shoot ducks and you will not have to wait until Mr. Duck comes by -but you will be able to reverse the present custom and chase him in his -native element and overtake him, too, as you would a fox on horseback. -By rising to a good height you can see schools of fish or good places on -the bottom to cast your lines for fishing. - -Inland lakes will be just the place for the water machine and even among -the mountains the surface of lakes will offer ideal places for landing -and starting, even where the shores are quite out of the question for -safe flying ground. - -The construction of the hydroaeroplane, while keeping on the same -general lines of development, will adapt itself to the exigencies -arising from its extended uses. The propeller or propellers will be -protected from the flying spray which might break them for small drops -of water are like bullets out of a gun when hit by the rapidly revolving -blades of the propeller which travel so fast that water might just as -well be solid matter as far as getting out of the way is concerned. -Spray will chip pieces right out of a wooden propeller. Propeller blades -are now covered with tin on the tips for use on the water, and even -metal blades may be better in some respects for this purpose. The -control and rudders are placed on the rear of the long light boat, which -extends further to the rear to accommodate them. - -The radius of action in the hydroaeroplane is now from four hundred to -five hundred miles, for the machine can carry a barrel of gasoline, or -fifty-two gallons, and as the engine uses about seven gallons an hour -this would mean about seven hours running at from fifty to sixty miles -an hour in still air; if the wind were blowing twenty-five miles an hour -in the direction in which the machine was flying it would add two -hundred and fifty miles to the distance covered in ten hours. - -These machines can be equipped with more surface and they can be -specially built to carry as much as two barrels of fuel, which would -enable them to fly nearly twelve hundred miles if the wind were steady. -They can also fly in very high winds up to almost one hundred miles an -hour, which is the speed at which some of the higher air currents flow, -as proved by the flight of balloons. This would of course tremendously -increase the distance covered. All this is possible to-day and it seems -that the aeroplane has already done every thing possible to be done on -land. Bleriot crossed the English channel, Chavez crossed the Alps, and -Rodgers crossed the American continent, passing over the Rocky -Mountains, and making over four thousand miles in the air. - -The only thing now left is to cross the ocean. An attempt has been made -to cross the Atlantic in a dirigible balloon. You all remember how -Walter Wellman flew out over the ocean from Atlantic City in one of the -largest dirigible balloons ever constructed here, the "America," -remained three days in the air, and covered over twelve hundred miles, -even though his motors were running only a part of the time. - -He was fortunate enough to be rescued and brought back to land by the -steamer Trent. And nothing daunted, his chief engineer Melville Vaniman -constructed another large dirigible the "Akron," on which he met such an -untimely end. - -Another entrant in the world race to cross the ocean is Dr. Gans who, -with the backing of the German government, plans to start in his -dirigible balloon the "Suchard" from the Island of Teneriffe, one of the -Azores, to attempt the crossing of the Southern Atlantic. He will -endeavour to be the "Columbus of the air" and be wafted above the waves -by the selfsame winds which always blow in that part of the ocean to the -West Indies, just as the first man to accomplish this passage was driven -over the surface of the sea with his small ships. Such great enterprises -bid fair to embolden aviators in their aeroplanes to try to win the -laurels due the first to be successful. - -Many aeronauts and aviators seem to be focussing their minds at the -present moment on this great problem. It seems always a condition -necessary to precede the accomplishment of any great thing that popular -thought should be centred upon it; then some one rises to the occasion -and the thing is done. There is no doubt that such a flight is possible -to-day, just as the flight across the United States was possible in even -the early stages of aviation. For the machine and motor which actually -accomplished this trip were almost the same as the very first models; -but it took the man to do it. - -It will no doubt necessitate a double machine, and will need two pilots, -one to relieve the other, and possibly several engines to ensure against -stopping of the motor. Mr. Grahame-White has predicted that within -twenty years we will be flying across the Atlantic in fifteen hours upon -regular schedule between London and New York. Mr. Grahame-White once -even went so far as to say that the ocean in a few years would only be -used "to bathe in" but I think he might have added "and to fish in," and -left us that consolation! - -Perhaps, backed by government aid, and with the co-operation of their -naval vessels, a chain of ships could be stretched across the ocean, -which would make it possible even now to fly with safety over the -distance between Nova Scotia and Ireland, about two thousand miles. -Already, Mr. Atwood who flew from St. Louis to New York, and Mr. James -V. Martin, have seriously planned such a trip. Mr. Martin has submitted -his plans to the Royal Aero Club of England. He proposes to keep in the -track of steamers and to endeavour to secure the most favourable wind -conditions possible. His machine is designed to have large floats and -five powerful engines. - -Storms pass across the ocean with great rapidity and a -fifty-mile-an-hour wind would so increase the speed of an aeroplane as -materially to help it on its journey. - -The accomplishment of this great flight over the ocean will no doubt -mean great things for the progress of the world but it also will require -further development along the lines of a flying boat, where a -substantial vessel will be provided, able to stand rough sea and yet -able to rise and skim the surface of the water. - -Following up the success of my new hydroaeroplane, I have taken great -interest in the idea of a flight across the Atlantic Ocean by aeroplane. -I consider the flight possible, and I am willing to undertake the -construction of a machine for the purpose, provided any of the aviators -now considering flight wish me to do so. I am not prepared to give the -details of such a machine as would be required to make the flight, but I -simply express the opinion that the feat is possible and that under -certain conditions I will undertake to furnish the equipment. - -CHAPTER IV FUTURE PROBLEMS OF AVIATION - -In a consideration of the final structure of the Coming Aeroplane, we -pass into the realm of pure prophecy, for the aerial liners and -dreadnaughts of the future are still snug in the brains of men like -Rudyard Kipling or H. G. Wells. My part in the consideration of what is -coming is here confined to the consideration of the immediate, or at -least the not far distant, future. - -Biplanes will always be the standard machines in my opinion, because you -can get more supporting surface for the same weight. - -Surfaces may be set one far out in front of the other, as Farman has -done, but with three surfaces the third requires a full set of struts -and wires and just as much weight as for two ordinary surfaces, and adds -only one half more surface, and the head resistance is also increased -once again. Surfaces no doubt will be made larger and machines much -bigger in every way will be built. - -Telescoping wings may be a feature of the future machines, so that a -graduated area of wing surface can be readily obtained and changed for -slow or high speed. - -The limousine, or enclosed-cabin body, will be a familiar sight in the -future machines built for passenger-carrying. These cabins will be -provided with comfortable seats. - -AUTOMATIC STABILITY - -In regard to the question of automatic stability, or some device to -balance the machine automatically, there seems to be no doubt that this -problem will be solved; in fact it is already solved both for balancing -laterally and keeping the machine from tipping sideways and also to -govern its fore and aft pitching. - -These devices may be of value in learning to fly. But in the practical -use of the aeroplane you may see conditions arising which you wish to -counteract before they occur and for which you wish to prepare. -Automatic stabilisers will no doubt prove very good auxiliary devices, -and some aeroplanes will have automatic stabilisers on them before this -is printed, but the aviator will no doubt have to regulate the -regulators in the future as he operates the levers personally in the -present. - -AVIATION LAWS TO COME - -The making of good laws is not to be overlooked when considering the -future development of the aeroplane, for aviators must be protected from -themselves, and the public must be protected from the rashness or -inexperience of airmen. Almost all nations have already begun to -exercise control over their new territory, the air, and are realising -that it may become one of their most valued possessions and of an -importance equal to their domain over water. For a nation without any -seacoast may no longer be cut off from direct intercourse with the world -through the aerial craft which can enter and leave at will, as vessels -now do on the sea, with no chance of a neighbouring nation restricting -this very freedom. - -Laws are rapidly being passed by states regulating and licensing -aviators and requiring lights to be carried, but it seems that the -federal government should be the power that should control the air just -as it does the sea and navigable rivers. For fliers flit about so that -the whole country seems but a mere playground for men of the air. - -Already the California legislature has made several laws to protect the -aeroplane and the aviator, as well as to safeguard the larger public -that stays on the ground. Some of these laws may seem a little -premature, but everything about aeroplanes goes so fast, that there is -no wonder the laws instead of lagging behind conditions as they usually -do, should speed up a little ahead of them, for the progress of flight -is such that by the time the law gets on the statute books the -conditions may be calling for it. For instance, bills have been -introduced at Sacramento to regulate the licensing of aeroplanes, which -are to be classed as "motor vehicles," and to carry numbers and lights, -the same as automobiles. The idea of providing for lights seems a little -far-fetched at this time, as it will be a long time before there will be -much flying at night. Besides, such lights as the proposed law provides -would be unnecessary, for the reason that the aeroplane would not be -confined to an arbitrary path, but could choose its own course. -Therefore, a single light in front and another behind would be all that -would be required, instead of one pair in front, one behind and one on -each plane, as the bill suggests. - -FUTURE COST OF THE AEROPLANE - -The cost of the machine is high at the present time because there are -but few made. No doubt when the great numbers of people who are now -deeply interested in the subject get to the point of practical flight -and desire to take flights, they will want to own machines, and learn to -operate them. Then aeroplanes will be made in quantities and the price -will be reduced in accord with the number that are built and some day we -will be able to buy a good aeroplane for about the price we have to pay -now for a small automobile. - -Cortlandt Field Bishop is credited with having said when some one asked -him if the manufacture of a cheap aeroplane, to cost $150, including the -motor, would not be a great business undertaking, "Well, a great -undertaking business should certainly come of it." - -LANDING PLACES - -The most serious problem of flying to-day is to find a good course to -fly over and suitable landing places. The day will soon come when every -city and town will have public landing and starting grounds. As a matter -of fact the park commissioners of New York City have already been -discussing the setting apart of landing places or isles of safety in the -public parks of the city, although some authorities declare that it -would not be well to encourage fliers to risk themselves and the people -below by flying over the houses. There should be routes of travel -established between cities over which an aviator will have a right to -fly, just as there are highways on the surface of the earth. - -GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT - -Perhaps the greatest factor which is needed to further the development -of the aeroplane today is the thorough appreciation by the National -Government of the benefits which the aeroplane may bring to its various -departments besides the military and postal service. - -When railroads first became practical the government gave millions of -dollars besides large grants of land to enable them to extend and -develop to a successful state. Steamship building was helped in the same -way both by government aid and by the building of warships and -transports. - -The French Government continues to lead the world in its encouragement -of aviation. During the month of December, 1911, according to most -reliable statistics, the War Department ordered no less than four -hundred new aeroplanes, divided between a dozen or more types, and asked -the government to appropriate the sum of $4,400,000 for aeronautics. -Italy, next to France, is the most active European government in -aviation, the Italian War Department having ordered fifty French -machines of various types, as well as twelve aeroplanes of a new type -produced in Austria. The Turkish government has decided to establish -schools for the "fourth arm" immediately, while Russia will also -increase its aviation programme. The latest government to take up -aviation is that of Australia, where an aviation school is about to open -for the instruction of army officers. Germany is not as active in -aviation as the other principal European governments, although it is -difficult to say exactly what is being done by the Germans, as they -purchase machines made in their own country only. - -A most interesting programme was arranged by the British military -authorities for the trial of machines in competition in the summer of -1912, at Salisbury Plain, in order to determine the best types of -military aeroplane. The winning types in this contest will receive large -orders from the British government to supply the Army and Navy with -aerial equipment. - -FIRST AVIATION REGIMENT - -(Newspaper Despatch) - -PARIS, Jan. 25, 1912. The first aviation regiment, 327 strong, was -organised here to-day. A flag will be presented to the battalion later -on. - -Having already organised an aviation regiment, French army officers are -now agitating the question upon the basis of having no less than a -thousand aeroplanes ready at a moment's notice under the command of -superior officers and under perfect control of army pilots trained to -handle them. This training of officers is the most important part, for -it takes time to make good fliers. Machines may be turned out very -rapidly, but fliers become skilled to the point where they may be of use -in army work only by long practice and practical experience. Our -government has given an appropriation, small in comparison with what -France, Germany and England appropriated, and we have a few aeroplanes -in the signal corps of the Army now and three machines in the Navy, but -these are only the first steps in this important branch of our military -and naval development. We all hope for at least adequate equipment, an -equipment that will equal, if not surpass, that of the European powers. - -After the development of the aeroplane for sport and commercial -purposes, its greatest field of growth is for purposes of war and here -we find that the aeroplane can be at once the most deadly weapon of -offensive warfare as yet developed by man, and an even more serviceable -agent for defensive measures, or for all those most important duties -related to scouting and obtaining and carrying information. - -WHAT THE AEROPLANE CAN DO IN WAR - -I feel confident that an aeroplane can be even now built which will be -able to lift a ton of dynamite or other high explosive, and that it can -be so constructed that it will be an aerial torpedo or winged -projectile, the engine charged with compressed air and set to run any -required distance, from one mile to ten miles. Such a machine can be -steered by wireless controlling apparatus just as submarine boats and -small airships are directed. - -A hydroaeroplane can be made to fly at just a certain height over the -water by attaching it to a drag or a float which would prevent its -exceeding the desired limit of altitude. The machine so equipped might -be started in a circle and flown around in a circular course gradually -widening and widening, like a bird dog hunting a scent, until the object -aimed at is hit. - -One of the most important uses of an aeroplane adapted to the uses of -the Navy will be its valuable assistance in enabling the manner of -formation of the enemy's ships in line of battle to be made known to the -commanding officer and the angle of approach to be estimated, in order -that our own ships may be so formed in line of battle as to meet the -brunt of the attack effectually. - -An aeroplane launched from the deck of a battleship and ascending to the -height of a mile will give the observers on board a range of vision of -ninety-six miles in every direction and powerful glasses will reveal -many details that can be seen more clearly from above than when observed -from the same level. Submarines can be located with great ease when far -below the surface of the water. Even the bottom appears clearly in some -of the tropic seas, and fogs, which obscure all things to the enveloped -mariner bound to the surface of the sea, usually hang comparatively low -down and even a moderate altitude will enable an aerial observer or -pilot to see clearly above the banks of mist which shut down like a pall -upon the water. - -The military aeroplane will be able to muffle its motor and for night -operations will be equipped with search-lights and able to approach an -enemy unseen and unheard from a high altitude, a direction in which -there are no pickets. - -In the school machines of one of the Chicago schools the motors have -already been muffled to permit the teacher more readily giving his -instructions to his pupils. U. S. Army officers have also experimented -with mufflers on their motors. - -Aeroplanes have been recently used by the Italian Army near Tripoli and -bombs were dropped which not only frightened the enemy but stampeded -their horses and caused panic among the soldiers. They were also of -great service in directing the fire of the guns from the ships which -were quite out of sight of their targets, a captive balloon and an -aeroplane signalling the effect of the shots and the angles at which to -train the guns. The aviators took steel bomb-shells with them and filled -them while flying, holding the caps in their teeth, and steering with -their knees while performing this operation. They did not dare to carry -the bombs loaded for fear of being blown to pieces themselves in case of -an accident when landing. - -In the fall of 1911, extensive tests were made by the French military -authorities which showed how reliable aeroplanes can be. The aviators -flew at the command of officers and under the strictest orders; the -machines were required to land in ploughed fields and to start away -again with their full complement of passengers and extra weight of fuel. -All the machines were required to carry a weight of about five hundred -pounds and to rise to a certain height in a specified time with their -complete load. The machines were also dismounted and assembled in the -field and packed and transported from one place to another, to test the -ease with which this could be done. - -These military tests were won by Charles Weymann, who was also the -winner of the Gordon Bennett International Aviation Cup for America last -year. - -Mr. Weymann drove a special Nieuport machine, which was the most speedy -type of aeroplane built at that time, and was successful in landing and -starting from a ploughed field, which many thought impossible for a very -fast type of machine. It took the greatest skill to land such a speedy -machine on rough ground, for he had to glide down with absolute -accuracy, to land without a smash. - -Among Army officers the keenest competition is developed, and it is only -by a spirit of rivalry and a desire to excel that the best qualities in -officers and men are brought out in times of peace. Of course in time of -war there is a need which calls for the best there is in a man. - -The needs of the Army and Navy aviators have developed some special -features in machines built for their purposes. They want to be as far -out in front of the machine as possible so they can have an unobstructed -view, and so that if they should be so unfortunate as to be pitched out, -they will be quite clear of everything. This is especially true of naval -machines built to fly over the water. Military aeroplanes also should -have a standard method of control, so that any Army or Navy aviator can -operate any Army or Navy machine. - -CHAPTER V THE AEROPLANE AS APPLIED TO THE ARMY (By Captain Paul W. -Beck, U. S. A.) - -[8] - -Whenever science discovers anything new or startling, such discovery is -immediately tested by practical men of commercial or professional life -to ascertain whether or not it can be applied to their business or -profession. In civil life these tests are to determine whether or not -this new discovery can be applied to cheapen production or benefit -mankind in any other way. In the Army two tests are always applied: -first, to determine whether or not the discovery can be used to kill the -other fellow and, second, to determine whether or not it can be used to -prevent the other fellow from killing us. These are the tests which have -been applied to the aeroplane by the military. Let us see how these -heavier-than-air machines have responded to these tests. - -Can aeroplanes be used to kill the other fellow? Our problem here is not -ethical but practical; it is not based on the determinations of the -Hague peace convention, but upon the actual capabilities of the machine -from a physical standpoint, considered apart from humanitarian -principles. In other words we do not discuss whether or not it is -ethically right to use aeroplanes aggressively, but whether or not -aeroplanes are mechanically capable of such use. The Army does not -disturb itself with ethical questions until they become rules of -International Law, and then it only considers them as being binding in -their actual observance under the conditions imposed by such law. -Meanwhile the Army, by preparation in time of peace, seeks to gain the -fullest possible measure of information along the lines of investigation -necessitated by the mechanical side of the question. - -Considered from this standpoint, the question is repeated: can -aeroplanes be used to kill the other fellow? Well, where may we expect -to meet this other fellow? He will be armed, of course. He will be on -the ground, on the water, or in the air. Wherever he may be we must get -close enough to see him, while we must remain far enough away to keep -him from having a decidedly better chance of hitting us than we have of -hitting him. If he is on the ground or on the water we must fly over -him. If he is in the air we must manoeuvre our air craft so as to gain -an advantageous position over him; one where we can shoot our machine -guns or rifles while he is unable to use his similar weapons against us. -That is where skill as an aviator and superiority of speed, climbing -powers, and control of the machine will play a prominent part in -deciding the supremacy of the air. - -From the standpoint of the location of the enemy the problem can be -reduced to two cases: one, when the enemy is on the ground or on the -water, and the other when he is in the air. Against him in the first -case we must use projectiles dropped from on high. These may be -shrapnel, explosive shells or simply large, thinly encased masses of -high explosive, depending on whether we are attacking individuals or -animals in groups; gun emplacements, bridges, etc., or important -strategical or tactical points such as arsenals, barracks, or parts of a -defensive line. - -Against the enemy in the skies we must use some small machine gun or -rifle, in an endeavour to brush him aside and allow our own -information-gathering aeroplanes to perform their functions unmolested. - -But we are not progressing. Can aeroplanes be used to kill the other -fellow? Well, assuming him to be located as we have assumed him to be, -there are several other questions which must be answered before we can -clinch the main issue. Can a man act as aviator and at the same time -manipulate the mechanism that may be found necessary to the killing of -the other fellow? If not, can an aeroplane be built that will carry at -least two men, one as aviator and the other as manipulator of the -death-dealing apparatus, and, at the same time, carry enough extra -weight, i. e., fuel, to keep aloft long enough to accomplish the -necessary flight and also carry the projectiles and dropping device? -Yes. The two passengers may be estimated to weigh three hundred pounds. -The dropping device may be estimated to weigh not to exceed fifty -pounds. At least three known types of aeroplane carry six hundred and -fifty pounds of weight for a continuous flight of two hundred miles in -length. That leaves two hundred and fifty pounds that can be devoted to -the carrying of projectiles. - -So far the coast seems clear, but a small storm appears in the offing; -can this two hundred and fifty pounds, or any considerable part of it, -be dropped from a moving aeroplane without disturbing its equilibrium to -such an extent as to render the machine unmanageable? Any weight can be -dropped from the centre of lift without disturbing the equilibrium. -Thirty-eight pounds have been dropped from one machine from a point -three feet in front of the centre of lift without disturbing the -equilibrium. - -Admitting that the necessary weight can be carried and can be dropped, -we next encounter the highly important question, what can we hit from a -height of, say, three thousand five hundred feet? At this point the -problem becomes one of pure fire control, and is directly analogous to -target practice in our sea-coast defences. Since the aeroplane is moving -forward at a definite rate of speed at the instant of dropping the -projectile, it follows that there is an initial velocity given to the -projectile. This velocity is dependent upon the forward speed of the -machine and varies with it. Gravity exerts an influence on the drop of -the projectile, which influence increases the speed of drop as the -altitude from which the shell is dropped increases. The direction and -force of the wind currents through which the projectile must fall are -variable and they all exert influences tending to cause the projectile -to swerve from its original course to a degree dependent upon their -strength and the thickness of each stratum of air. The size of the -target and, if it be animals or men, the direction and rate of movement -of the target, are all factors to a successful hit. - -Practice has shown us that the principal factors are the forward speed -of the machine and the altitude. The variations due to wind currents -through which the projectile must pass in falling are negligible. The -only targets to be chosen will be sufficiently large and immobile to -warrant an assumption that they can be hit. Aerial target practice will -never degenerate to the sniping of individuals. It will be directed -against ships, small boats, armies, cavalry, quartermaster and field -artillery trains and similar large bodies of men or animals, or against -the strategical and tactical points alluded to above. - -The problem then simmers itself down to a more or less accurate solution -of a method for determining the forward speed of the machine and its -altitude, which, with a suitable set of tables and suitable mechanical -devices for releasing the projectile at the proper instant, will produce -a reasonably good target practice. - -For some time the solution of the forward speed of an aeroplane seemed -impracticable. It has now been solved by the simple use of a telescope, -mounted on a gimbal so as to maintain its horizontal position and -movable vertically along a graduated arc. By setting the telescope to -read an angle of forty-five degrees and snapping a stop watch on an -object which lies in the line of sight of the telescope produced, and -then swinging the telescope so as to point vertically downward, we can, -by snapping the stop watch a second time as the sighting point again -comes into the field of vision, ascertain the exact time it has taken -the machine to cover the distance measured by forty-five degrees of arc. -Our altitude is known by reading a barometer. We then have two known -angles of a right triangle and one known side, viz., the altitude. By a -set of tables, already made out, we can determine our forward speed. - -Now, all of this is done as a preliminary to actually dropping the -projectile. After we have the forward speed and the altitude we simply -consult another set of previously prepared tables and read from those -tables an angle. This angle shows the proper point of drop to hit -another point on the ground somewhere in advance of the aeroplane. After -picking the angle out of the table we set our telescope to read the -known angle and, when the line of sight, produced, is on the objective, -we release or "trip" the projectile. This has actually been done. Now I -ask you the question, can an aeroplane be used to kill the other fellow? - -Can an aeroplane be used to prevent the other fellow from killing us? Of -course it is much superior to Santa Ana's mule for purposes of rapid -departure from the scene of hostilities, but that is hardly the test we -apply. It is, on the other hand, inferior as a shield to the ordinary -breastworks constructed by armies in the field, but, again, that is not -precisely the test to be applied. - -The most effective way in which we can keep the other fellow from -killing us is to find out where he is, what he is doing and how he -proposes to accomplish his–to us reprehensible, to him laudable–object. -Accordingly we apply the information test to the aeroplane. Can we use -it to gather information of the enemy, his lines of communication, his -lines of defences, his probable lines of advance or retreat, his rail -and water communications, his artillery positions and gun emplacements, -and a host of other things, all of which tend to produce success or -failure in battle? In other words, can we use the aeroplane to prevent -the enemy from killing us? - -In order to make use of information there are two distinct steps which -must be taken: First, it must be gathered; second, it must be -communicated to the proper officers for transmission to the Commanding -General in the field. No information is of value until it is -communicated to an officer competent to act upon it. - -This problem of information is then divided into two parts: the getting, -and the transmitting. In getting information we must at once settle just -how far the aeroplane will be available. There is a certain class of -information, i. e., that concerning the road beds over which an army -must move, the fords it must cross, the bridges it must travel over, the -hills and valleys that might afford shelter for an offensive force or -may be used defensively, the location, extent, thickness and amount of -underbrush in woods, and much other, intimate, local knowledge that is -of great and indispensable value to a commanding officer in the field. -Such information can be gathered only from the ground. An aeroplane -could be of use in such gathering only as a means for transporting the -topographical sketchers quickly from point to point, allowing them -sufficient time to do their work before again taking the air. Also an -aeroplane would be of but little use in locating small bodies of the -enemy. - -Where the aeroplane would begin to be of use, however, is in the -locating of the main body of the enemy, his defences, his artillery -positions, in determining the outline of his position, the natural or -artificial boundaries which cover and protect his flanks, his main -arteries of supply, the strong and weak points of his line of defence, -etc. - -To accomplish these results the aeroplane must fly at a sufficient -elevation to render difficult the hitting of a vital part of the machine -or the aviator by hostile rifle or artillery fire. While the modern -rifle in use in our army will fire a ball about three thousand five -hundred yards straight in the air, it is generally accepted among -aviators that an aeroplane would be practically safe, save from a chance -shot, at three thousand five hundred feet. Of course there is a large -chance that if enough rifles are directed at an aeroplane for a long -enough time the machine or operator would be hit, at this altitude, but -war is not a game of croquet, and the men who would man these machines -in war would stand ready to take the risks demanded by the exigencies of -the service. - -The proper machine to act as a gatherer of information is one that can -carry a pilot, passenger, and wireless outfit. It is proposed to equip -all information-gathering machines with wireless and to this end a -special set has been devised and is being tested out at the U. S. Army -Signal Corps Aviation School. That the wireless will be a success there -is no doubt, for certain simple experiments with crude apparatus have -been already tried out with remarkable success. - -I have said that military aviators propose to fly at about three -thousand five hundred feet while seeking information. Perhaps this will -be increased to about five thousand feet if it can be demonstrated that -the reconnaissance officer can clearly discern, from that height, the -points which are of military value. This officer will be aided by -powerful field glasses, a camera and sketching case, and he will have at -hand a wireless outfit which he can use in sending back whatever he may -ascertain of value. Upon reporting back to the officer who sent him out -he will turn over his sketches and photographs. It is thought that in -this way very complete and valuable data will be available. - -From an aeroplane or balloon the ground presents a very different -appearance than it does from our usual man's eye view. It takes time and -practice to determine just what the different strange-looking objects -are, let alone to determine relative sizes and distances. On this -account we have concluded that the reconnaissance officer and pilot must -both be trained at the same time. Since this is the case and since there -is a decided mental and physical strain connected with long-continued -flight, we have gone further and concluded that both officers who fly in -the aeroplane must be pilots and both must be trained in reconnaissance -duty. In this way each can relieve or "spell" the other. - -There is much more to this than the mere acting as an aerial chauffeur. -To be a successful military aviator a man must be an excellent -cross-country flier. He must be an expert topographer or sketcher, he -must understand photography and he must be a practical wireless -operator, as well as have a knowledge of the theory of wireless. Above -all, he must be trained in military art, that most elusive of all -subjects. By that we mean that he must understand the military -significance of what he sees, he must understand the powers, -limitations, and functions of the three great arms–infantry, cavalry, -and field artillery, whether used in combination or separately; he must -know major and minor tactics to determine the worth or uselessness of a -position; he must be able quickly and accurately to reduce his -observations to a written report in order that the information gained -may be of immediate use to his chief. - -For all of these reasons we have concluded that we must rely on -commissioned officers of the regular army or organised militia, trained -in time of peace to fulfil their functions in time of war. We can not -place dependence on civilian aviators, for they have not had the -training along the highly technical and specialised lines that are -necessary. We can not rely on enlisted men of the army, for the same -reason. - -There is another class of fliers that will, undoubtedly, be of use in -war time. These are the men to drive fast-flying, single-passenger -machines for speedy messenger service between detached bodies of troops, -or to drive the heavy ammunition or food-carrying aeroplanes to relieve -a besieged place. These may well be chosen from the ranks of the -civilian volunteers who would, without doubt, flock to our colours and -standards at the whistle of a hostile bullet. There is plenty of room in -war time for all of the aviators we can scrape together, be they -civilian or military. - -Two new types of aeroplane have been alluded to in the last, preceding -paragraph; the fast-flying, quick-climbing racer and the slow-going, -heavy-weight carrier. We are of opinion that there should be three types -in all for military purposes. Of greatest importance and in greatest -numbers we should have the middle-class machines; those capable of -staying in the air for at least three hours of continuous flight, while -carrying two men and one hundred and fifty pounds extra, of either -wireless apparatus or machine gun and ammunition. Such a machine will -climb two thousand feet in ten minutes, will travel above fifty miles an -hour on the level, is perfectly easy to manage, and forms the back-bone -of the aerial fleet. - -One of these craft acting as a convoy, armed with a Benet-Mercier -machine gun weighing about twenty pounds and with ample ammunition, -could sweep the skies clean of hostile aeroplanes, while its mate, -carrying reconnaissance apparatus and two officers, could gather the -information which the Commanding General desires. The speed machine is -for use as described above. The weight-carrying machine can carry about -six thousand rounds of ammunition at a trip. Rifle cartridges weigh -about one hundred pounds per twelve hundred rounds. This machine could -carry enough emergency rations on one trip to subsist five hundred men -for a day. It could make a speed of forty miles per hour with this -weight and, in the course of a day, could, undoubtedly, make several -trips of succour, provided the sending point were within fifty miles of -the besieged place which is the usual case. - -And now, can an aeroplane be used to prevent the other fellow from -killing us? - -This is a very fascinating subject as a whole. The field opened is -almost limitless; but the greatest idea of all is that through this -conquest of the air we are approaching more nearly to that much -longed-for era of universal peace. Through the aeroplane and dirigible, -man is effacing artificial barriers; he is bringing the rich closer to -the poor, the powerful closer to the weak. No longer can unwise and -selfish potentates, be they royal, democratic, or financial, send forth -their armies to fight while themselves resting safe and secure at home. -The king in his palace or the money baron on his private yacht is in as -much danger from these air craft as is the high private in the muddy -trenches at the front. That touches the selfish side of things. At any -rate, while the aeroplane will, probably, do more to promote peace than -has any previous discovery, we of the Army are still busily engaged in -finding out just what it will do in war. - -CHAPTER VI THE AEROPLANE FOR THE NAVY (With an Account of the Training -Camp at San Diego. By Lieutenant Theodore G. Ellyson, U. S. N.) - -THE first active interest of the Navy Department in the practical side -of aviation may be said to date from November, 1910, when Glenn H. -Curtiss offered to instruct one officer in the care and operation of his -type of aeroplane. Prior to this date the Department had carefully -followed the development of the different types of aeroplanes, but had -taken no steps toward having any one instructed in practical flying, as -at that time there was no aeroplane considered suitable for naval -purposes. Again, shortage of officers and lack of funds for carrying -along such instruction were reasons for the delay in taking the initial -step. There were unofficial rumours to the effect that there would be an -aviation corps organised, and it was understood that requests for such -duty would be considered, but it was looked upon as an event that would -take place in the dim future. At this time Mr. Curtiss made his offer to -instruct an officer at his flying field which was to be located in -southern California, and, as it was understood that he had in view the -development, during the winter, of a machine that could be operated from -either the land or the water, his offer was immediately accepted by the -Navy Department, and I was fortunate enough to be detailed for this -duty. - -The training camp was located on North Island, opposite San Diego, -California, this spot having been selected on account of the prevailing -good weather, and because there was both a good flying field for the -instruction of beginners, and a sheltered arm of San Diego Bay, called -The Spanish Bight, for carrying on the hydroaeroplane experiments. The -camp was opened on January 17, 1911, and shortly thereafter seven pupils -were on hand for training, three army officers, one naval officer and -three civilians. - -What was accomplished there is now history, namely the development of a -machine that could rise from, or land on, either the land or the water, -a feat that had never before been accomplished. It is true that one man -had been able to rise from the water; but in attempting to land on the -same he had wrecked his machine, so this could not be called a -successful experiment. This same machine which had risen from the water -and landed on the land and then risen from the land and landed on the -water, was flown from the aviation field to the U. S. S. Pennsylvania by -Mr. Curtiss, a landing made alongside and the aeroplane hoisted on board -with one of the regular boat cranes. No preparations had to be made -except to fit a sling over the engine section of the aeroplane so that -it could be hooked on the boat crane. The aeroplane was then hoisted -over the side and flown back to the aviation field. - -As I have said, the above paragraph is now history. What is not -generally known is the hard work and the many disappointments -encountered before the hydroaeroplane was a real success. Mr. Curtiss -had two objects in view: First, the development of the hydroaeroplane, -and secondly, the personal instruction of his pupils. The latter was -accomplished early in the morning and late in the afternoon as these -were the only times when the wind conditions were suitable, and the -experimental work was carried on during the rest of the day, and, I -think, Mr. Curtiss also worked the best part of the remainder of the -time, as I well remember one important change that was made as the -result of an idea that occurred to him while he was shaving. No less -than fifty changes were made from the original idea, and those of us who -did not then know Mr. Curtiss well, wondered that he did not give up in -despair. Since that time we have learned that anything that he says he -can do, he always accomplishes, as he always works the problem out in -his mind before making any statement. - -All of us who were learning to fly were also interested in the -construction of the machines, and when not running "Lizzy" (our practice -machine) up and down the field, felt honoured at being allowed to help -work on the experimental machine. You see it was not Curtiss, the genius -and inventor, whom we knew. It was "G. H.," a comrade and chum, who made -us feel that we were all working together, and that our ideas and advice -were really of some value. It was never a case of "do this" or "do -that," to his amateur or to his regular mechanics, but always, "What do -you think of making this change?" He was always willing to listen to any -argument but generally managed to convince you that his plan was the -best. I could write volumes on Curtiss, the man, but fear that I am -wandering from the subject in hand. - -One of the results of the experiments at San Diego, was to show that -such a hydroaeroplane, or a development of it, was thoroughly suitable -for naval use. Although it was the first of May before Mr. Curtiss -returned to his factory at Hammondsport, specifications, which were -approximately as follows, were sent him and he was asked if he could -make delivery by the first of July:– - -"A hydroaeroplane, capable of rising from or landing on either the land -or the water, capable of attaining a speed of at least fifty-five miles -an hour, with a fuel supply for four hours' flight. To carry two people -and be so fitted that either person could control the machine." - -His reply was in the affirmative and the machine was delivered on time. -Since that time this machine has been launched from a cable, which can -easily be used aboard ship, and has been flown on an overwater nonstop -flight, one hundred and forty-five miles in one hundred and forty-seven -minutes. If such an advance has been made in a little over six months' -time, what will the next year bring forth? - -In my opinion the aeroplane will be used by the Navy solely for scouting -purposes, and not as an offensive weapon as seems to be the popular -impression. This impression is probably enhanced by the recent newspaper -reports of the damage inflicted upon the Turks in Tripoli, by bombs -dropped from Italian aeroplanes. Even could an explosive weighing as -much as one thousand pounds be carried and suddenly dropped without -upsetting the stability of the aeroplane, and were it possible to drop -this on a ship from a height of three thousand feet, which is the lowest -altitude that would ensure safety from the ship's gun fire, but little -damage would be done. The modern battleship is subdivided into many -separate water-tight compartments, and the worst that would be done -would be to pierce one of these, and destroy those in that one -compartment, without seriously crippling the gunfire or manoeuvring -qualities of the ship. In only one way do I see that the aeroplane can -be used as an offensive weapon, and that is when on blockade duty, with -the idea of capturing the port, ships out of range of the land batteries -could send out machines with fire bombs and perhaps set fire to the -port. - -Innumerable instances could be cited where the use of an aeroplane for -scouting purposes would have been invaluable. In recent times may be -cited the blockade of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War, and the -blockade of Santiago, during the Spanish-American War. - -[Illustration: ELLYSON LAUNCHES HYDRO FROM WIRE CABLE] - -(A) The start. (B) Leaving the wire - -[Illustration: HUGH ROBINSON'S HYDRO FLIGHT DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI] - -Again suppose that several scouts were on the lookout for an enemy's -fleet, and that they sighted the enemy's smoke. It has been proven that -by modern scouting methods it is next to impossible for an enemy to -start for any of several destinations, no matter how many miles apart, -and not be discovered by the opponent's scouts before reaching their -destination. The enemy's main strength, or battleships, will be covered -by a screen, that is cruisers and torpedo boat destroyers, spread out -many miles from the main body, whose duty it is to prevent our scouts -from getting near enough to obtain any information. In order to obtain -the necessary information our scouts would have to pierce this screen, -and the chances are very great that they would be sunk in the attempt, -or so crippled that they would be unable to convey the information to -the Commander-in-Chief. In any event, why run such a risk? If equipped -with aeroplanes it would be an easy matter to send them out, and the -information would be obtained in a much shorter time, without danger of -the loss of a ship, and with the surety that the information would be -secured. In this connection it must be remembered that there is nothing -to obscure the vision at sea, that the range of vision from a height of -three thousand feet is approximately forty miles, and that the wind -conditions are always better than over land; that is, steady. These are -simply a few instances of the value that an aeroplane may be to the -Navy. - -In my opinion, the ideal aeroplane for naval use should have the -following characteristics: The greatest possible speed, while carrying -two people and fuel supply for at least four hours' flight (not under -sixty miles an hour speed, as this has already been accomplished), and, -at the same time, capability of being easily handled in a thirty-mile -wind. There are many machines for which this quality is claimed, but few -that have really proved it. Double control so that either person can -operate the machine. Ability to be launched from shipboard, without -first lowering into the water, as on many occasions the wind at sea will -be suitable for flying, whereas the sea will be too rough to rise from. -Ability to land on rough water. The engine to be fitted with a -self-starter. Also that the engine be muffled and the machine fitted -with a sling for hoisting on board ship by means of a crane, and so -constructed that it can be easily taken apart for stowage, and quickly -assembled. - -A search-light for making landings at night, and an efficient wireless -apparatus, should also form part of the full equipment. - -I did not make one of the requirements that the aeroplane be able to -rise from the water, for in actual service it could always be launched -from the ship. For practice work and for instructional purposes, it must -be so fitted, but this could be a different rig if necessary. In the -near future I predict that the aeroplane adopted for naval purposes will -operate from a ship as a base and the great part of the instructional -work will be done in the hydroaeroplane on account of the large factor -of safety. - -CHAPTER VII GLIDING AND CYCLE-SAILING A FUTURE SPORT FOR BOYS, THE -AIRMEN OF TO-MORROW (By Augustus Post.) - -There is great popular interest in the problem of soaring, or flying as -birds do, without any apparent effort, and also in gliding flights, or -descending from a high altitude without the help of a motor. - -Wonderful keenness of feeling on the part of an aviator, akin to that -remarkable sensitiveness which is exhibited by all blind people, may be -highly developed–for an aviator is just like a blind person in the air -as far as concerns seeing the eddies, gusts, and currents, which are so -dangerous to the balance of the machine–but the ability to advance and -go ahead against the wind is as far off as the wireless transmission of -power is to-day. It is necessary to have an up-current of air to enable -a machine to soar and it is necessary to find where these upward blowing -currents are. Any bicycle can coast down hill and a glider is only a -coasting aeroplane, and it may be as difficult to find the right air -current as to find a hill to coast down on a bicycle. - -Great advances will be made in the art of aviation along the lines of -training men in the art of handling an aeroplane. No opportunity is so -good for this purpose as handling the machine as a glider with the motor -shut off, or by practise with a regular gliding machine. Boys will -naturally take to gliding, and as a glider was the first form of -flying-machine and the easiest to build mechanically, there is every -reason why sailing or soaring flights should be thoroughly mastered. The -instinct which birds have which enables them to seek out and to utilise -the rising currents of air in the wind and so to set and adjust their -wings as to enable them to take advantage of these rising currents, is -latent in the human mind and can be developed by practice to a point far -exceeding that of birds, on account of man's superior intelligence. It -is quite possible that some arrangement may be made by which an aviator -can see the air and can prepare for or escape conditions that are not -favourable to his manœuvres. It is clear that the wind gusts, swirls, -and turbulences exist in the air, for they are quite evident when we -watch a snowstorm and can see the snowflakes as they float, impelled now -in one direction, now another, or as we see dry leaves carried about by -a sudden gust of wind, or, even more clearly when over sandy plains we -can see the great columns of dust ascending in the center of whirlwinds -for hundreds of feet, carrying heavy particles to great heights. It is -quite possible that birds can see the air itself by some arrangement of -the lenses of their eyes which may either enable them to see the fine -dust particles or to so polarise the light that the direction of its -vibrations can be determined and the course of flight so changed that an -air lane favourable to the path of the bird can be followed and by -following out one stream lane among many, which has an upward trend -sufficient to counteract the falling tendency, the bird can remain at an -equal elevation. - -Mr. Orville Wright has clearly demonstrated this to be possible by his -experiments lately made at Kitty Hawk, N. C., where he was able to soar -for ten minutes over the summit of a sand dune, so delicately adjusting -the surfaces of his glider to the up-trend of the wind that he was -falling or descending at the same speed that the wind was rising, and -thus he seemed to stand still over one spot on the ground. After -increasing his descent and approaching the ground, he was able by the -delicacy of adjustment of his controls to change the relation in such a -manner that the wind rising overbalanced the descending of the machine -and he was carried backward and upward to the crest of the hill again, -where he remained for a short time before again gliding downward to the -level ground below. In the same manner that a boat sails against the -wind by the force of the wind blowing against the sail, which is placed -at an angle to it and which resists sidewise motion by the pressure of -the water against the hull of the boat, a glider with horizontal sails -set at the proper angle will also sail into the wind which blows against -its surfaces and which makes the path of least resistance a motion -forward and slightly descending with relation to the direction of the -wind, but which, in the case of an upward moving current of air, may be -a path rising in respect to the ground. - -The development of skill in this art will come by practice, and young -men will follow out the ideas and suggestions of the more experienced -until we will have small, light, flexible machines with such sensitive -control that, with small motors to enable them to rise or to get from -one place to another, much as a bird flaps its wings when necessary to -add a little to the power which it gets from the wind itself, or in -rising from the ground, will be able to sail around and glide on the -strength of the wind for hours at a time. - -The clever aviator or real birdman with his keen instinct cultivated to -a state of perfection, fitted with polarising glasses possibly, may seek -out and utilise the various powers that are present in the air; -adjusting his wings so that he will be supported by the upward motion of -the air itself where it exists, or, by turning on his motor, moving from -one rising column of air to another, upon which he may hover and circle -around, steering clear of all those other air lanes which are leading in -some other direction. - -These glasses, by showing where the air waves are all of one direction, -may reveal a current flowing in one way, while they may make great -masses of air flowing in some other direction appear as of some other -colour, say red, for instance; or, again, in another direction, all may -look green, and it will only be necessary to keep where all is pure -white. - -Entirely new types of machines have been recently constructed in France -called "aviettes" and "cycloplanes." These are machines like gliders -which are mounted on bicycle wheels and small aeroplanes with wings -which have aerial propellers turned by the pedals which drive them along -the ground and through the air. - -A contest was held in France in June, 1912, for a prize offered by the -Puegeot Bicycle Company for the first machine of this type to fly a -distance of about forty feet and later a second prize for the first -machine to fly over two tapes one meter three feet nine inches apart and -four inches high. Both of these prizes were competed for by machines -without any motor and driven solely by man power. Over two hundred -entries were received by the promoters of the contest, but no one -accomplished the flight on that date of the public contest. Three days -afterward, however, Gabriel Paulhain succeeded in winning the prize put -up for the second test. He flew eleven feet nine inches on his first -trial and ten feet nine inches on the second, which was made in the -reverse direction. - -There seems to be great interest in this form of human flight, which was -the original way of attacking the problem of flight itself. When the -gasoline motor was perfected mechanical flight followed very quickly and -was rapidly developed to a high degree of practicability. It is possible -that with encouragement human flight may also become more common than it -now is. - -PART V EVERY-DAY FLYING FOR PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR BY GLENN H. CURTISS -WITH CHAPTERS BY AUGUSTUS POST AND HUGH ROBINSON - -CHAPTER I TEACHING AVIATORS HOW AN AVIATOR FLIES - -Teaching another man how to fly is a very important matter, in whatever -way you look at it. - -You can take a perfect machine and select ideal conditions and let -everything be right for making a flight and then it is directly up to -the pupil–he must do the operating of the machine, no one else can do it -for him. In a single passenger machine, the instructor can clearly show -how it is done and then the other fellow must do it. The trick in -learning to fly is self-confidence and that must be gained by personal -practise. Any man who wants to fly badly enough can fly. - -Almost all of the aviators that have flown and are now flying Curtiss -machines, like Hamilton, Mars, Ely, McCurdy, Beachey, and Willard and -the army and navy aviators, have been practically self-taught although -now we have a regular school under the supervision of Lieut. J. W. -McClaskey, U. S. M. C. (retired), who has had great success with his -pupils. I have been flying for over four years and I feel that I don't -know much about it yet. - -The would-be aviator should go to a good school where the best -facilities can be had and where there is a good large place to fly, -without obstructions. The machine should be thoroughly mastered and -every part understood. Training a man to fly does not, as I regard it, -consist in putting him in an aeroplane and letting him go up before he -knows how to get down again. Anybody may be able to go up in an -aeroplane, but it requires skill and practice to come down without -damage to man or machine. - -HOW TO FLY - -An aeroplane is supported in the air by its wings. These are placed at a -slight angle to the direction in which it goes so that the front edge is -slightly higher than the rear edge. This tends to push the air downward -and the speed of the aeroplane must be great enough to skim over the air -before it has a chance to flow away. You may have had the experience of -skating over thin ice which would bend beneath your weight as long as -you kept moving, although it would have broken if you remained in one -place. This is precisely the same phenomenon, and as the water has not -time to flow away underneath from the thin ice so the air is caught -under the surfaces of the wings and the machine passes on gathering new -air as it goes to support it, faster than the air can flow away. A -curved surface is better than a flat one and to find just the proper -curve to be most efficient at the speed at which the machine is to fly -is a very difficult problem and must be determined by very careful -laboratory experiments. - -The various flying machines have different ways of accomplishing the -control of the rudders for steering to the right or left, and up and -down, for a flying machine is different from all other vehicles in this -one respect. In addition to the steering, the machine must be balanced, -and as the air is the most unstable of all mediums, how to maintain the -equilibrium becomes perhaps the most important point in the construction -of an aeroplane, as well as the most necessary one for the aviator to -master. This is accomplished in various ways and is the characteristic -feature of the different machines. - -The Curtiss machine is considered one of the simplest of all. When it is -remembered that Mr. C. F. Willard, my first pupil, learned to operate a -machine with hardly any instruction it would seem that the mere learning -to operate should not be a serious obstacle to overcome. If the air is -still and there are no wind gusts to strike the machine sideways and -upset it, flying is easy, but if the air comes in gusts and is rolling -and turbulent even the best and most skilful operator is kept busy -manoeuvring the front rudder and endeavouring to keep the machine headed -into the wind, and when it tips, moving the side controls to maintain -the balance. With all of these movements it is no wonder that the -aviator's mind must be active there is no time to think, every movement -and act must be absolutely accurate and the body must be under full -control. - -The operator sits on a small seat just in front of the lower main plane; -directly in front of him is a wheel which he can push out or pull back. -Pushing the wheel out turns the elevating surfaces so that the machine -points down. On the other hand, pulling the wheel toward you points the -machine up, causing it to rise higher into the air. Turning the wheel to -the right or left steers the machine to the right or left in the same -manner as a boat is steered by turning its rudder. - -The operator now must consider how to balance the aeroplane. On each -side at the extreme outer ends of the machine are placed small -horizontal planes so hinged at their front edge that they may be turned -up or down. They are connected together in such a manner that when one -points up the other points down, thus acting as a "couple"; wires -connect these stabilising planes to the movable back of the pilot's -seat. This has a yoke which fits over the shoulders of the operator. - -When the machine tips to the left the aviator naturally leans to the -right or the highest side and the lever is moved to the right by the -pressure of the shoulder. This causes the left hand stabilising plane to -be pulled down so that it offers its surface at an angle to the wind and -exerts a lift on its side while the right hand plane is turned the -opposite way, which causes it to exert a depressing effect on its side; -this tends to right the machine. - -The operator must use his feet also for there is a pedal for the left -foot which operates the throttle of the engine, causing it to go faster -or slower, and one for the right foot which operates a brake on the -front wheel, which helps to stop the aeroplane after it has landed and -is running over the ground on its wheels. - -THE FIRST STEPS - -It is necessary to know every detail of the machine–every bolt, nut and -screw, and the purpose each serves in the economy of the whole. It is -absolutely essential for the successful aviator to know his motor. The -motor is the heart of the aeroplane, and keeping it in good order is -just as necessary to the aviator's safety as is the keeping of his own -heart strong for any emergency that he may be called to face. - -After becoming familiar with its workings, so that it becomes second -nature to make the right movements, get into the machine and when the -air is perfectly still run it over the ground. When there is no more -novelty in the sensation and the machine is in a good position to get up -speed you raise the elevator a little and try making short jumps into -the air. The other pupils standing in a group at the end of the field -are usually hoping and praying that you will not smash the machine -before their turn comes and so cause delay until it is repaired. - -In San Diego, there was great rivalry between the Army and the Navy. -Witmer and Ellyson used to get up by sunrise and go over to the island -and take out the old machine we used for teaching, which was nicknamed -"Lizzy." They did this secretly because there was only one machine and -they did not want the Army to smash it and so keep them down on the -ground. After making their practice, they would go home and come back -later, pretending that it was their first appearance. - -When the officers began their schooling they fell steadily into my way -of looking at the problem, and not one of them spared himself bruised -hands or grimy clothing. For the first ten days I did not offer them a -chance even to give the motor its full power while they were in the -aviator's seat. After they had worked around the aeroplane long enough, -however, and were familiar with all its details, they were allowed to -make "runs" over the half mile course, straight-away. - -That is, they took their seats in the machine in turn, the propeller was -started, and the machine propelled along the ground on its wheels, like -an automobile, without being able to rise. To prevent the machine rising -while one of the men was in it, the throttle of the engine was so -arranged that it only got half power, which was not sufficient to give -it lifting power, but enough to drive it along on the ground at twenty -or twenty-five miles an hour. This "grass cutting," as the boys soon -dubbed it, gave them the opportunity to become used to the speed and the -"feel" of the machine. It also taught them to steer a straight course by -using the rudder and the front control, and to practise balance by the -use of the ailerons. After a few days of these runs the throttle was -given full vent, allowing full speed on the wheels, but the propeller -was changed to one without the usual pitch. Thus, while the engine would -drive the aeroplane at full speed on its wheels, this propeller did not -have enough thrust to lift it from the ground. In this way the military -pupils got the advantage of the speed, acquired balance, and adjusted -their control to suit it, without the danger of getting up in the air -too soon. - -A little later, when they had thoroughly accustomed themselves to these -conditions, still another propeller was put on. This one had just -sufficient pitch to lift the aeroplane from the ground, when well -handled, and it would make "jumps" of from twenty to fifty feet at a -height of a few inches or, perhaps, a few feet. - -These jumps served still further to develop the ability of the men to -control the machine and perfect their balance, and it gave them the -first sensation of being in flight at high speed, though not high enough -to do any great damage should one of them be so unlucky as to smash up. -A smash-up was what we particularly wished to guard against at all -times, not only because of the cost of repairs and the delay, but -largely because an accident, even though it may do no injury to the -aviator, may seriously effect his nerves. I have known of beginners who, -while making rapid progress in learning to fly, suffered a complete -setback just because of an unimportant accident to the machine in -flight, or in landing. Eagerness to fly too soon is responsible for many -of the accidents that befall beginners. An ambitious young man may -become thoroughly convinced after a few jumps that all he needs for -making a long and successful flight is the opportunity to get up a -hundred feet or so. The first chance he has, he goes up as he had -planned, and unless he is lucky or an exceptionally quick thinker, the -odds are that he will smash up in getting back to earth again. - -I have never seen any one more eager to fly, and to fly as quickly as -possible, than were these officers. Probably they were following the -military bent of their minds or, perhaps, it was the enthusiasm of the -pioneer in a new science. - -As a rule, the mornings at San Diego are fine. There is seldom any wind -during the forenoon, except when one of the winter rain storms blows in -from the ocean. We tried to get in as much work during this calm period -as possible. The mornings were found to be the best for doing this work. -It was most desirable, not to say necessary, that the pupils should have -a minimum of wind during their early practice work. Even the lightest -wind may sometimes give serious trouble to the beginner. A gust may lift -the aeroplane suddenly and then just as suddenly die out, allowing the -machine, should it be in flight, to drop as quickly as it rose. Such a -moment is a critical one for an inexperienced man. He feels himself -dropping and unless he keeps his head clear, he may come to grief -through doing too much or too little to restore his equilibrium. - -In the practice work all the officers, as well as two private students, -C. C. Witmer of Chicago and E. H. St. Henry of San Francisco, used the -same machine. This was one of the older types of biplane, with -especially strong wheels, and with a four-cylinder engine. This type was -selected as best adapted to the strain of heavy work. It had sufficient -power, under its regular equipment, to fly well, but had not the very -high speed of the latest type, fitted with eight-cylinder engines. For -beginners, I consider the four-cylinder machines the best. - -While most of the practice runs and jumps were made during the hours of -the forenoon, when there was little or no wind, there was plenty of work -on hand to fill in the afternoons as well. We were all the while -experimenting with various devices, some of them new, others merely -modifications of the old. All of these, whether new or old, involved -many changes in the equipment of the aeroplanes. There was seldom a time -when at least one or more of the four machines we kept on the island was -not in the process of being taken down or set up. Besides, there was the -long series of experiments with the hydroaeroplane, which were carried -on from day to day without affecting the regular practice work. - -These frequent changes in motor, propeller, planes, or controls, were -always taken part in by the officers. Thus they became acquainted with -everything about an aeroplane and knew the results produced by the -changes. I consider this the most valuable part of their training. - -All this "building up" process, as it may be called, that is, building -up a thorough knowledge of the aeroplane until every detail is known, I -believed to be necessary. I proceeded on the theory that confidence is -sure only when the aviator has a thorough understanding of his machine, -and confidence is the absolute essential to the man who takes a trip in -an aeroplane. If the aviator has not the knowledge of what to do, or -what his machine will do under certain conditions, he would better not -trust himself in the air. Once the men learned to make the runs and -jumps successfully and to handle the machine with ease and confidence, -they were ready for the next stage of their training before they could -be trusted to make a flight. This was to go as passengers. For the -carrying of a passenger, I chose the hydroaeroplane. - -This machine was not equipped with wheels for landing on the earth, when -I first began to use it, but had all the equipment for starting from or -landing on the water. We had built a hangar for storing it at night -close down to the water on Spanish Bight, which gave us the smooth -shallow water for launching it and hauling it out with ease. - -First, the men were taken in turn as passengers for runs over the -surface of the bay. On these runs I made no attempt to rise from the -water. I wanted to give the men time to accustom themselves to the new -sensation of skimming over the water at forty miles an hour, for that is -the speed at which I was able to drive the hydroaeroplane. The machine -would skim along under full power, with the edge of the float "skipping" -the water as a boy skips a stone on a pond. - -After this I undertook short flights, taking each officer in turn as a -passenger, and keeping within fifty or a hundred feet of the water. At -intervals I would make landings on the water, coming down until the -float touched the surface, and then getting up again without shutting -off the power. When these flights had been made for several days and the -men had accustomed themselves thoroughly to the sensation of being in -flight, I believed they had progressed far enough to be taken up for -longer and higher flights over both land and sea. In these flights I -used a machine equipped for landing on both land and water with equal -safety. - -One of the most important things that should be developed in the -beginner, and, at the same time, the most difficult, is the sense of -balance. Every one who has ever ridden a bicycle knows that the sense of -balance comes only after considerable practice. Once a bicycle is under -way the balance is comparatively easy, but in an aeroplane the balance -changes with every gust of wind, and the aviator must learn to adjust -himself to these changes automatically. Especially is a fine sense of -balance necessary in making sharp turns. - -Some aviators develop this sense of balance readily, while others -acquire it only after long practice. It may be developed to a large -extent by going up as a passenger with an experienced aviator. I have -noticed that it always helps a beginner, therefore, to make as many -trips as possible with some one else operating the aeroplane. In this -way they soon gain confidence, become used to the surroundings, and are -ready for flights on their own hook. - -One by one the officers were taken up as passengers on sustained flights -until they felt perfectly at ease while flying high and at great speed. -The machine I used for passenger-carrying practice work was capable of -flying fifty-five miles an hour without a passenger, and probably fifty -miles an hour with a passenger. This speed gave the men an opportunity -to feel the sensation of fast and high flying, an experience that -sometimes shakes the nerves of the amateur. - -All this took time. As I have said elsewhere, I did not want to force -the knowledge of aviation upon the young officers. Bather, I wanted to -let them absorb most of it, and to come by the thing naturally and with -confidence. It was much better, as I regarded it, to take more time, and -give more attention to the little details, than to sacrifice any of the -essentials to a too-quick flight. - -The men who had been detailed to learn to fly, I assumed, would be -called upon to teach other officers of the Army and Navy and, therefore, -they should be thoroughly qualified to act as instructors when they -should have completed their work at San Diego. This is the view they -took also, I believe, and I never saw men more anxious to learn to fly. - -During the last period of instruction, when the men had gone through all -the preliminaries; when they had learned how to take down and set up a -Curtiss aeroplane; knew the motor, and how to operate it to the best -advantage; in short, were thoroughly acquainted with every detail of the -machine, they were ready for the advanced stage of the work. This was to -take out a four-cylinder aeroplane for flights of from three to ten -minutes' duration at various heights. - -My instructions to all of the men were never to ascend to unaccustomed -heights on these practice flights; that is, not to venture beyond the -heights at which they felt perfectly at ease and capable of handling the -machine, and to make a safe landing without danger to themselves or to -the machine. These instructions were obeyed at all times. Perhaps the -caution exercised at every stage of the instructional period had had its -effect on the men and they felt no desire to take unnecessary chances. - -When they were able to fly and to make safe landings in a four-cylinder -machine, I considered that I had done all I could do to make aviators of -them. I had tried not to neglect anything that would prove of benefit to -them in their future work things I had had to learn through long years -of experiments and many failures. In other words, I tried to give them -the benefit of all my experience in the many little details that go to -make the successful aviator. - -Given the proper foundation for any trade or profession, the intelligent -man will work out his own development in his own way. I could only start -the men along the road I believed to be the easiest and safest to -travel; they had to choose their own way and time to reach the goal. - -It has been a pleasure and satisfaction to work with the officers of the -Army and Navy. Their desire to learn the problems of aviation, -intelligently applied, has made the work easier than I had anticipated. -The many little annoyances that often beset us are forgotten in the keen -satisfaction of having been of some service to the men themselves, and -above all to our War and Navy Departments. - -A BULLETIN ISSUED AT THE CURTISS AVIATION CAMP - -The course is divided into six parts or stages. - -1st. Ground work with reduced power. To teach running in straight line. - -2nd. Straightaway flights near the ground, just sufficient power to get -off. - -3rd. Straightaway flights off the ground at a distance of ten or fifteen -feet to teach use of the rudder and ailerons. - -4th. Eight and left half circles and glides. - -5th. Circles. - -6th. Figure eights, altitude flights and landings without power and -glides. - -In the above stages of instruction the men should learn the following -about flying: - -FIRST STAGE - -Learn to run straight, using rudder and keeping on the ground. The idea -is to be able to control under reduced power. Student must be kept at -this continuously until he is perfectly at home in the machine and -accustomed to the noise of the motor and the jar and movement of the -machine on the ground. This practice should be kept up from one to two -weeks, depending upon the ability the student shows in handling the -machine in this part of the instruction. - -SECOND STAGE - -Motor throttled, but with sufficient power to allow the student to jump -the machine off of the ground for very short distances. Care must be -taken in adjusting the throttle to allow for wind conditions, otherwise -machine may be shot up into the air suddenly and the student lose -control of it. Student should be also instructed during these jumps to -pay attention to the ailerons to keep the machine balanced. The throttle -can be gradually let out to full as soon as the student begins to -acquire the use of the ailerons and keeps good balance. - -THIRD STAGE - -Student should be instructed to rise fifteen or twenty feet from the -ground in straightaway flights, and use rudder slightly in order to -become accustomed to its use and its effect on the machine in the air. -As soon as the student has accomplished the above he may be permitted to -rise to the approximate height of one hundred feet if the field is large -enough and to glide down under reduced power. When he has done this -successfully many times, let him repeat the above gliding with motor cut -out completely. - -FOURTH STAGE - -Student may be permitted to rise to the height of twenty-five to fifty -feet and make half circles across the field to the right and then to the -left. These circles should be shortened or sharpened with increased -banking on turns until they are sufficient for any ordinary condition or -case of emergency. - -FIFTH STAGE - -The student may be permitted to rise to a height of not less than fifty -feet, and if the field is sufficiently large, permitted to make long -circles, gradually shortening these circles until the shortest circle -required is reached. Student should be cautioned not to climb on the -turns. He should be instructed to drop the machine on the turns, thus -increasing the speed and lessening the possibility of slipping side wise -in banking. He should be instructed to land as nearly as possible on all -three wheels at once. This may be accomplished by flying or gliding as -close to the ground as possible and parallel to it, then slowing the -engine and allowing the machine to settle to the ground. - -SIXTH STAGE - -In making figure eights for pilot's license, student should try to climb -as much as possible on the straightaways between the turns and drop -slightly on the turns. In making glides from high altitudes where motor -is voluntarily cut off, it is best to start the gliding angle before the -power is cut off. In case the motor should stop suddenly, the machine -should be plunged instantly if machine is at sufficient altitude and -considerably sharper than the gliding angle, in order to maintain the -head-on speed, and then gradually brought back to the gliding angle. - -A DAY AT HAMMONDSPORT–NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST - -The Curtiss Aviation Camp at Hammondsport broke all records on June 22, -1912, by the number of flights made in a day. In all, two hundred and -forty flights were made. One hundred and twenty-six of these were with -the practice machine called "Lizzie" and constituted straight flights -for the length of the field and half circles. Sixty-four flights were -made with the eight-cylinder practice machine, and consisted of half -circles, circles, and figure eights. The other sixty flights were made -with the hydroaeroplane. - -The twelve students who made these flights, some of whom were taking the -course in the hydro and land machine both, expressed themselves as -pretty thoroughly tired out at the end of this strenuous day's work. One -hundred or more flights are made practically every day in the week, but -the twenty-second being a particularly fine day, this new record was -made. - -The day's flying used up a barrel of gasoline and four gallons of -oil.–A. P. - -CHAPTER II AVIATION FOR AMATEURS - -The man who contemplates buying an aeroplane for his own use will be -especially interested in three subjects: First, how difficult it is to -learn to fly; second, how long it takes to learn; and third, what is the -cost of up-keep. By difficult I do not mean dangerous; any one who has -gone far enough to consider owning and operating a machine knows and -discounts the element of danger, and as to cost, it is easy to get -figures on the first cost of an aeroplane; what the investigator would -like to know is what it is likely to cost him for maintenance, breakage, -and so on. - -With a competent teacher and if ever competence was necessary it is here -learning to fly is neither difficult nor dangerous. Six weeks ought to -be time enough to teach one to fly, provided the pupil knows something -about motors and is apt in other ways. Contrary to popular belief, -reckless daring is not one of the requirements for success. Indeed, a -man who applies for a position as aviator with the announcement that he -is a daredevil afraid of nothing under heaven, is very likely to be -rejected for this very reason, and a pupil who has the common sense to -know that there is no especial point in defying a quite impersonal force -like gravitation will get up a much better start than one who has so -little caution that he wants to get up in the air too soon. Caution is -the great thing for the beginner. Let him learn the machine first from -the ground and on the ground, learn the controls and find out what to do -when he shall be up in the air. Then let him learn how it feels to run -over the ground on the wheels. Then he will begin to make "jumps," -little ones, then longer and longer, until he is free of any fear of the -air. This comes sooner with some than with others, and it is said that -in some rare cases fear of the air never exists at all, for the great -aviator, the star performer, like any other great man, has to be born -with certain qualifications and a good many of them. There is no reason, -with the advancing improvement in the flying machine, why almost every -one with a real desire to fly should not be able in a comparatively -short time to learn to do so. - -As for the third point, it will cost no more to keep an aeroplane than -to own an automobile. The initial cost is the greatest. Of course, there -are the same qualifications that obtain with the automobile the cost of -up-keep will depend upon whether you have many and serious breakages and -whether the owner looks after his own machine. Should the owner prefer -to hire a competent mechanic, his wages will be about the same as those -of a first-class chauffeur. As for smash-ups, the expense of these would -be considerable, but not as much as it would be if an automobile should -have an accident. For contrary to the ideas of a good many of the -uninitiated, it is quite possible to injure an aeroplane, and quite -seriously, too, without in the least hurting the aviator. In this -respect the hydroaeroplane is of course safest of all; I am reminded of -a recent accident at Antibes, near Nice, France, where Mr. Hugh -Robinson, who was demonstrating a Curtiss hydroaeroplane, suffered a -badly wrecked machine without the least injury. Forced to make a quick -landing, he chose, in order to avoid a flock of motor boats filled with -spectators, to dive directly into the water. The shock threw him out of -the machine and he swam about unconcernedly until a motor boat picked -him up. Of course a similar sharp contact with the solid ground would -have wrecked the aviator to some extent as well, but it is possible to -put a hydroaeroplane completely out of commission, necessitating -expensive repairs, and not be more than shaken up. - -Really there is much less danger of smash-ups than the outsider would -think, provided the aviator is a careful driver. The main thing is to -have great judgment in choosing a time for flights. An inexperienced -aviator should never take up his machine in an unsteady wind of greater -velocity than ten miles an hour. The less wind the better, for the -beginner. The dangerous wind is the puffy, gusty sort, and this should -be avoided by any but the most experienced aviator. It must be -remembered, however, that it is the variations and not the velocity of -the wind which causes trouble. - -Another item of expense to be taken into consideration is the -transportation of an aeroplane from one place to another, for it does -not always go on its own wings. This, however, is neither difficult nor -expensive. I am able, for example, to take down my machines and pack -them in specially constructed boxes so that they take up but a -comparatively small space for shipment. The setting up process is not -difficult, nor even complicated, and can be performed by any one having -had the proper instructional term at a first-class aviation school. An -illustration shows an aeroplane, in its case, carried on an automobile. - -With regard to safety as a steady, every-day means of transportation, -all of us, in and out of the profession, know that, as Mr. Hudson Maxim -has said, to make the aeroplane a common vehicle for, say, the commuter, -"It must be improved so that flights shall become more a function of the -machine and less a function of the aviator." At present a great deal -depends upon the man who is flying especially upon his quick and -accurate judgment and his power to execute his judgment instantly and -automatically. The man who buys an aeroplane to fly knows this -beforehand and takes it into account; indeed it is a question whether, -if the flying machine were as safe as a rocking-chair, there would be so -much fascination about it; but while the aviator will always have to -take into account, no matter how the mechanism may be improved, a -certain element of danger that must attend it, he may as well remember, -to quote Mr. Maxim once more, that "the tenure of life of no -automobilist is stronger than his steering gear." - -It certainly is not looking too far ahead to forecast the entrance of -the aeroplane into the commuter's life. The great mass of the people -certainly will not take the air-line, any more than they are now coming -in by automobile every morning, and yet how many business men–and not -necessarily the richest–do make the trip, that twice a day they used to -take in a railroad car, in the open air, with the exhilarating breezes -of their own automobiles? Perhaps not these same business men, but a -corresponding class, will undoubtedly reduce the dull hours of train -travel by half and turn them into hours of delight by the popularisation -of aeroplane transportation. As has been the case with every means of -transportation that has shortened time of travel, the habitable zones -around cities will grow larger and larger as places hitherto -inaccessible open before the coming of the swiftest form of -transportation known to man, and the only one not dependent upon the -earth's surface, whether mountain, swamp, or river, to shape its course. - -If we had a course only a few hundred feet wide from New York to St. -Louis or Chicago, aeroplanes could go through every day and there would -be little danger; indeed, even as things are now, it would be a much -safer method of travel than by automobile, as well as of course much -faster. Long lanes with grass on each side and an automobile highway in -the middle would be of the greatest advantage to both forms of travel. -In crossing mountains on the downhill side an aeroplane could glide for -long distances at an angle of one to five, so that if the elevation were -a mile high it could glide five miles before landing. And on the up-hill -side it could of course land immediately and with ease. - -To return to the amateur, it is always better to go around an object -that you can not land on immediately. Landing is indeed one of the most -important points for the amateur aviator to consider. If it is possible, -watch all accidents and study them closely. I take every means I can to -learn what causes an accident so as to guard against it myself. Strictly -speaking almost everything about the art of aviation is being learned by -experimentation and the causes of accidents, while not always exactly -ascertainable, are of the greatest interest to builders and operators of -flying machines, for out of the accidents of to-day often come the -improvements of to-morrow. - -While learning, and indeed whenever possible, you should examine the -ground before attempting to fly over it. The pupil should inspect every -inch of the course over which he is to fly, by walking carefully over -it, noticing all the holes and obstructions in the ground. Then should -it be necessary to land, for any cause whatever, he will know -instinctively where to land and what to avoid in landing. Keep away from -other aeroplanes, for the wind-wash in their wake may tip up your plane -and cause serious trouble. - -My advice to the amateur begins and ends with one injunction: "Go slow." -Yes, for more than a month, "Go slow." It is hard to resist the -temptation to try to do stunts; with a certain amount of familiarity -with your machine, so that you feel you could do a great deal more than -you are doing, and with some experienced and confident performer all but -turning somersaults with his machine over your head, to the delight of -the crowd, it is hard to resist giving one's self the thrill that comes -from taking a risk and not being caught, but you will do the stunts all -the better for going slow at first. - -Mr. Charles Battell Loomis, the late American humourist, said once, in -talking about the opening of the fields of air: - -"It was thought that the automobile was a machine of danger, but the -aeroplane has made it comparatively safe. A man in an aeroplane a mile -above the earth, taking his first lesson all by himself, is in a -perilous position. He has not one chance in a thousand of ever owning -another machine. - -"A man who will fly over a city full of hard-working people is a selfish -brute. Until a man is absolutely sure of himself he should always fly -with a good-sized net suspended beneath his machine. - -"The man in the street has always hated new things. He hated -velocipedes, then bicycles, then safeties, then automobiles, then -motorcycles, but he has not yet learned to hate the aeroplane. But wait -until monkey wrenches begin to fall on Broadway or beginners begin to -fall on the man in the street. Then he will be mad at the aeroplane–if -there is anything left of him." - -Allowing for the humorous exaggeration, there is this element of truth -in this that mechanical flight has as yet a strong element of -uncertainty. - -Yet there are certainly wonderful stunts to be done with a flying -machine, and the fun is as much in the effect on the flier as on the -audience; perhaps even more so. I would fly for the mere sport if I were -not in the business, for there is a fascination about flying that it is -unnecessary to explain and difficult to resist. You can chart currents -of the sea, but the wind is such a capricious element that though there -are, so to speak, outline maps that could be made of the general -direction of the winds, there will always be a certain uncertainty about -their conduct. Nevertheless there are so much greater possibilities in -flying than in any other of the arts, that it is no wonder the amateur -wants to develop them. And in conclusion I can say that an aeroplane in -perfect condition is as safe as an automobile going at the same -speed–*and I mean it!* - -CHAPTER III HOW IT FEELS TO FLY (By Augustus Post.) - -There is no one question that people ask more often than: "How does it -feel to fly!" Perhaps a passenger feels more keenly the sensations of -flight than an aviator because his mind is not taken up with the -operation of the controls. - -As for the passenger, he climbs into the flying machine, takes his seat -beside the operator, and becomes at once the centre of interest to all -the people standing by. If he is himself an aviator it is another -matter, but if it is his first experience in the air, he is usually the -object of a certain shuddering admiration, not unmixed with envy. - -The motor is started, making a terrific noise that almost deafens him, -and quite drowns the parting speeches and the efforts of the funny men -present to improve the occasion. With perfect calm, without the least -excitement, the aviator listens to the noise of the motor; he hears it -run and carefully notes the regularity of the explosions. When all is -ready, he waves his hand the signal for the man holding the machine to -let go. The machine runs along the ground, gathering speed, bounces a -little, so that one hardly knows when it leaves the ground; the front -control is raised, and the machine is in the air. - -You feel the rushing of the wind, and things below seem dancing about -down there. The machine keeps its exquisite poise in the air, sensitive -to the slightest movement of the control. As it rises, the forward plane -is turned a little down, and as the machine varies in its elevation, the -plane is turned to bring it back to the level; it tips a little to one -side and the aviator moves, as it were instinctively, to correct the -balance. The rush of the wind by your face becomes more violent, and the -machine pitches and balances as if it were suspended by a string or by -some unseen force which holds it up in the air. - -[Illustration: (A) AUGUSTUS POST FLYING AT THE FIRST HARVARD-BOSTON MEET] - -(B) AN AEROPLANE PACKED FOR SHIPMENT–POST DRIVING - -[Illustration: CURTISS' PUPILS] - -(A) J A D McCurdy racing against automobile, Daytona Beach. (B) -Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson, U. S. N. (C) Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Atwater, -pupils at San Diego. - -When the flight nears its end and the machine flies low over the -aviation field, the fences and trees there seem in a moment to be -rushing to meet one. The planes are pointed downwards, the machine -descends, is caught up again by the control, and glides along level with -the ground, skimming just above the grass. The wind moves it a little -side wise, perhaps, but the pilot, with the rudder, straightens the -machine around until it points right into the wind's eye and the wheels -are parallel with the direction of the machine over the ground. The -control now causes the machine to come lower until the wheels strike the -ground it rolls along bounces a little over the rough field the brake is -set, and the machine comes to a stop. - -The aviator jumps down, the passenger climbs out with somewhat less -agility, perhaps, and expresses his very hearty thanks, the plane is -turned around, the propeller started, and the machine flies off again, -leaving the passenger to tramp slowly through the grass, contemplating -the insignificance of the human creature who is forced to walk humbly -along the ground. You may remember that the first time you descended -from an automobile and began to walk, you seemed to yourself to be only -marking time. - -This new experience, though of the same nature as that, is far more -impressive; not alone the difference in speed, but the whole character -of the motion the altitude, the rushing wind, the sense of something -long awaited and now realised sets the sensation of flight apart from -any other, and makes him who once experiences it resolved to repeat the -experience as soon and as often as possible. - -The passenger is at once the object of eager inquiries as to how he -felt, and he usually makes it his business to express his satisfaction -whenever asked and sometimes without being asked, so there is little -wonder that aviators are besieged by applicants for rides. A few months -ago a lady who had been a passenger in an aeroplane was certain to get -her picture in the papers; now there are so many that it would be -difficult even to keep a record of them. - -Now that we are coming to regard the aeroplane seriously, more from the -practical and less from the grandstand side, it may be noted without -fear of loss to gate receipts, that its dangers have been greatly -exaggerated. Rational flight is hardly any more hazardous than motor -speeding, steeple chasing, and many other sports, not to mention -football! Engines stop and planes split, but steering gear breaks and -horses stumble. Danger lurks everywhere, but we disregard it because the -chances are long in our favour. - -The real danger in aviation lies in the chances men take as desire lays -hold upon them; chances the dangers of which they fully realise, but -disregard for various causes. There are so-called "holes in the air," -but they are hardly more numerous than gullies in the road. High wind is -dangerous, but the aviator can often avoid its perils if he will. -Briefly, aviation confined to its now well-defined limitations, is a -thoroughly rational sport. - -The "queer" sensation of flight comes in a quick rise, dip or short -turn, and you can experience the same sensation in the elevator of a New -York sky-scraper, Ferris wheel, shoot-the-chutes or even the back yard -swing, for that matter! Dizziness from height is not experienced, for -one sees the landscape spread out from high up and afar off, as if from -a sheltered balcony; the tendency is not to look down but away. - -While the rush of air is tremendous, it is not disagreeable, and one -even forgets the deafening, unmuffled motor in the indescribable joys, -mainly because of the wondrous charm and variety of the landscape which -we have known only in detail, ignorant of its beauty as a mass. -Apprehension, shuddering, gruesome, childish apprehension perhaps, at -the starting, replaced by profound security as mastery, perfect mastery, -is apparent; a sense of joyous freedom following as the marvellous world -below is revealed. Like an exquisite monotone in low relief it is, each -note of colour with its value and in perfect harmony with the whole; -ever subtly changing, always some new surprise, some unexpected -revelation, lifting one on the wings of exaltation. - -The popular literary vehicle of to-day, rivalling the "fairy coach of -Cinderella," is without question the alluring aeroplane, fitted with all -the latest improvements: tachometer, inclinometer, animometer, -barograph, aneroid, compass with map holders, lights, and all the modern -conveniences and aviation equipment, including a wire-less telegraph -outfit, having shock absorbers for landing and an enclosed limousine -cabin with mica or celluloid windows, in which not only can our spirits -be wafted about, but in which we may enjoy all the material comforts of -speedy travel, free from present annoyances and inconveniences, and -without requiring the inflated rubber suits which Mr. Rudyard Kipling so -kindly provided for his passengers on board the now famous "Night Mail." -Vehicles of this description already exist and an "aero-bus" has carried -as many as thirteen passengers besides its driver. It is confidently -predicted that twenty passengers will soon be carried in an aeroplane at -one time. - -There is no doubt but that in flying the higher faculties are called -into play. No such elaborate preparation is necessary for learning to -drive an automobile, but some instruction is usually found necessary -when learning how to balance a bicycle for the first time and until -confidence is secured, as is also the case in learning to swim. A good -chauffeur does not necessarily make a good aviator even though he have -exceptional ability as a driver of racing automobiles, although I think -that an aviator might make a good driver of a racing automobile. This -seems to indicate clearly to my mind that there is some additional -quality required in flying. I know of one case where a successful -automobile builder and driver killed himself on account of desperation -over the fact that he could not master flying. - -Actors and men with a keen sense of feeling seem to do well in the air. -They seem to get the "feel of the air," or to have the delicate sense of -touch which is required to handle an aeroplane among the illusive -vagaries of the atmosphere, and to be able to sense its rapid action and -feel its ever-changing conditions almost before they take effect. One -must be absolutely en rapport with his machine, as an expert horseman is -part of his horse or his horse is part of him; such a rider stands out -from all the rest, a beautiful sight to see and an expression of the -poetry of motion; such also is the manner of the master at the piano, -whose very soul is in tune and vibrating with every subtle and rich -harmony of the instrument, feeling at the same time the ever-changing -mood of his audience as he sways them or is swayed by them in turn, -keeping in close sympathy with their thoughts as well as suggesting to -their minds the trend that they shall take. - -AVIATING AND BALLOONING - -The sensations which an aviator has during great flights of both -duration and altitude are somewhat comparable to those of the balloon -pilot[9] who sails in the sky far above the earth, feeling a peculiar -realisation of the immediate presence of the Supreme Being, overwhelmed -with the magnitude of the universe, with a sense of being a part of it, -untrammelled, unaffected by ordinary things, surrounded with -extraordinary conditions, supersensitive and yet keenly realising, now, -matters of vast importance; now, minutely weighing his life in his hands -as if it were something far removed from himself; breathing an air full -of vigour and inspiration, with a sense of exaltation pervading every -cell of the body is it a wonder that men enjoy such delights and really -live only when they can cast off mere existence and rise either to the -contemplation of such experiences by reading and thinking about them or -to a full realisation of these experiences by actually trying them out -personally? Such moments, rapidly passing moments each going to make up -our individual life are usually but too few. - -Is it then a wonder, that, after actual days of such vivid living, upon -descending to earth or coming back among people, one should look at -those who gather around about one as some kind of lower order of animal, -that it should take a few moments to feel their presence gradually -dawning upon him, and to bring his faculties slowly back where they can -begin to understand what these bystanders are thinking and talking -about? - -This seems but a dream, but is in reality an actual experience of a -return to earth after two days spent in the air and a visit to regions -over four miles above its surface, much of the time out of sight of this -dear old sphere, when ears had become unaccustomed to sound, and so -impaired by the change of pressure due to the high altitude that we -could not, for some time after landing, hear when spoken to. Our own -voices rang hollow and stuck in our throats, and our thought had become -unattuned to those expressed by the gaping, wondering crowd, struck dumb -at the sight of our arrival, and standing like cows in the pasture when -you walk among them. - -Such is the state of mind in store for the airman, the artist, the -thinker, the person desiring to become isolated for a while to feel as -Adam felt in all reality, when he stood in the midst of the garden of -Eden, monarch of all he surveyed. This appeals strangely to the -imagination but when it becomes a reality by virtue of actual -experience, it also becomes a sensation most difficult to express; for -so few people understand what you are talking about, few having had the -sensations of being removed from this world and coming back again to it. - -CHAPTER IV OPERATING A HYDROAEROPLANE (By Hugh Robinson.) - -The general impression among aviators and manufacturers of aeroplanes is -that the hydroaeroplane is rapidly becoming the flying craft of the -future, by reason of its ease of control, extensive bodies of water upon -which to operate it, and, above all, its safety. - -It is practically impossible for the operator of a hydroaeroplane to -suffer injury in case of accident. Even in the worst kind of an -accident, the most that can happen to the operator is an exhilarating -plunge into salt or fresh water as the case may be, with the beneficial -effects of a good swim if so desired, otherwise, the operator may "stand -by" the wreckage, which cannot possibly sink. The several pontoons, -together with the necessary woodwork to construct the planes, etc., -furnish ample buoyancy to support the machine and operator even in case -of a total wreck, which rarely ever happens. One can bang down upon the -water with a hydro in any old fashion, and beyond a tremendous splash -nothing serious happens. - -Of course, this article refers entirely to the Curtiss hydroaeroplane, -which I have been operating since its invention. The Curtiss pontoon is -divided into six water-tight compartments, three of which will support -the machine under average conditions. Recently, while the writer was -abroad, a demonstration was made of these compartments for safety in -case of accident to any part of the pontoon. - -This demonstration took place at Monaco, and consisted in removing the -drain plugs from two compartments, after which the hydro with pilot and -passenger was pushed out into the harbour and allowed to stand thirty -minutes to let the opened compartments fill with water, after which the -motor was started and a flight made without the slightest difficulty. - -The operation of a hydro is very similar to that of the ordinary land -machine–only, if anything, considerably easier and more simple. The -start of the hydro is simply starting the motor while the hydro is -resting on the land or bank of the lake or river, with the front towards -the water. The operator takes his place, and on opening the throttle -gradually the thrust of the motor slides the apparatus along the ground, -or planks if ground be unsuitable, and into the water. The pontoons -being fitted underneath with steel shod runners makes it possible to -start on rocks, gravel, or in fact most any reasonable surface. The -finish can be made in the same manner, without assistance. - -It is possible to start the hydro on dry land if the surface is -reasonably smooth, with the assistance of one or two mechanics. It is -also possible, in an emergency, even to land on the earth with the hydro -pontoon attachment; and, of course, with wheels attached to the landing -gear, one can come down on land as with the ordinary type of machine. - -Once out upon the water, the operator rapidly increases his speed by -opening the throttle, taking care, however, to accelerate gradually, to -allow the pontoon to mount the surface of the water without throwing an -unnecessary amount of water into the propeller. Once a speed of -twenty-five to thirty miles an hour is obtained, the pontoon skims -lightly over the surface of the water. As the ailerons do not become -effective until the machine acquires considerable speed, the small -floats on the lower ends of wings maintain the balance until necessary -speed is acquired. The small flexible wooden paddles on the lower rear -ends of the wing tanks slide over the water and exert a great lifting -effect, thus rigidly preserving the balance on the water at slow speeds -or standing, and also preventing damage to wings in case a bad landing -is made whereby one wing strikes the water first. In such a case, -instead of the wing digging into the water, the paddles cause a glancing -blow which levels the machine automatically. - -When the machine has acquired a certain speed it leaves the water in -exactly the same manner as on the land and immediately increases its -speed, due to the released friction from the water. It also has a slight -tendency to jump into the air due to the released friction between the -boat and water. Once into the air, the operator is the same as with the -regular land-equipped Curtiss aeroplanes. - -The landing is made in the ordinary manner, bearing in mind to keep the -boat as near level fore and aft as possible, and if the water be very -rough to allow the tail of the machine to settle on the water first. -This will prevent any possibility of sticking the front of the boat into -an unexpected wave. - -As should be the case with any aeroplane, it is advisable to start and -land against the wind if there be much, but this is not compulsory. The -hydro may be landed even while drifting sideways, in an emergency case. -It is obvious that to do this with a land machine would be to invite -disaster. - -The writer saw a forcible demonstration of the one and two pontoon types -of hydros during the Hydroaeroplane Meet in France, and he had the only -machine there with the single pontoon, and also the only one able to go -out on rough water. He successfully made flights and landings in waves -six to eight feet high, whereas three hydros of the two pontoon type -were wrecked in waves less than two feet high. The single -pontoon-equipped hydro may be dragged out on the banks any place where a -space two feet wide may be obtained, and on my recent trip down the -Mississippi, I had occasion to rejoice in this fact and put it to a -practical test, as I was hauled out on shores between large rocks or -stumps in several instances. The turning of the hydro is accomplished by -simply turning the rudder and leaning towards the turn, the same as on a -bicycle, allowing the motor to run on reduced or half throttle. - -The exhilaration of flying a hydro cannot be described on paper. It is -the fastest motor boat in the world, and to be able to approach a launch -and jump over it and observe the consternation of the passengers is the -keenest pleasure imaginable. - -The hydro may be used solely as a motor boat if desired, at a speed of -sixty miles per hour, without a drop of water ever touching its -passengers, or if weather be favorable, flights may be made at will of -the operator. - -The surface of a river or lake offers the ideal condition for landing or -starting an aeroplane, and these are more numerous than suitable grounds -for land machines, besides this the air conditions over water are always -better than over land, due to its unbroken surface, which does not -obstruct the air currents as do trees, houses, etc., on land. - -An automatic safeguard exists in the hydro to prevent accidents, such as -has caused the loss of lives on land, and that is as follows: - -It is possible to rise in an ordinary land machine with too little power -to make a turn or climb fast, and as a result get a bad fall. Owing to -the fact that there is a suction between the water and the pontoon it -requires more power actually to leave the water than to fly once the -plane is in the air. This fact prevents a hydro taking flight with too -little reserve flying ability, and once in the air the operator may be -sure of a considerable reserve of power to enable him to fly strongly -and safely under all conditions. - -PART VI THE CURTISS PUPILS AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE CURTISS AEROPLANE -AND MOTOR BY AUGUSTUS POST - -CHAPTER I PUPILS - -All great masters have been represented by pupils who have done honour -to their teacher and have achieved personal success in a large measure. -Mr. Curtiss is no exception to this rule, for he has taught more than a -hundred pupils. - -There have been representatives of all classes and all nationalities. -The list includes all trades and professions, from horse trainers to -bankers. And in all these have been pupils from thirteen nationalities -including Russians, Germans, French, Canadians, Scotch, Irish, English, -Japanese, Indians, Cubans, Mexican, Spaniards, and Greeks. - -Instruction has been given in all languages, including the sign -language. Some nationalities are naturally a little harder than others -to instruct, largely because of national characteristics of thought, and -also for the reason that in a southern climate those native to it are -often unaccustomed to the rapid action necessary at times in flying. - -Negroes have not yet as a class taken to aviation, but there is one -Chinaman in California, Tom Gun, who has been successful as an aviator. -But conspicuous among the list of pupils is the number of Army and Navy -officers of our own, as well as of foreign countries, that have -graduated from the Curtiss School. - -Hydroaeroplane operation has also been taught to a number of pupils both -at Hammondsport, N. Y., and at San Diego, California, where the training -camps are located. - -The life that the pupils lead at these schools is most interesting and -healthful. The students get up early, sometimes at four in the morning, -when it is just light enough to see and when the air is usually calm and -the best conditions for learning to fly exist. Pupils are outdoors -practically all day, flying, or working on the machines when any thing -breaks or goes wrong. Many pupils have engaged in exhibition flying -after completing their course of instruction, and among the large number -of very excellent aviators that have followed in Mr. Curtiss' wing beats -(for you can hardly say foot steps) have been some of the foremost -aviators in the world and men whose fame and exploits are household -words to-day. - -A partial list of some of these men at present active in the field is -here given: - -Chas. F. Willard, Hugh Robinson, Chas. K. Hamilton, J. C. Mars, C. C. -Witmer, E. C. St. Henry, Lincoln Beachey, Beckwith Havens, Lieut. T. G. -Ellyson, U. S. N.; Capt. P. W. Beck, U. S. A.; Lieut. J. H. Towers, U. -S. N.; William Hoff, J. B. McCalley, S. C. Lewis, C. W. Shoemaker, W. B. -Atwater, Al. Mayo, Al. J. Engle, J. Lansing Callan, G. E. Underwood, -Irah D. Spaulding, C. F. Walsh, Carl T. Sjolander, Fred Hoover, E. C. -Malick, Ripley Bowman, T. T. Maroney, C. A. Berlin, H. Park, W. M. -Stark, E. H. McMillan, F. J. Terrill, Francis Wildman, F. J. Southard, -Lieut. P. A. Dumford, W. B. Hemstrought, Earl Sandt, E. B. Russell, -Lieut. J. E. McClaskey, W. W. Vaughn, Barney Moran, M. Kondo, J. G. -Kaminski, Mohan Singh, K. Takeishi. - -[Illustration: CURTISS' PUPILS] - - ------------------- --------------------------------- ------------------ - Beckwith Havens C. C. Witmer Cromwell Dixon - Chas. K. Hamilton J. A. D. McCurdy Chas. F. Walsh Chas. F. Willard - ------------------- --------------------------------- ------------------ - -[Illustration: LINCOLN BEACHEY FLYING IN GORGE AT NIAGARA] - -(Insert: Portrait of Beachey) - -Among those in this list who have done wonderful things, it might be -interesting to mention some of the marvellous feats of daring as well as -a few of the achievements of Lincoln Beachey, who is credited with being -the greatest exhibition aviator in the world. - -At the meet in Chicago in the summer of 1911, Beachey flew more miles -than any other aviator. He flew all the time and was in the air during -all the flying hours in one contest or another. He did all the special -tricks in the air that were known, he carried passengers, won speed -races, and established a new world's altitude record at 11,642 feet. -After flying as high as he could, at Chicago, with a seven gallon tank -full of gasoline, Beachey came down and said: "To-morrow I'll go -higher." He had a ten gallon tank fitted to his machine, filled it full -up to the top, and started right up from where his machine was standing -on the ground, so as not to waste a drop of gasoline, and flew up and up -until it was completely exhausted and his motor thus compelled to stop, -but not until he had set the world's record at 11,642 feet. He -deliberately started out on this trip to climb up as long as his fuel -would last. He knew his motor would stop and he would have to glide -down. It was not an unintended glide but it was the longest glide on -record. He brought out all the points and possibilities of his machine; -distance, speed, weight-carrying, and altitude. Wilbur Wright said: -"Beachey is the most wonderful flyer I ever saw and the greatest aviator -of all." Calbraith P. Bodgers said upon his arrival at Los Angeles after -flying across the American continent, a distance of over four thousand -miles, "Beachey's daring flight down the gorge of Niagara and through -the spray of the falls was a greater achievement than mine." Beachey has -been remarkably free from serious accidents even though now he pitches -straight down from the sky, seeming to fall straight to the earth and -just catching his machine up in time to avoid striking the earth. - -At Hammondsport on July 29th, 1912, Beachey was trying out a new model -military type and he ascended six thousand five hundred feet in fifteen -minutes, while he came down in one minute, making one of his -perpendicular dives with the engine still. The whistling of the wind -through the taut wires of the machine could be heard half a mile away. -On this occasion one of the lady visitors to the testing grounds, who -had never seen Beachey fly before, thinking that he was falling and -would surely strike the ground and be dashed to pieces, fainted. Beachey -said, "Flying did not come to me at first but it seemed to come all of a -sudden and then it came big."[10] - -Once Beachey had to land in a very small place surrounded with trees and -the only way he could do it with the fast machine that he was driving -was to kill its speed in the air by skimming over the trees, shutting -off his motor, and gliding along to the place where he wanted to stop, -and then pointing the machine up suddenly, very much as a bird comes to -a stop, and then "pancaking" down, as it is called when you come down -"kerflop" like a pancake. - -Beachey broke a wheel by this performance and he has worried over that -little breakage as much as another man would over smashing up a whole -machine. - -Beachey flew from New York to Philadelphia in company with Eugene Ely -and Hugh Robinson in August, 1911, winning the first inter-city race to -be held in the United States. - -Among the skilled operators of hydroaeroplanes is Mr. Hugh Robinson who -flew down the Mississippi River in the spring of 1912, carrying mail and -covering the river course between Minneapolis, Minn., and Rock Island, -Ill. Mr. Robinson also went to France in May of 1912, and competed in -the first contests and races ever held in this new sport at Monte Carlo. -Since his return to America, Mr. Robinson has been the instructor in -hydroaeroplaning at Hammondsport. - -CHAPTER II A DESCRIPTION OF THE CURTISS BIPLANE - -No type of aeroplane is more familiar in America than the Curtiss -biplane. By long experimentation, this machine has been developed for -practical use; and is now used for military purposes in Russia, Japan, -Italy, Germany, France, and the United States. The machine is of the -general type known as "biplane," in which there are two sets of wings, -or surfaces, one being directly above the other. This type of machine -seems to be the most favoured by Americans, for it not only allows of a -greater spread of lifting surface for a given width of plane than in the -monoplane, or single-wing type, but also it is much stronger than other -machines of the same weight, as its design permits of a system of -bridge-trussing known as the "Pratt Truss." In the Curtiss machine this -feature is especially pronounced, because of the greater safety which -rigid planes have when compared with the flexible wings. - -The woodwork of these aeroplanes is entirely of selected spruce and ash, -all the posts, beams, and ribs being laminated. The propeller is a -particularly difficult piece of laminated work, being built up of from -twelve to eighteen layers of thinly cut wood, while the upright posts of -the central section are made up of ash and spruce, the heavier and more -flexible wood forming the core. A feature of strength is to be found in -the double trussing which is placed in all of the vital parts of the -aeroplane, where the greatest strength is required. All this trussing is -made with a cable of galvanised steel wire tested to withstand a pulling -strain of nearly half a ton. - -Transportation and military use have been especially considered in the -construction of the planes. The upper and lower planes are made up of -interchangeable panels, which are so joined together that the machine is -easily assembled and taken apart and may be transported compactly in two -flat boxes which scarcely make one full wagon load, as indicated in an -illustration in this book. - -The wing-panels are made up with a light and strong wooden framework -covered with cloth especially made and treated with a rubber coating for -the purpose. The curved ribs are laminated also and the panels held -together by a system of trussing which gives them great strength. These -panels are covered both top and bottom. - -Light and strong bamboo rods extend to the front of the main planes, -supporting the elevator or forward horizontal surface, which acts as a -rudder to steer upward and downward. Similar bamboo rods at the rear -support the vertical rudder and rear elevators and stabilising plane. -Front and rear elevators work in conjunction with each other so that as -the front of the machine is directed up, the rear of the machine is -depressed by the two rear elevators, called "flippers" from their -resemblance to these appendages of a seal or a turtle, each of which is -controlled by an individual set of cables, so that if one should break -or get out of order the other may be used independently. The front or -rear elevators are sufficient to maintain the fore and aft balance of -the machine in flight, so if anything happens to one the other will -enable a safe landing to be made. Some aviators take off the front -elevating plane entirely, relying solely upon the two rear ones for -horizontal control. - -The elevators and the vertical rudder are manipulated by a single -steering post at the top of which is the steering wheel. Turning the -wheel to the right or left steers the aeroplane to the left or to the -right as a boat or an automobile is steered, while pushing the wheel -forward directs the machine downward and pulling the wheel causes it to -rise, a system of control in accord with the natural impulse of the -operator. - -To maintain the lateral balance of the aeroplane, there are small -movable planes, or "ailerons," attached at the ends of the main -framework, midway between the upper and lower planes, at the rear. These -ailerons are so arranged that the front edge remains in the same -position; while one swings upward, the other swings downward, at the -back, thus giving an upward pressure of air on the under side of the -one, while the other is depressed by the air which strikes it on top. -This movement is controlled by a movable back to the aviator's seat or a -frame or yoke which fits around the shoulders of the aviator in such a -way that he moves the ailerons to the proper position when he leans to -the high side of the aeroplane as it tilts and is thus able -automatically to correct its balance. - -The motors with which the military and cross-country models are equipped -are of the eight-cylinder "V-shaped" type, developing sixty and eighty -horse-power. The propeller is attached directly to the motor shaft, thus -doing away with any necessity of gearing, which consumes power, -increases the risk of breakage, and decreases reliability. The speed of -the motor is controlled by a throttle opened and closed by a movement of -the left foot. - -The seat for the aviator is placed well forward of the main planes, -giving him a clear view not only ahead, but also straight downward. On -the military model, a passenger-seat is provided immediately beside that -of the aviator, and a dual system of control makes it possible for -either passenger to operate the machine independently of the other. - -[Illustration: DIAGRAM OF CURTISS AEROPLANE, SIDE VIEW] - -1. Motor; 2. Radiator; 3. Fuel Tank; 4. Upper Main Plane; 5. Lower Main -Plane; 6. Aileron; 7. Vertical Rudder; 8. Tail Surface; 9. Horizontal -Rudder, or Rear Elevator; 10. Front Elevator; 11. Vertical Fin; 12. -Steering Wheel; 13. Propeller; 14. Foot Throttle Lever; 15. Hand -Throttle Lever; 16. Foot Brake. - -[Illustration: DIAGRAM OF CURTISS MOTOR, SIDE AND FRONT VIEWS] - -1. Cylinder; 2. Engine Bed; 3. Fuel Tank: 4. Oil Pan; 5. Radiator; 6. -Propeller; 7. Crank Case; 8. Carbureter; 9. Gasoline Pipe; 10. Air -Intake; 11. Auxiliary Air-pipe; 12. Drain Cock; 13. Water Cooling -System; 14. Gas Intake Pipe; 15. Rocker Arm; 16. Spring on Intake Valve; -17. Spring on Exhaust Valve; 18. Exhaust Port; 19. Rocker Arm Post; 20. -Push Rod. - -The aeroplane is mounted upon a three-wheeled chassis with one skid -extending from front to rear, the whole landing gear being built strong -and rigid to withstand the shock of landing, the most dangerous part of -flying. - -Elaborate tests are made of the different parts of the machine; the -panels forming the surfaces are tested by loading them with gravel until -they break and weighing the amount of gravel heaped upon them before -they give way. These tests have shown a factor of safety in excess of -any strain that could be put on the machine in the air. - -The strain on the various wires and cables is also measured, with a -special instrument made for that purpose, as seen in an illustration. -Every conceivable test has been tried which could give information that -would lead to any improvement in strength to withstand strains, in -addition to the complete knowledge that has come from actual tests under -all conditions in the air, and on the ground itself, by expert flyers -who have done almost everything that it is possible to do with the -machine as far as trying to find its weak point is concerned. Dives -almost straight down with abrupt turns at the end of the drop put many -times the ordinary strain on every part. Rough landings also show up any -lack of strength or fault in the design of the running gear or frame of -the machine, especially since this machine is not provided with any -springs or other device for taking up the shock of a bad landing. - -CURTISS AEROPLANE PARTS–A COMPLETE LIST[11] - -1, Engine Section Panel; 2, Wing Panel; 3, Wing Panel, Sparred Beam; -4-5, Aileron, Right & Left; 6, Tail; 7-8, Flipper, Right and Left; 9, -Rudder; 10, Front Control, Elevator only; 11, Hydro Front Control, -Elevator only; 12-13, Fin, Top & Bottom; 14-15, Non Skid Surface, -Headless & Large. - -BAMBOOS - -16-17, Front, Upper, Right & Left; 18-19, Front, Lower, Right & Left; -20, Front Cross Tie, Headless; 21-22, Front Bamboo Brace, Right & Left; -23-24, Rear, Upper, Right & Left; 25-26, Rear, Lower, Right & Left; 27, -Push Rod Bamboo, 45"; 28-29, Bamboo Post, Short & Long. - -30, Full Set Rear Bamboos, Wired Complete; 31, Full Tail Equipment, -consisting of Rear Bamboos, Posts, Tail, Rudder and Flippers. - -POSTS - -32, Wing Panel, 3/8" x 2 3/4" x 54 1/2"; 33, Wing Panel, 3/8" x 2 3/4" x -60"; 34, Engine Section, 1 1/2" x 2 3/4" x 54 1/2"; 35, Engine Section, -1 1/2" x 2 3/4" x 60”. - -DIAGONAL ASH BRACES, FROM FRONT WHEEL TO ENGINE BED - -36-37, Diagonal Ash Brace, Tinned, Right & Left; 38-39, Diagonal Ash -Brace, Left & Right; 40-41, Diagonal Ash Brace, Tinned & Ironed, Left & -Right. - -DIAGONAL SPRUCE BRACE, FROM FRONT WHEEL TO WING PANEL - -42-43, Diagonal Spruce Brace, Left & Right; 44-45, Diagonal Spruce -Brace, Ironed, Left and Right; 46, Skid; 47-48, Engine Bed, not Tinned, -Right & Left; 49-50, Engine Bed, Tinned, Right & Left. - -ENGINE BED POSTS. BRACES AND TUBING BRACES ABOVE LOWER PLANE - -51-52, Engine Bed Post, Front, Right & Left; 53-54, Engine Bed Post, -Rear, Right & Left; 55-56, Engine Bed Brace, Front, Lower, Right & Left; -57-58, Engine Bed Brace, Rear, Lower, Right & Left; 59-60, Engine Bed -Brace, Rear, Upper, Right & Left; 61-62, Engine Bed to Surface, Rear, -Upper, Right & Left; 63, A Brace to Surface, Front, Upper; 64, Cross Tie -Brace under Upper Surface; 65-66, Aileron Brace, Upper, Right & Left; -67-68, Aileron Brace, Lower, Right & Left; 69-70, Seat Post, Right & -Left; 71-72, Carburetor Brace, Right & Left. - -CHASSIS BRACES. FORKS AND TUBING UNDER LOWER PLANE - -73, Cross Tie Rod, Lower, Under Lower Surface; 74, Long Span Brace, Rear -Wheel to Rear Wheel; 75-76, Skid Fork, Right & Left; 77-79, Vertical -Fork, Front & Rear, Right & Left; 80-81, Leader Fork, Rear, Right & -Left; 82-83, M Brace, Right & Left; 84, Y Brace; 85, V Brace, Front, -Skid to Diagonal; 86, V Brace Spreader and Bolt, Front; 87, Brace, -Center, Skid to Diagonal; 88, V Brace, Center, Skid to Double Seat; 89, -V Brace, Rear, Skid to Diagonal; 90-91, Combination Foot Throttle & -Brake, Single & Dual. - -92, Brake Shoe; 93, Brake Shoe Hinge; 94, Brake Shoe Lug; 95, Brake Shoe -Spring; 96, Steering Column, Single; 97, Steering Wheel, Spider, Fork -and Bolt; 98, Steering Wheel, Spider, Fork & Column, Assembled & Wired; -99, Steering Column, Dual; 100, Steering Wheel, Spider, Fork & Bolt, -Dual; 101, Steering Wheel, Spider, Fork, Bolt & Column, Assembled & -Wired, Dual; 102, Foot Rest; 103, Push Rod, Metal, with Swivel End, -Dual. - -104, Seat, Single; 105, Seat with Fittings for Shoulder Yoke, Single; -106, Seat, Complete with Shoulder Yoke, Whiffle-tree Case and -Whiffle-tree, Single; 107, Seat, Double; 108, Seat with Fittings for -Shoulder Yoke, Double; 109, Seat, Complete with Shoulder Yoke, -Whiffle-tree Cases and Whiffletree, Double; 110, Seat, Passenger; 111, -Seat Supporting Brace, Passenger; 112, Rear Beam Reinforcing Plates. - -113, Cable, 1/32"; 114, Cable, 1/16"; 115, Cable, 3/32"; 116, Cable -Casing; 117, Short Circuiting Switch; 118, Snaps, 3"; 119, Main Plane -Socket; 120, Main Plane Socket, Wired Complete; 121, Main Plane Plate; -122, Aileron End Wire Connection; 123–124, Aileron Cross Wire Clamp & -Clip; 125, Aileron L; 126, Aileron Post Lug; 127, Aileron Brace Wire -Connection; 128, Aileron Corner Wire Guide; 129, Aileron Corner Pulley, -3"; 129, Aileron Pulley, 3". - -131, Bamboo Curved Rudder Wire Guide; 132, Skid Safety Wire Connection; -133, Copper Sleeve; 134, Tin Thimbles; 135, Diagonal Ash Brace Iron; -136, Diagonal Spruce Brace Iron; 137-138, Engine Bed Post Plate & Wire -Connection; 139, Engine Bed Bolt; 140, Fin L Irons; 141, Fin Hinge; -142-143, Front Control Bracket & L Iron; 144, Hydro Front Control, Brace -Lug; 145-146, Hydro Front Control Supporting Post, L & R; 147-148, Hydro -Front Control, Supporting Post Lug, Left & Right; 149-150, Hydro Front -Control Push Rod & Bracket; 151-152, Hydro Front Control Post & Diagonal -Brace; 153, Hydro Splash Boards. - -154-155, Flipper Post & Wedge; 156, Flipper Hinge; 157, Flipper Wire -Guide, Straight; 158, Rudder Swivel; 159, Curved Corner Wire Guide; 160, -Rudder Lever Clip; 161, Rudder Wire Connection; 162, Rudder Wire Guide, -Curved; 163-164, Terminals, Short & Long; 165, Turnbuckles; 166, Wheel, -20" x 4", Complete; 167, Wheel, 20" x 4", Less Tire; 168-169, Wheel, 20" -x 2 1/2", Complete & Less Tire; 170, Inner Tube, 20" x 4"; 171, Casing, -20" x 4"; 172, Tire, 20" x 2 1/2"; 173, Axle. - -174, Gas Tank, to Attach to Engine Bed; 175, Bamboo Brace Clip; 176, -Flexible Gasoline Pipe; 177, Radiator; 178, Radiator Brace; 179-180, -Propeller, Bolt & Tinned; 181, Propeller, Complete Not Tinned; 182, Cap -Screw, Nickel Steel, 5/16-24 x 1 3/4; 183, Cap Screw, Nickel Steel, -5/16-24 x 2 1/4; 184-185, Spring Washer, 1/4 x 3/16 & 5/16 x 3/8; 186, -Wing Pontoon, Complete; 187, Pontoon Paddles; 188, Hydro Drain Plug; -189, Hydro Braces; 190-191, Hydro Spacing Tube & Bolt, Short & Long. - -CHAPTER III THE CURTISS MOTOR AND FACTORY - -The history of the Curtiss motor goes back to the early days at -Hammondsport; it was the keynote of the development of the motorcycle, -the airship, the aeroplane, and the hydro. From a crude single-cylinder -engine used on an experimental bicycle, the motor has developed to an -eight-cylinder engine giving over eighty horsepower, on which the -reliability of the Curtiss aeroplane is dependent. Indeed, flight -itself, in the history of the world, was delayed until the development -of the gas engine made it possible to get a power that was applicable -for this purpose, and one that was, at the same time, light enough. - -To describe the motor intelligibly to one who has had no -acquaintanceship whatever with gas engines would require many chapters, -but to those who have ever examined automobile, marine, or other motors, -the following technical data will give an idea of the distinctive -feature of this aeroplane motor. - -MOTOR DESIGN AND MATERIAL. - -Crankshaft: - -The crankshaft is supported in five bearings of more than ample size. It -is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to design a shaft which will -be light enough for aeronautical purposes, and still be sufficiently -rigid without a special support. The propeller end of the shaft is -supported in two places eleven and three-eighth inches apart, at one end -in a plain bearing two and seven-sixteenth inches long and at the other -in a combined radial and thrust ball bearing of ample size. This -construction is stronger than is the case where the propeller is mounted -immediately behind the last main bearing proper or even in some cases -carried at a distance of several inches from the bearing without -support. Any lack of mechanical or thrust balance is multiplied and -transmitted directly to the last crank throw, the tremendous racking and -twisting strain thus occasioned causing ultimate failure. - -The crankshaft is made of imported Chrome-Nickel steel, properly heat -treated. This steel, particularly after heat treatment, has an enormous -tensile strength combined with a very high elastic limit and great -resistance to fatigue and crystallisation. - -Connecting Rods: - -The connecting rods are machined from a solid Chrome-Nickel steel -forging, heat treated. The body of the rod is tubular, which cross -section gives a maximum strength with minimum weight. Rough forging -weighs five pounds; finished weight one pound eight ounces. - -Piston: - -The piston is long enough to give sufficient bearing surface to sustain -the side thrust from the connecting rod and at the same time weighs but -two and one-half pounds. The domed head, with properly placed ribs, -assures strength. The piston pin bearing is seven-eighth inches diameter -by two and three-fourth inches long. Reversing common practice, the pin -turns in the piston instead of the rod end, as considerable gain in -bearing surface is thus made. - -Engineers will appreciate that with a combined piston and rod weight of -four and one-half pounds, the strains from twenty-two hundred reversals -of motion per minute at normal speed are very slight. - -It has three rings together with fourteen oil grooves aiding the rings -in retaining compression and assisting the oiling. All pistons are rough -turned and then thoroughly annealed before grinding, to insure against -warping in service. - -The piston rings are of clean springy iron, ground all over. As a ring -must be tight on the sides as well as where it comes in contact with the -cylinder, there must not be a variation in width of over a quarter -thousandth of an inch. - -Cylinder: - -The cylinder is symmetrical in design, insuring even expansion without -distortion. - -Valve-in-the-head construction gives an efficient shape of combustion -chamber; the compact charge fired in the centre giving quick, complete -combustion, and the large valves give free ingress and egress for the -gases. - -The water jacket is brazed to the cylinder-casting autogenously, the -metal being a composition of nickel and copper known as "Monel" metal, -which is proof against corrosion. - -Cylinders are bored, ground and finished by lapping, to get a glass -smooth surface. - -Water Circulation: - -The water circulation is so carried out that all cylinders are cooled -equally, the water pump being divided by a partition which passes water -in equal quantities to each set of four, thus avoiding any possibility -of a steam-trap on one side causing all the water to pass through the -other side. The pump is driven from the crankshaft by a floating joint. -The pump shaft is made of a carbon spindle steel. - -A portion of the hot water is returned through the carburetor water -jacket, which is essential with present day gasoline, particularly in -cold weather or high altitudes. - -Lubrication: - -The lubrication is a combined circulating and splash oiling system. A -gear driven oil pump submerged in the oil pan forces a constant stream -of filtered oil through the hollow cam shaft bearing, thence to each -individual cam shaft bearing, thence to the main crankshaft bearings -whence it is forced through the hollow crankshaft and cheeks to the -crank pins, the surplus replenishing the oil pan into which the rods -dip, thus oiling the cylinder walls by splash and also filling oil -pockets on each main bearing, as an additional insurance against their -running dry. - -The pump is driven off a bevel gear integral with the crankshaft and is -of the gear type, being without valves or moving parts other than two -simple spur gears. It is entirely enclosed in a fine mesh screen through -which the oil must pass to reach the pump. - -Valves: - -The valves have cast-iron heads reinforced with a perforated steel disc -embedded in the cast iron, the whole being electrically welded to a -carbon steel stem. The cam shaft is hardened and ground and cams formed -integral with the shaft. The cam contour is also ground, the valve -timing being exactly the same in each cylinder. - -[Illustration: CURTISS MOTORS] - -(A) The first Curtiss aerial motor; used In Baldwin dirigible. (B) Motor -used in both the "White Wing" and "Red Wing." (C) Motor of 1912. - -[Illustration: AT THE AEROPLANE FACTORY, HAMMONDSPORT] - -(A) Testing aeroplanes. Gravel on reversed planes tests strength; scale -shows wire-strain. (B) Assembly room of factory. - -Castings: - -The majority of non-moving parts, including the crank case, are cast of -special aluminum alloys. Recent laboratory tests have shown tensile -strengths of as high as fifty thousand, five hundred pounds per square -inch. - -Weight: - -The weight of model "A" motor alone is two hundred eighty-five -pounds–three and eight-tenth pounds per horse-power. The weight of power -plant including propeller, radiator, and necessary connections is three -hundred forty-seven pounds. - -Note that the forty horse-power cylinder motor weighs one hundred -seventy-five pounds and gives a thrust of three hundred ten pounds when -equipped with a seven foot diameter by six foot pitch propeller turning -at nine hundred revolutions per minute. The pitch speed of the propeller -at this rate is in excess of a mile a minute. - -Gas-Consumption: - -The consumption of gas is three-fourths pint per horse-power per hour. -The engine can be throttled and consumption reduced in nearly direct -ratio to the horse-power developed. - -Consumption on full throttle per hour is seven and one-fourth gallons -gasoline and one gallon of oil. The oil capacity of the small pan is -four gallons; of the large pan, six gallons. - -Testing and Power: - -Each engine is given an extended run with propeller load. After giving -the required standing thrust at the proper speed, the engine is -completely torn down for inspection and carbon removed. After -assembling, it is given a second test on a water dynamometer, which -gives the horse-power developed. - -Miscellaneous: - -Few people realise that the aeronautical motor is subjected to usage -equalled by few internal combustion engines. The average car engine is -seldom run on full throttle for extended periods. The marine engine is -ordinarily a very heavy, slow speed machine. The aeronautical motor, to -run at the high speeds under full load demanded to-day, must of -necessity be designed with this fact in mind, and particular attention -paid to numerous weaknesses apt to develop under this treatment. - -Adding to the above the necessity for minimum weight while still -retaining a sufficient factor of safety in all parts, it is evident that -an aeronautical motor must be designed as such and not be a modified -edition of an automobile engine with a few pounds removed here and -there. - -PARTS OF CURTISS MOTOR–A COMPLETE LIST. - -1-5, Breather Pipe Cap Screw & Flange, Collar, Cap & Clip; 6, Ball -Bearing (Radial); 7-8, Crank Case, Upper Half & Lower Half; 9-10, Crank -Case Bolt, Small & Large; 11, Crank Shaft. - -12, Cam Shaft; 13-15, Cam Shaft Bearing, Front, Centre, & Rear; 16, Cam -Shaft Bearing Sleeve, Rear; 17-18, Cam Shaft Gear & Retaining Screw; -19-20, Cam Shaft Bearing Clamping Screw, Centre, & Retaining Screw; 21, -Cam Follower Guide Stud; 22, Cam Follower Guide Screw; 23, Cam Follower; -24-25, Cam Follower Guide & Plug. - -26, Cylinder; 27, Cylinder Tie Down Yoke; 28-29, Cylinder Stud, Long & -Short; 30, Cylinder Stud Nut; 31-32, Connecting Rod & Bolt; 33, -Connecting Rod Bolt Nut; 34, Compression Tee for Oil Pipe; 35, -Compression Coupling Sleeve; 36-37, Cable Holder & Screw; 38-39, Cable -Tube & End; 40-41, Cable Tube Clip & Screw; 42, Carburetor Water Pipe -Clip. - -43, Exhaust & Inlet Valve; 44, Exhaust Valve Spring; 45, Felt Oil -Retainer for Rear Thrust Bearing; 46, Felt Oil Retainer for Magneto -Gear; 47, Gasket for Intake Manifold; 48-49, Gear Case Cover & Screw; -50, Gear Cover Packing Nut; 51, Half Time Gear; 52, Intake Pipe Elbow; -53, Intake Pipe with 2 Union Nuts; 54-56, Intake Pipe Y & Support Base & -Cap; 57-62, Intake Manifold, & Bolt, Bolt Nut, Cap Screw, Union Nut, & -Elbow Cap Screw; 63, Intake Valve Spring; 64, Magneto Bracket; 65, -Magneto Gear; 66-67, Magneto Bracket Cap Screw, Large & Small; 68, -Magneto Base Cap Screw. - -69, Main Bearing Stud Nut; 70, Main Bearing Stud, New; 71-73, Main -Bearing Cap, Front, Centre & Rear; 74-75, Main Bearing Babbitt, Front, -Upper, & Lower; 76-77, Main Bearing Babbitt, Centre, Upper & Lower; -78-79, Main Bearing Babbitt, Rear, Upper, & Lower; 80, Main Bearing -Babbitt Clamping Screw; 81, Main Bearing Liner, Front & Rear; 82, Main -Bearing Liner Centre; 83, Main Bearing Liners. - -84, Nipple for Oil Pump; 85-86, Oil Pump & Leader Gear Shaft; 87-94, Oil -Pump Follower Gear, Cover, Drive Pinion, Screen, Support Bolt, Cover -Screw, Follower Gear Bushing, & Shaft Bushing; 95, Oil Pipe for Pump; -96-97, Oil Pump Compression Coupling & Nut; 98-99, Oil Sight, Base & -Glass; 100-101, Oil Sight Glass Guard & Cap; 102, Oil Splash Pan; 103, -Oil Bleeder Pipe; 104, Oil Bleeder Pet Cock. - -105-107, Piston, Pin & Ring; 108-109, Pump Packing Nut, Large & Small; -110-114, Push Rod, End Bearing Pin Lock Screw, Spring, Spring Support, -Forked End, & End Bearing Pin; 115, Propeller Bolt; 116-121, Rocker Arm, -Support, Bearing Pin Set Screw, Tappet Screw, Support Cap Screw, & -Bearing Pin; 122-124, Spark Plug (Herz) Gasket,--& Wrench; 125-129, -Thrust Bearing, End Clamp, Lock Ring, End Clamp Screw, End Clamp Bolt, -End Thread Bolt Nut; 130, Valve Push Rod; 131, Valve Stem Washer; 132, -Valve Stem Lock Washer. - -133-135, Water Jacket, Inlet Nut, & Inlet; 136, Water Pump; 137-140, -Water Pump Shaft, Support Stud, Impeller, & Driver; 141, Water Pump -Friction Sleeve; 142-143, Water Pump Friction Washer, Front & Rear; -144-145, Water Pump Bushing, Front & Rear; 146, Water Pump Gasket; -147-149, Water Pump Universal Joint Member, Male, Female, & Spring; -150-151, Water Pipe, Right Hand, Bottom, & Left Hand, Bottom; 152, Water -Pipe Outlet Elbow; 153-156, Water Outlet Top Pipes for Cylinders. - -A VISIT TO THE FACTORY - -A visit to the Curtiss factory is of interest to any one interested in -machinery and there you will see the latest machines of all types, from -powerful milling machines to a delicate modern "Printograph" that is -almost human in its manner of getting out letters and printing, for it -is a cross between a printing press and a typewriter. Another unique -machine is one that carves out propellers from a laminated block of -wood. One arm of this machine runs over a model, and the other, about -two feet away, arranged to move exactly with it, and provided with a -tool of cutting edge, forms the propeller blade with absolute accuracy, -out of a block of wood placed parallel to the model. The cutting tool -follows all the complex changes in the surface of the wooden propeller -with the greatest ease and rapidity. - -The brazing room, where the oxy-hydrogen torch is used to braze metal -parts together, and the room where they weld the water jackets on to the -cylinders, are places of special interest; the nickel plating room, -japanning room, and the room where painting and drying are done, almost -complete the tour of the various departments, but there still remain the -wood-working shop, boat shop, assembling rooms, where the aeroplanes are -put together and completely set up, and the motor testing room, where -motors are run for whole days, ten hours at a time, driving an air -propeller and showing on scales the amount of thrust given at all times. - -Here you may also see a machine to make "brake tests" of the motors, by -which is told how much horse-power the motors give. This machine -consists of a large drum with a brake fixed against it and cooled by -water so it will not get too hot. This brake absorbs the energy of the -motor, which is measured by an arrangement of scales and lever arms. - -There is a tremendous racket when the big motors are running at full -speed in this small room, and the hillside rings with the roar of their -fiery exhaust. - -In the laboratory of the factory, where the designs and drawings are -made, there is one of the most interesting pieces of apparatus in the -whole plant. This is a "wind tunnel," where models of aeroplanes are -tested and where experiments are tried to see what occurs in the stream -of air. Here tests are made which assist in determining what the best -form and shape of objects such as upright posts and exposed parts shall -be and where a measure of their relative resistances may be made. The -tunnel itself consists of a square box with a propeller or fan mounted -at one end to create a draft or current of air which passes through a -screen to cause it to assume uniform motion. There is a window in the -tunnel through which the observer can see the action of the objects to -be tested. Varying the speed of the fan varies the speed of the air -current and its pressure, and in this manner the stream-lines of air -under the varying conditions and the effect upon models of different -forms and shapes may be studied to enable refinements to be made in the -aeroplane's construction. - -Down on the shore of Lake Keuka, about a half mile from the factory, are -the aeroplane sheds and the flying field. Here is where the aviation -school is situated, and where flyers are made. Over the smooth field, -the pupils start with the four-cylinder "grass cutters," or machines -hobbled so they cannot get but a little way off the ground. They hop, -hop, hop, almost all day long, one after the other taking regular turns, -and now and again varying the monotony by being called away by the -flying instructor to take a real flight in the hydroaeroplane out over -the lake to get accustomed to the upper air, and to the high speed of -the big machine. - -Later in his course of instruction, the student takes out an -eight-cylinder machine and flies around in circles over the field until -he is able to take the test for his Aero Club of America License, which -requires him to make two series of figure eights around two pylons -fifteen hundred feet apart, landing each time within one hundred and -fifty feet of a mark and rising to an altitude greater than two hundred -feet. - -This is the goal of the novice, and after his test, the student is ready -to fly as far and as fast as he likes. He has become the complete -airman. - -[1] It is interesting to note that Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm, the sole -American entrant for the Gordon Bennett Balloon Cup in 1906; Mr. Edgar -Mix, the only representative of America in the balloon contest in 1909, -and Mr. Charles Weymann, the only entrant from America in the Gordon -Bennett Aviation Cup race of 1911, held in England, all won. - -[2] Tod Shriver, or "Slim" as he was known to all American aviators -because he was very tall and slender, went to Rheims as a mechanic -before taking up flying himself. He was successful as an aviator and -accompanied Captain Thomas Baldwin to the Orient in the spring and -summer of 1911. This trip created great excitement among the Chinese, -who had never seen the "foreign devils" fly before. Captain Baldwin -tells a story of the crowd that witnessed the flights in Tokyo, Japan, -which he describes as numbering seven hundred thousand persons! In proof -of this he states that advices received from Japan in the spring of 1912 -report that the crowd had not entirely dispersed even at that time! -"Tod" Shriver flew in many places in the United States and in the winter -of 1911 met his death in Puerto Rico. He fell while flying at Ponce. His -death was a shock to his many friends. [Note by AUGUSTUS POST.] - -[3] NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST While flying in the Chicago meet we had four -machines in the air at once. I was a novice at flying then but entered -the air while the other fellows were flying around. Circling the track I -was just passing the grand stand when Willard swooped down in front of -me having passed right over my head. I clung on to the steering post and -held the wheel as firmly as I could while to my great consternation the -machine rocked and swayed fearfully in the back draft from Willard's -propeller. He kept doing the Dutch Roll and the Coney Island Dip right -in front of me, which made it all the worse, as the wash of the -propeller wake would strike above and below my machine as he pitched up -and down in front of me. I stood it as best I could, hardly daring to -breathe but holding my course and balancing with all my might, until -Willard turned off, and then after a bit I made a good landing. When -Willard came down he rushed up to me and grabbed me by the hand and -said, "Oh, Post! will you ever forgive me for that? I ought to have -known better than to back-wash you but you know I thought you were Ely, -and I wanted to scare him!"–A. P. - -[4] NOTE BY AUGUSTUS POST An interesting story is told of how the -hydroaeroplane came to be invented. During the period when he was -planning a new series of experiments, Mr. Curtiss, accompanied by Mrs. -Curtiss, attended a New York theatre in which there was being presented -a play much talked about just then. The curtain went up on the first -act, and the noted aviator was apparently enjoying the show when, just -as the scene was developing one of its most interesting climaxes, he -turned to Mrs. Curtiss and said: "I've got it." On the theatre program -he had sketched what ultimately became the design of the hydroaeroplane. -This is like a time when Mr. Curtiss was standing one day by the side of -one of his motorcycles talking with a customer. He kept turning one of -the grips of the handle-bar with his fingers while talking and after -finishing the conversation went into his office and developed the idea -of a handle-control which had come to him while apparently absorbed in -conversation.–A. P. - -[5] The fame of the hydroaeroplane has reached the Orient and a -demonstration was recently given at Tokyo, Japan, for the benefit of the -Japanese Army and Navy officials by Mr. W. B. Atwater, of New York. Mr. -and Mrs. Atwater are on a tour of the world, carrying with them two -Curtiss hydroaeroplanes and giving demonstrations of a practical -character before the military authorities of all the countries en route. -On Saturday, May 11th, 1912, he made three flights at Tokyo, the first -hydro flights ever seen in the Orient. There was a great gathering of -military men to witness the flights, among them Prince Kwacho, -representing the Japanese Imperial Family; Admiral Saito, Minister of -the Imperial Navy, and Vice-Admiral Uryu. According to the statement of -the Japan Advertiser the Japanese Navy has followed the example of -Russia, and forwarded to America an order for four Curtiss -hydroaeroplanes.–A. P. - -[6] The first start from a roof-top was made on June 12, 1912, when -Silas Christoferson in a Curtiss biplane rose from a platform built on -the roof of the Hotel Multnomah, Portland, Ore., and flew safely -away.–AUGUSTUS POST. - -[7] A very important service was rendered only a short time ago by the -hydroaeroplane which might easily have served to save a human life if -the accident had been more serious than it actually was. Mr. Hugh -Robinson the instructor of the Curtiss hydroaeroplane school was having -Sunday dinner at the hotel in Hammondsport, where Dr. P. L. Alden, one -of the well-known physicians of that place, was also eating dinner, when -the doctor received a telephone message that Mr. Edwin Petrie's little -son had fallen from the steps of the Urbana Wine Company at Urbana, five -miles down the lake, and had a compound fracture of his thigh with a -serious hemorrhage. It was a very serious injury and the little fellow -was in intense pain, and Mr. Petrie asked the doctor to come as quickly -as he possibly could. Dr. Alden realised the urgency of the situation -and knew that delay might mean serious results from hemorrhage, so he -went immediately over to Mr. Robinson and asked if he would take him -across the lake in the hydroaeroplane right away. Mr. Robinson said, "I -will be ready in five minutes; just as soon as you can get over to the -field." Dr. Alden got his bandages and instruments and hurried down to -the shed where Mr. Robinson had already gotten out the hydro; he jumped -in and they were off without a moment's delay. They covered the five -miles in five minutes, at times running on the surface of the lake -because the wind was blowing so strong; as they ran up on the beach the -doctor jumped out and hastened to his patient. The boy was so much -interested in the fact that he was the first patient to be treated by a -hydroaeroplane doctor, and so fascinated at hearing Dr. Alden tell about -the trip, that he forgot for the moment the seriousness of his condition -and allowed the doctor to reduce the fracture without an anesthetic. -When all that could be done just then had been done, Dr. Alden and Mr. -Robinson returned in the hydroaeroplane as rapidly as they had come on -their errand of humanity, and at last accounts young Mr. Petrie was -getting well as fast as he could so he could have a ride in the -hydroaeroplane himself!–AUGUSTUS POST. - -[8] In July, 1912, Captain Beck was granted by the War Department the -title of "Military Aviator"; the first time that any American has been -given this title, which implies finished skill in both aviation and -military tactics, and for which all the army aviators are to -qualify.–AUGUSTUS POST. - -[9] Mr. Post is not only intimately connected with the development of -the aeroplane but also one of the most capable practical balloon-pilots -in the world. Mr. Post accompanied Mr. Allan R. Hawley in October, 1910, -when the balloon "America II," representing the United States, broke the -world's competition record and won the Gordon Bennett balloon cup by -sailing one thousand one hundred seventy-two miles from St. Louis to -Lake Tschotogama, in the wilds of Quebec. The trip took forty-six hours. -This record still stands as American distance record. Mr. Post also -holds, with Mr. Clifford B. Harmon, the American endurance record of -forty-eight hours, twenty-six minutes.–THE PUBLISHERS. - -[10] Ralph Johnstone said in a conversation about experiences while -learning to fly, "I learned to fly all right but one day when I was up -in the air pretty high I seemed to forget all about it and how to -operate the controls. I tried them and tested how they worked and it -seemed to me that I learned all over again, but it did seem funny to me -for just a few minutes." Geo. W. Beatty said, "When I was flying at -Chicago, in the contest for duration, when the weather was calm, and I -had nothing else to do but sit and think while the machine flew on, -round and round, lap after lap, I would look out at a wire and watch it -as it vibrated and wonder if it was possible for it to break, while I -realised that I could not get out to fix it. This worried me more than -flying in a high wind. It seems more natural for me to fly than not to. -I have been in the air on an average of two hours every day for over a -year." - -[11] To indicate the exact technical knowledge required in building an -aeroplane, a matter quite apart from the obvious dash and daring of the -aviator, nothing seems more adequate than to include the list of -aeroplane and motor parts.–THE PUBLISHERS. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CURTISS AVIATION BOOK *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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