99,story of the ,aeroplane99            
,by                           ,c4 ,b4   
,galbreath1 ,m4 ,a4                     
,,published ,,jointly ,,by              
,f4 ,a4 ,,owen ,,pub4 ,,co41 ,dansville1
 ,n4 ,y4                                
and                       ,,hall        
,mc,c,r,e,a,r,y1 ,chicago1 ,ill4        
,,instructor ,,literature ,,series--,no4
 #bec                                   
,,copyright1 #aiae                      
,f4 ,a4 ,,owen ,,publishing ,,co4       
,story of the ,aeroplane     ,table of  
,contents       ,the ,ocean of ,air     
,early ,attempts at ,aviation     ,early
 ,flying ,machines     ,nineteenth      
,century ,experiments     ,claims of    
,maxim and ,ader     ,langley's ,tandem 
,monoplane     ,experiments with        
,gliders     ,aviation at the ,beginning
 of the ,present ,century     ,the ,kite
     ,the ,plane ,defined               
,essentials of the ,aeroplane     ,the  
,wright ,brothers and ,their ,problem   
,balancing the ,machine     ,at ,kitty  

,hawk     ,the ,first ,flight           
,machine ,balanced by ,warping of       
,planes     ,newspaper ,reports         
,verified     ,trial ,flights at ,fort  
,meyer     ,fatal ,accident     ,wilbur 
,wright ,wins ,fame in ,france          
,wright ,brothers ,honored     ,united  
,states ,government ,requirements       
,successfully ,met     ,recent          
,improvements     ,future of the        
,aeroplane                              
99,story of the ,aeroplane99     ,the   
,ocean of ,air   ,around the dry land of
 the earth are the oceans of water4 ,we 
may never have seen them1 but we have   
knowledge of them and their navigation1 
and their names suggest very definite   
and concrete objects of thought4 ,we    
sometimes do not realize1 however1 that 
we live and move and have our being at  
the bottom of a vaster and deeper ocean 
that covers to a depth of many miles the
 whole earth1 and to the surface of     
which man nor beast nor bird has ever   
ascended2 an ocean with currents and    

whirlpools and waves of more than       
mountain height2 an ocean in which we   
are as much at home as are the finny    
tribes and the monsters of the deep in  
their watery caverns4 ,this is the ocean
 of the air4 ,we are about to consider  
man's efforts to rise from the bottom of
 this ocean and wing his flight a little
 way through the atmosphere above him4  
,his excursions upward are limited1 for 
he could not live near the surface      
heights of this ocean1 vast and deep and
 boundless4 ,the art and science of his 
flight through the air1 because of its  
relation to the flight of birds1 we call
 aviation4 7,avis3 ,latin1 a bird47     
,early ,attempts at ,aviation   ,the    
birds can fly and why can't ,i8  ,this  
query of ,darius ,green's1 in various   
forms1 has suggested itself to man since
 the dawn of history4 ,born with an     
inspiration to look upward and aspire1  
the navigation of the air has appealed  
with peculiar force to his imagination  
and through the centuries has at        

different times led bold and adventurous
 spirits to attempt what the world long 
regarded as impossible4 ,the heavens    
seemed reserved for winged insects1     
birds and angels4 ,audacious man might  
not venture out upon the impalpable air4
 ,can man fly8 ,after more than four    
thousand years it was left for man to   
answer yes1 to rise from the earth on   
wing and thrill the world with the      
audacity of his design and the miracle  
of its execution4 ,bold enterprise6     
,fitting achievement to usher in a new  
century6 ,a seeming miracle at first1   
but destined soon to excite no more     
curiosity than the flight of bees and   
birds4 ,the solution of the problem of  
human flight was no miracle nor was it  
the swift work of genius accomplished at
 a magic master stroke4 ,it was the     
result of intelligence and industry     
patiently applied for years till the    
barriers of difficulty gave way and man 
ventured out with assurance on the      
highways of the air4  ,just when he     

first attempted to fly is not known4    
,ancient ,greek mythology abounds in    
stories of flying gods and mortals4     
,kites which bear some relation to the  
aeroplane were toys among the ,chinese  
thousands of years ago4 ,a ,greek by the
 name of ,achytes is reported to have   
made a wooden dove which flew under the 
propelling power of heated air4 ,baldad1
 a tribal king in what is now ,england1 
so tradition has it1 attempted to fly   
over a city but fell and broke a leg4 ,a
 similar accident is said to have       
happened to a ,benedictine monk in the  
eleventh century and to others          
attempting like exploits in after years4
 ,a fall and a broken leg seem to have  
been the usual results of these early   
attempts at aerial flight4  ,in the     
fifteenth century students and inventors
 gave serious attention to the          
navigation of the air and trustworthy   
accounts of their labors come down to   
us4 ,jean ,baptiste ,dante1 a brother of
 the great ,italian poet1 made a number 

of gliding flights from high elevations 
and while giving an exhibition at a     
marriage feast in ,perugia1 like his    
predecessors in the middle ages1        
alighted on a roof and broke a leg4     
,leonardo da ,vinci1 the great painter  
and sculptor1 was an amateur aviator of 
no mean attainment for his day4 ,he     
invented a machine which the operator   
was to fly by using his arms and legs to
 set wings into flapping motion1 like   
those of birds4 ,this was called an     
orthopter1 or ornithopter1 a name which 
may be properly applied to any similar  
device4 ,another machine invented by him
 was in the form of a horizontal screw  
ninety-six feet in diameter4 ,by the    
twisting of this the machine was        
designed to fly upward4 ,this was called
 a helicopter4 ,da ,vinci's third       
invention in this line was the          
parachute1 with which successful        
descents were made from towers and other
 elevations4 ,in the early half of the  
eighteenth century the ,swedish         

philosopher1 ,emanuel ,swedenborg1      
sketched in one of his works a flying   
machine of the orthopter style which he 
knew would not fly but which he         
suggested as a start1 saying ,it seems  
easier to talk of such a machine than to
 put it into actuality1 for it requires 
greater force and less weight than      
exists in the human body4  ,in #agdb the
 ,marquis di ,bacqueville at the age of 
sixty-two attempted to make a gliding   
flight from the tower of his home in    
,paris across the river ,seine to the   
gardens of the ,tuileries1 started      
successfully in the presence of a great 
multitude1 but suddenly halted over the 
river and fell into a boat1 paying the  
historic penalty of a broken leg4  ,at  
this point it may be well to classify   
the flying devices thus far considered4 
,early ,flying ,machines   #a4 ,the     
orthopters1 or as they are less commonly
 called1 the ornithopters4 ,the word    
orthopter means straight wing and the   
word ornithopter bird wing4 ,this class 

of machines includes those designed to  
fly by the flapping of wings1 somewhat  
in imitation of birds4  #b4 ,the        
helicopters4 ,the word helicopter means 
spiral wing4 ,flying machines of this   
class are designed to fly by the rapid  
horizontal rotation of two spiral       
propellers moving in opposite directions
 but so shaped that their combined      
effect is to move the machine upward4   
,they are like a pair of tractor        
propellers of the modern aeroplane but  
arranged horizontally to lift the       
machine instead of drawing it forward in
 a vertical position4  #c4 ,the gliders4
 ,as the name suggests1 these were      
designed to coast or glide down the air1
 to start from a high elevation and by  
sailing through the air in an oblique   
direction reach a lower elevation at    
some distance from the starting point4  
,down to the latter part of the         
nineteenth century only the gliders were
 successfully used in man flight4 ,in   
reality they can scarcely be called     

flying machines for they could not lift 
their own weight1 though late           
experiments prove that when once in air 
they may rise above their starting point
 under the influence of a strong wind4  
,the glider1 however1 performed a most  
important part in the evolution of the  
aeroplane4 ,in coasting the air from    
hills1 sand dunes and towers against    
steady wind currents a number of        
inventors through a series of years     
learned how to guide and control these  
gliders in their downward flight--an    
essential preparation for the           
application of motive power to lift the 
glider against the force of gravity and 
thus make it a veritable flying machine 
or aeroplane4     ,nineteenth ,century  
,experiments   ,in the early part of the
 last century an ,englishman1 ,sir      
,george ,cayley1 made many experiments  
with gliders and tabulated with great   
care the results of his investigations4 
,he concluded1 like ,swedenborg1 that   
man has not the power to fly by his own 

strength through any wing-flapping      
device1 or orthopter1 but he intimated  
that with a lighter and more powerful   
engine than had then been invented a    
plane like those used in his gliders1 if
 slightly inclined upward1 might be made
 gradually to ascend through the air4   
,the results of his experiments he      
published in #ahaj4 ,they clearly       
foreshadowed the triumph that came      
almost a century later4  ,in #ahdd two  
,british inventors1 ,henson and         
,string-fellow1 working out the         
suggestions of ,cayley1 made an         
aeroplane model equipped with a steam   
engine which is said to have made a     
flight of forty yards--the first real   
upward flight of a heavier than air     
machine on record4 ,this model was a    
monoplane1 that is1 the lifting surface 
was a single plane like the outstretched
 wings of a bird4 ,twenty-two years     
later experiments were made with a      
biplane1 that is1 an aeroplane with two 
lifting planes or surfaces1 one above   

the other4     ,claims of ,maxim and    
,ader   ,while others had made flying   
models1 ,sir ,hiram ,maxim in ,england  
constructed a multiplane1 driven by a   
powerful steam engine over a track and  
rising at one time1 as he declares1 a   
few inches from the ground4 ,he claims  
that his was the first machine to lift  
man off the ground by its own power4    
,this test was made in #ahhi4  ,clement 
,ader1 a ,frenchman1 also claims this   
honor1 saying that he was the first to  
make a machine that would rise and lift 
a passenger4 ,on ,october #i1 #ahij1 his
 friends say he made a short forward    
flight of #aej feet in a monoplane      
propelled by a forty horse power steam  
engine4 ,in #ahig he claims to have made
 a number of secret flights1 but a      
little later1 in a test before officers 
of the ,french army who had become      
interested in the invention1 the machine
 turned over and was wrecked4 ,the      
support of the army for further         
experiments was withdrawn and ,ader in  

despair abandoned the problem of aerial 
navigation which had claimed long years 
of study and unremitting effort4 ,he    
stopped just short of the goal with     
success almost within his grasp4        
,langley's ,tandem ,monoplane   ,about  
this time two ,americans1 ,samuel       
,pierpont ,langley1 of the ,smithsonian 
,institution and ,octave ,chanute were  
conducting along scientific lines a     
series of experiments in aviation4 ,on  
,may #f1 #ahif1 a steam-propelled model 
was started in a flight over the        
,potomac ,river4 ,dr4 ,alexander ,graham
 ,bell1 the inventor of the telephone1  
who was present1 declared that after a  
flight of eighty to one hundred feet the
 machine settled down so softly that it 
touched the water without the least     
shock and was in fact immediately ready 
for a second trial4 ,other experiments  
were tried with success4  ,langley's    
first machine was a tandem monoplane1   
that is it had two pairs of wings1 one  
immediately following the other4 ,the   

engine and the propellers were between  
the two pairs of wings4 ,in later models
 he used the biplane construction4      
,finally the ,united ,states government 
appropriated #ej1jjj to build a machine 
that would carry a passenger4 ,in       
constructing this1 ,langley equipped it 
with a gasoline engine of about three   
horse power4 ,the machine was           
comparatively light1 weighing all told  
only fifty-eight pounds4 ,on ,august #h1
 #aijc1 a public test was made without a
 pilot1 on the ,potomac ,river near     
,washington4 ,spectators and reporters  
congratulated the inventor on the       
success of the experiment1 while he with
 modest satisfaction said1 ,this is the 
first time in history1 so far as ,i     
know1 that a successful flight of a     
mechanically sustained flying machine   
has been made in public4 ,this statement
 was no doubt true of machines of any   
considerable size1 but as we shall      
presently see1 toy flying machines of   
the helicopter type had long ere this   

been exhibited to the wondering gaze of 
boys who were ultimately to bring to a  
practical conclusion man's long line of 
effort to rise triumphant and shape his 
course through the ocean of air4        
,langley's machine had flown without a  
pilot4 ,a little later the inventor     
announced himself ready for the final   
test4 ,like his first model1 his machine
 was a tandem monoplane4 ,its weight    
with pilot was #hcj pounds and its plane
 or wing surface was #ajdj square feet4 
,it was fifty-two feet long and its     
arched wings measured forty-eight feet  
from tip to tip4 ,the gasoline motor    
with which it was equipped developed    
fifty-two horse power and with all      
accessories weighed about #bej pounds4  
,at ,widewater1 ,virginia1 ,september   
#g1 #aijc1 the machine was tested4 ,on a
 barge it was carried out into the      
,potomac ,river1 with ,charles ,m4      
,manley1 ,professor ,langley's          
assistant1 who was to pilot it in its   
first flight4 ,the moment for the       

supreme test arrived4 ,a mechanical     
device on the barge shot the machine and
 pilot into the air4 ,to the            
disappointment and dismay of the        
spectators1 the machine plunged front   
downward into the water4 ,it was rescued
 with the young pilot unharmed4 ,another
 attempt was made to launch it in the   
air with a similar result1 except that  
this time it dropped into the water rear
 end downward4 ,the government gave the 
project no further encouragement1 and   
the query ascribed to ,darius ,green    
remained unanswered4 ,professor ,langley
 died a few years afterward1 his life   
shortened1 it is believed1 through the  
blighting of the hope that he had long  
entertained to be the first successfully
 to navigate the air4     ,experiments  
with ,gliders   ,through the latter part
 of the last century experiments were   
carried on with gliders4 ,among those   
who achieved much success in this field 
was the ,german1 ,otto ,lilienthal1 the 
flying man1 who made remarkable glides  

in the early nineties4 ,he would run    
along the crest of a hill1 jump from a  
precipitous declivity and sail on the   
wings of his glider over the valley     
below1 guiding his course up and down   
and from side to side with a rudder     
attached to the machine4 ,it was his    
idea that the problem of aviation was to
 be solved by perfecting the glider so  
that it could be controlled in its      
downward flight and then adding a       
propelling power that would sustain it  
and lift it through the air4  ,after the
 death of ,lilienthal by accident in    
#ahif1 others continued experiments     
along similar lines with the same       
purpose in view4 ,among these were      
,octave ,chanute and ,a4 ,m4 ,herring4  
,they tried at first a monoplane glider 
and afterward one of five planes4 ,this 
number they reduced to two4 ,the rudder 
was made of movable horizontal and      
vertical blades4 ,it was found that the 
glider with two planes1 the biplane1 was
 most satisfactory4  ,herring made for  

this a compressed air engine and claimed
 that with this he accomplished a flight
 of seventy-three feet4 ,there is some  
doubt1 however1 as to this claim and    
some question as to whether it was an   
upward flight or a downward glide4      
,aviation at the ,beginning of the      
,present ,century   ,as briefly outlined
 here1 such was the status of aviation  
at the beginning of the new century4    
,much progress had been made and        
substantial vantage ground had been     
gained1 but the problem still awaited   
practical solution4 ,at this point it   
may be well to consider some of the     
features of the problem and the devices 
thus far evolved by long years of       
investigation and experiment4     ,the  
,kite   ,one of the simplest forms of   
the aeroplane is the common kite4 ,this 
takes various forms4 ,it is usually made
 of a framework of three light strips of
 wood crossing a little above the center
 and secured at the outer ends by       
similar strips1 or strong cord tautly   

drawn and making when covered with paper
 a six-sided figure4 ,from the corners  
of the framework cords are drawn to a   
common point near the center and there  
firmly united4 ,at this point of union  
is attached the twine which is held in  
the hand of the kite flyer4 ,from the   
base of the kite is suspended a string  
with light horizontal paper rolls1 each 
about the size of a lead pencil1 tied at
 intervals of a few inches1 and forming 
the tail which steadies the kite in air4
 ,the paper surface of the kite is the  
plane on which the pressure of the air  
current and the power applied to the    
string is to lift the kite upward4 ,as  
this simple form of the kite has but one
 plane1 it may be considered a          
monoplane4 ,the box kite presents two   
such surfaces joined together at the    
sides by the ends of the box1 and may   
therefore be called a biplane4  ,when   
the boy flies his kite he first         
determines the direction of the wind and
 runs in that direction4 ,in other words

 he flies his kite against the wind4    
,the pressure of the moving current     
against the under surface keeps the kite
 aloft4 ,when the boy runs against the  
wind1 moving the kite forward with him1 
this pressure is increased and the kite 
tends to rise higher and higher4 ,if    
instead of the long string and the boy  
there could be placed with the kite     
itself a very light motor that would    
give to it the same forward impulse1 the
 kite would float through the air       
without boy or string and we would have 
a small aeroplane flying machine--a     
monoplane4 ,if there were two kites1    
with parallel surfaces a few inches     
apart1 united with light framework so   
that the air would pass between them1 we
 should have a biplane4 ,for many years 
the great problem in aviation was to get
 an engine of sufficient lightness and  
power to propel monoplanes1 biplanes and
 multiplanes at an upward angle through 
the air4     ,the ,plane ,defined   ,it 
may not be out of place here to consider

 what ,constitutes a plane1 as that term
 is used in aviation4 ,it is that part  
of the aeroplane1 the pressure of the   
air upon the surface of which1 lifts and
 sustains the aeroplane aloft4 ,the     
plane may take a variety of forms2 it   
may be curved or its parts may meet in  
an angle2 it may be uniform and unbroken
 in shape or divided into parts4 ,the   
two wings of a bird would constitute a  
monoplane1 when they are in a horizontal
 position for soaring1 or when the tips 
are uplifted and they form an angle like
 a broad ,v1 called a dihedral angle4   
,if the aeroplane has two such planes1  
one back of the other1 it is still      
called a monoplane1 or1 more definitely1
 a tandem monoplane2 but if one of the  
planes is above the other it is called a
 biplane4 ,a similar arrangement of     
three planes1 one above the other1 could
 be called a triplane and one of several
 planes a multiplane4     ,essentials of
 the ,aeroplane   ,the planes1 as       
already described are1 of course1 a     

necessary part of the aeroplane4  ,the  
propeller supplies motive power to the  
aeroplane4 ,this moves in a circle much 
like the blades of the electric fan or  
the propeller of a motor boat or modern 
stern ship4 ,by driving the air backward
 it propels the aeroplane forward4      
,while the blades of the propeller are  
of considerable length they are usually 
inconspicuous in photographs1 and as one
 who has never seen an aeroplane looks  
at a photograph he naturally asks1 ,what
 moves it through the air8 ,the         
propeller is driven by the engine4  ,the
 engine is usually of the gasoline type 
which develops high power with light    
weight1 frequently one horse power for  
every three pounds of weight and in rare
 instances as high as one horse power   
for every pound of weight4 ,these       
powerful little engines are marvels of  
mechanism and they have had much to do  
in the rapid modern progress of         
aeronautics4  ,the rudder1 as its name  
indicates1 guides the aeroplane in its  

flight4 ,it consists in the main of     
small horizontal and vertical planes    
under the control of the pilot4 ,these  
may be in the front of the machine1 but 
they are usually placed in the rear4 ,by
 skillful manipulation of these the     
aeroplane can be guided upward1         
downward1 to right or left at will4 ,it 
is also guided and controlled as we     
shall see1 by the warping or curving of 
the wings or planes4     ,the ,wright   
,brothers and ,their ,problem   ,the    
dawn of the twentieth century was to    
immortalize new names in the annals of  
aviation4 ,in the city of ,dayton1      
,ohio1 two brothers in a modest way were
 conducting a bicycle repair shop4 ,from
 youth they had been inseparable in     
their aims and work4 ,they were the sons
 of ,bishop ,milton ,wright of the      
,united ,brethren ,church4 ,they had    
each a high school education but had not
 attended college4 ,in #ahgh1 when they 
were boys of seven and eleven years     
respectively1 their father brought them 

one evening a little flying toy1 a small
 helicopter1 the motive power of which  
was furnished by a rubber band wound    
around the shafts of two propellers so  
as to drive them1 when wound up and     
released1 in opposite directions4 ,the  
toy was made of light material to       
resemble a bird4 ,when the father       
released it in the presence of the      
wondering boys1 to their astonishment it
 flew upward in the room1 rose to the   
ceiling and after fluttering there for a
 little while fell to the floor4 ,they  
did not concern themselves much about   
the name of the toy1 but properly called
 it what to their minds it most closely 
resembled--the bat4 ,they afterward made
 other toys like it and discovered that 
as they were increased in size they flew
 less successfully4 ,they early         
developed a fondness for kite flying and
 in this were regarded as experts4 ,when
 they grew to manhood1 however1 they    
abandoned these boyish sports and       
devoted themselves industriously to     

their machine and repair shop4 ,the bat 
and the kite became memories1 but the   
memories of youth have power to shape   
the thoughts of manhood1 and this early 
observation and experience with aerial  
toys gave to ,wilbur and ,orville       
,wright an interest in the attempts at  
aviation that were chronicled in the    
press from time to time through the     
decade immediately preceding this new   
century4  ,in the year #ahif ,orville1  
the younger of the two brothers1 was    
convalescing from a serious attack of   
typhoid fever4 ,wilbur1 who had been    
carefully attending him1 was one day    
reading aloud an account of the death of
 ,otto ,lilienthal1 the ,german aviator1
 who was killed while experimenting with
 his glider4 ,the details of the tragic 
accident1 together with an account of   
what he had accomplished by years of    
investigation and experiment1 interested
 the brothers1 who resolved as soon as  
possible to apply themselves to the     
construction of a glider in which       

flights could be made with comparative  
safety4 ,the enthusiasm of ,orville over
 the project ran so high that it almost 
caused a return of the fever4 ,as soon  
as he had fully recovered1 the two      
brothers returned to their bicycle shop 
and applied themselves with increasing  
zeal to the study of aeronautics1 and   
after a time began the construction of a
 glider4  ,the ,wright brothers were    
peculiarly well equipped for the work   
upon which they had entered4 ,they were 
men of unflagging industry1 abstemious  
habits1 few words and the happy faculty 
of keeping their own counsel4 ,wilbur   
was unusually reticent4 ,it is said of  
him that he spoke only when he had      
something to say and then in a manner   
singularly brief and direct4 ,he had an 
unlimited capacity for hard work1 nerves
 of steel and the kind of daring that   
makes the aviator face death with       
pleasure every minute of the time he is 
in the air4 ,orville1 while much like   
his brother1 is more talkative and      

approachable4 ,both were modest and     
unassuming when they began their work   
and continued so when the world         
applauded their achievements4  ,in the  
study of the problem upon the solution  
of which they ventured1 they had of     
course the advantage of all that had    
thus far been achieved by those who had 
preceded them in this field of          
investigation and experiment4 ,professor
 ,langley had already perfected his     
first monoplane to such an extent that  
short flights were successfully made    
with a light steam-propelled model4 ,he 
was continuing his experiments and the  
,wright brothers read with avidity the  
results of his work4 ,every scrap of    
information that they could gather from 
others who had essayed the solution of  
the problem was now collected and made  
the subject of critical study4 ,at first
 taking up aeronautics merely as a      
sport1 they soon afterward with zest    
began its more serious pursuit4 ,we     
reluctantly entered upon the scientific 

side of it4 they said1 but we soon found
 the work so fascinating that we were   
drawn into it deeper and deeper4  ,in   
their efforts to construct a practical  
flying machine they adopted the plan of 
,lilienthal and ,chanute4 ,they sought  
to construct a machine which they could 
control and in which they could make    
glides with safety4 ,this they built in 
the form of a biplane glider and with it
 they experimented industriously for    
years4 ,the successful construction of  
the machine required a high degree of   
skill4 ,the length and width of the     
planes1 their distance apart1 the       
materials to be used1 the shape1 size   
and position of the rudder and numerous 
other details were to be worked out only
 by patient study and frequent tests4   
,they were now in the field of original 
experiment and soon found that they had 
to reject as useless many theories that 
had been carefully elaborated by        
scholarly writers4  ,the brothers soon  
learned that a long narrow plane in a   

position nearly horizontal1 moved in a  
direction at right angles to one of its 
lateral edges and inclined or tipped    
slightly upward would develop greater   
lifting power than a square or circular 
plane4 ,this discovery was not indeed   
original with them1 but their           
experiments confirmed the conclusions of
 their predecessors4  ,the surface shape
 of the plane is an important           
consideration4 ,it has been found that a
 slight upward arch from beneath1 making
 the under surface concave1 gives the   
best results4 ,the concavity should     
reach its maximum about one-third of the
 distance from the front or entering    
edge to the rear edge of the plane and  
should be the same whether one or more  
planes are used4 ,in flight the forward 
or entering edges of the planes are     
tipped slightly upward to give the      
machine lifting power for the same      
reason that the top of a kite is given  
an angle of elevation so that the air   
will lift it as it is drawn forward by  

the string4     ,balancing the ,machine 
,the balancing of a machine in mid-air  
is one of the most difficult problems in
 aviation4 ,in the balloon this is      
easily accomplished because the         
principal weight1 the basket with the   
passenger1 is below the gas-filled      
sphere or compartment1 and the balloon  
tends to right itself after any         
disturbance by the wind1 much like a    
plummet when swayed out of its position4
  ,professor ,langley1 ,lilienthal and  
others had sought to take advantage of  
this tendency in the construction of    
their machines by placing or arching the
 wings above the pilot or heavier       
portion of the mechanism4 ,after a      
slight disturbance in mid-air the       
machine would then tend to right or     
balance itself and assume its former    
position4 ,the practical difficulty of  
this arrangement1 however1 arose from   
the fact that when once set to swaying  
the gliders thus constructed continued  
to sway like the pendulum of a clock4   

,the ,wright brothers set themselves the
 task of finding some other method of   
preventing the biplane from dipping     
downward or upward at either side with  
the shifting of air currents4 ,the first
 device to give steadiness of motion was
 a small movable horizontal plane1      
supported parallel with and in front of 
the two main planes1 and by means of a  
lever1 under control of the pilot4      
,at ,kitty ,hawk   ,having after much   
study completed their glider1 the       
,wright brothers sought a suitable place
 for their first tests4 ,by             
correspondence with the ,united ,states 
,weather ,bureau they learned that at   
,kitty ,hawk1 ,north ,carolina1 the     
winds are stronger and more constant    
than at any other point in the ,united  
,states4 ,this treeless waste of sand   
dunes along the solitary shore near the 
village afforded the privacy where they 
might carry on their work unmolested4   
,here in ,october1 #aijj1 they spent    
their vacation testing their biplane    

glider4 ,they sought to fly it in the   
face of the wind like a kite4 ,this they
 succeeded in doing but it would not    
support the weight of a man4 ,they then 
experimented with it1 using light ropes 
from below to work the levers and guide 
it through the air4 ,it was sufficiently
 responsive to encourage them and they  
went back home to make at their leisure 
a number of improvements4  ,the year    
following they returned to the same     
place with a larger machine considerably
 improved1 but it still failed to lift  
the operator4 ,octave ,chanute1 of      
,chicago1 with whom they had been in    
correspondence1 came to witness their   
tests and examine their glider4 ,they   
now decided to abandon much of the      
scientific data which they had collected
 from the writings of others and        
proceeded in the light of their own     
experience4 ,they coasted down the air  
from the tops of sand dunes and tested  
with satisfaction their devices for     
guiding their air craft4 ,in #aijb1 with

 additional improvements1 they made     
almost one thousand gliding flights1    
some of which carried them a little over
 six hundred feet1 more than twice the  
distance attained the previous year4    
,all this time their object had been to 
control the machine while in air4 ,only 
after this was accomplished did they    
propose to add motive power to keep it  
above the earth4 ,they wisely reasoned  
that it would be useless to apply this  
power to a machine that could not be    
directed and controlled4     ,the ,first
 ,flight   ,the ,wrights had now reached
 a point where they felt that they were 
ready to apply motive power1 rise like a
 bird from the earth and direct their   
course through the air4 ,a new machine  
was built with two planes1 each six feet
 six inches wide and measuring forty    
feet from tip to tip4 ,the planes were  
arranged one directly above the other   
with an intervening space of six feet4  
,an elevating rudder of two horizontal  
planes ten feet in front of the machine1

 and a rudder of two vertical planes    
about six feet long and one foot apart  
in the rear of the machine were under   
control by levers close to the hands of 
the pilot1 who1 prostrate on the lower  
large plane1 directed the course up or  
down1 to the right or left at will4 ,but
 the most remarkable features of all    
were the gasoline engine that was to    
give motive power and the propellers by 
which that power was to move the machine
 in its flight through the air4 ,the    
mechanism1 the result of patient study  
and arduous labor1 had been perfected in
 the little shop at ,dayton and had been
 brought to the barren sand coast of    
,north ,carolina for its first practical
 test4 ,the engine1 which developed     
sixteen horse power1 was connected by   
chains with the two propellers1 each    
eight feet in diameter at the rear of   
the biplane4 ,the total weight was #gej 
pounds4  ,to give the machine a start it
 was driven rapidly along an iron rail  
by a cable attached to a weight of one  

ton suspended at the top of a derrick4  
,when everything was at last in         
readiness1 the engine was started1 the  
propellers were set in rapid motion1 the
 weight at the top of the derrick was   
released1 the biplane was driven rapidly
 forward1 and lo6 bearing a man1 it     
skimmed over the sand dunes6 ,it        
continued only eleven seconds but landed
 without injury to pilot or machine4 ,a 
small beginning indeed1 but it proved   
the practicability of man flight and    
ushered in the era of aviation4 ,a few  
days earlier in the same month on the   
banks of the ,potomac a crowd of        
witnesses saw with keen disappointment  
the failure of ,professor ,langley's    
flying machine1 and as they turned away 
said mentally and not a few of them     
audibly1 ,impracticable6 ,it can't be   
done4 ,on the sand near ,kitty ,hawk1 in
 the presence only of the inventors and 
five others1 life savers and fishermen  
from ,kill ,devil ,hill ,station near   
by1 fortune rewarded two brothers       

unknown to the world and they achieved  
what had long been regarded as          
impracticable and impossible4 ,professor
 ,langley worked long and patiently on  
his models and was very properly given  
#ej1jjj by the government to aid in an  
enterprise that was to give man dominion
 of the air4 ,the ,wright brothers with 
the same faith and unflagging zeal      
worked secretly in their little shop at 
,dayton without financial assistance and
 out of their small earnings conducted  
experiments on the ,carolina coast1     
doing their own cooking to lighten      
expenses1 and solved the problem that   
had thwarted the inventive genius of the
 world4 ,no crowds1 appreciating the    
significance of the event were present  
to applaud1 nor did the brothers exult  
over the achievement4 ,it was indeed    
only what they had confidently expected4
  ,on the day of their initial success  
two other nights of slightly longer     
duration were made4 ,the fourth flight  
continued fifty-nine seconds1 almost a  

minute1 and extended over a distance of 
#hec feet4 ,the machine was then carried
 back to camp4 ,in an unguarded moment  
it was caught by a gust of wind1 rolled 
violently over the ground and was       
partially wrecked4 ,but what mattered   
the loss8 ,for the first time in the    
history of the world a machine carrying 
a man had raised itself by its own power
 into the air in free flight1 had sailed
 forward on a level course without      
reduction of speed and had landed       
without being wrecked4     ,machine     
,balanced by ,warping of ,planes   ,the 
,wrights found one of the greatest      
difficulties to be overcome was the     
balancing of their machine4 ,this was   
only measurably and unsatisfactorily    
accomplished by the horizontal rudder4  
,they began to study the flight of      
soaring birds for a solution of the     
difficulty4 ,they found that the hawk1  
the eagle and the gull maintained a     
horizontal position by a slight1 almost 
imperceptible upward or downward bending

 of the extreme tips of their wings4    
,they then began experiments with       
slightly flexible planes that could be  
bent or warped at will by the pilot4    
,this was one of their most important   
and original contributions to the       
problem of aviation1 and it gave the    
pilot in a marked degree control of his 
machine4 ,the scientific arching of the 
planes to give them the maximum lifting 
effect was also the result of their     
investigations4  ,they now removed the  
field of experiment to ,hoffman ,prairie
 near ,dayton where at first they met   
with indifferent success4 ,they invited 
friends and reporters from their home   
city to witness a flight1 but the       
machine acted badly in the presence of  
company4 ,while the spectators were not 
favorably impressed the inventors were  
in no wise discouraged4 ,their          
perseverance was later rewarded in #aijd
 by a flight of three miles in five     
minutes and twenty-seven seconds4 ,the  
year following a flight of #bd4bj miles 

was made in thirty-eight minutes1       
thirteen seconds1 at heights of         
seventy-five to one hundred feet4 ,these
 attracted small attention4 ,the        
inventors fully satisfied with their    
success and working industriously to    
perfect their machine were also         
safeguarding the results of their labors
 by carefully patenting every device    
that helped them to the goal of         
practical aviation4 ,while ,europe was  
applauding the achievements of the      
intrepid and wealthy ,brazilian1        
,santos-,dumont1 who made public flights
 near ,paris1 the world was practically 
unaware of the greater achievements of  
the ,wright brothers a year earlier4    
,newspaper accounts of their flights    
were received with a degree of          
incredulity1 but the indifference of the
 public was favorable to the modest     
brothers who with tireless energy and   
slender means triumphed over difficulty 
after difficulty as they moved toward   
the larger success that they ardently   

desired and the fame that they sought   
not4     ,newspaper ,reports ,verified  
,in #aijg the ,united ,states           
,government asked for bids for a flying 
machine that would carry two men1 remain
 in the air an hour and make a          
cross-country flight of forty miles an  
hour4 ,the ,wright brothers entered into
 a contract to build such a machine4    
,this fact and rumors of their success  
that reached the large cities from time 
to time led a party of newspaper        
reporters to organize themselves into a 
spying party to trace the ,wrights to   
their secret retreat and verify the     
claims made in their behalf or publish  
the deception to the public4 ,after a   
long and tedious journey from ,norfolk  
they finally sighted the rude hut of    
these birdmen4 ,they then secreted      
themselves until they were rewarded with
 evidence that the reports were true and
 promptly announced to the world that   
these quiet men had actually solved the 
problem of aerial flight4     ,trial    

,flights at ,fort ,meyer   ,in #aijh    
,orville ,wright began trial flights at 
,fort ,meyer preliminary to the tests   
required by the government contracts4 ,a
 record flight was made in ,june4 ,the  
morning was still and beautiful2 the    
leaves hung motionless on the great     
plane trees of ,washington as ,orville  
,wright and ,august ,post1 ,secretary of
 the ,aero ,club of ,america left the   
city about six o'clock and proceeded by 
way of ,georgetown to ,fort ,meyer where
 trial flights were to be made with the 
biplane4 ,it was taken from its shed and
 placed on the starting rail4 ,the      
weights were lifted into position1 the  
engine started1 the propellers set in   
rapid motion and all was in readiness   
for starting4 ,only a few persons were  
in sight1 including a squad of soldiers 
who were cleaning the guns of a field   
battery4 ,mr4 ,wright took his place on 
the machine4 ,at a signal the weights   
were released1 it was drawn forward1 and
 rising gracefully at the end of the    

rail gradually ascended in a circuitous 
course upward4 ,mr4 ,post kept time and 
marked circuits on the back of an       
envelope4 ,round and round went the     
machine1 rising higher and higher4      
,after a little the spectators realized 
that a record flight was in progress4   
,ten--twenty minutes passed4 ,higher and
 higher circled the aeroplane4 ,now it  
has been aloft on wing for half an hour6
 ,the spectators stand rigid and look   
upward4 ,mr4 ,taylor1 chief mechanic1 in
 almost breathless interest exclaims1   
,don't make a motion4 ,if you do he'll  
come down4  ,in the city1 word had      
reached the newspaper reporters that    
,mr4 ,wright had gone out for a flight4 
,does he intend to fly today8 came the  
question over the telephone4 ,yes1 he is
 in the air now and has been flying for 
more than half an hour1 was the answer4 
,then came the rush for fuller details  
and the results of the record-making    
trial were flashed over the country and 
cabled under the seas to distant lands4 

,senators1 congressmen1 departmental    
officials and representatives of every  
walk of life in the national capital    
were a little later on their way to     
witness another exhibition of the       
wonderful flying machine4 ,mr4 ,wright  
in the afternoon made another world's   
record1 remaining in the air an hour and
 seven minutes4 ,in the evening with    
,lieutenant ,lahm at his side he        
performed without accident the greatest 
two-man flight ever made4 ,these        
achievements awed and thrilled the great
 throng of spectators who greeted the   
triumphant conclusion of each with      
tumultuous cheers4 ,the problem of the  
centuries had been solved4 ,the         
impossible had been accomplished6 ,the  
dream of the visionaries had become a   
reality6     ,fatal ,accident   ,on the 
#agth of ,september occurred a sad      
accident that brought to a close for the
 year the preliminary tests that had    
been carried on thus far with marked    
success4 ,when ,orville ,wright and     

,lieutenant ,selfridge were flying at a 
height of about seventy-five feet1 one  
of the propellers struck a stray wire   
which coiled around and broke the blade4
 ,this precipitated the machine         
earthward and fatally injured           
,lieutenant ,selfridge who died three   
hours afterward4 ,orville narrowly      
escaped the same fate with a number of  
broken bones4 ,aviation at this time was
 attended with great dangers and the    
daring spirits who ventured aloft on the
 wings of the wind were in constant     
peril of their lives4     ,wilbur       
,wright ,wins ,fame in ,france          
,meanwhile ,wilbur ,wright who had gone 
to ,france was making a series of record
 flights4 ,early in the month of ,august
 near ,le ,mans he flew fifty-two miles 
and was in the air one hour and         
thirty-one minutes4 ,a few days later he
 broke the previous record for altitude1
 attaining an elevation of #chj feet4   
,on the #cast day of ,december he won   
#bj1jjj francs for the longest flight of

 the year4 ,his modest bearing1 simple  
habits and wonderful achievements called
 forth great praise from the            
impressionable ,french4 ,when he took up
 his quarters at ,le ,mans he arranged  
to prepare his own meals as he had      
previously done on the coast of ,north  
,carolina1 but the ,french would not    
hear to this and furnished him a cook4  
,in speaking of this incident afterward 
,wilbur ,wright said in a jocular way3  
,not knowing enough ,french to dismiss  
him or find out who sent him1 ,i        
permitted him to remain4  ,in ,january1 
#aiji1 ,orville ,wright1 who had        
recovered from his injuries1 joined his 
brother at ,pau1 ,france4 ,here they    
gave many exhibition flights that were  
witnessed by the great scientists and   
the nobility of ,europe4 ,here their    
feats were witnessed by the ,king of    
,england and the ,king of ,spain who    
personally extended hearty              
congratulations4 ,wilbur took his       
machine to ,rome where ,king ,emanuel   

attended his exhibition flights4 ,later 
the two brothers were the guests1 in    
,london1 of the ,aeronautical ,society  
of ,great ,britain and received its gold
 medal4 ,their bearing and achievements 
abroad gave them world-wide fame4       
,wright ,brothers ,honored   ,arriving  
in ,washington ,june #ajth1 they        
received a medal at the hands of        
,president ,taft from the ,aero ,club of
 ,america4 ,continuing their journey    
homeward1 they were met at ,xenia1      
,ohio1 by a delegation from ,dayton4    
,they at once began to inquire about    
their fellow townsmen4  ,look here1     
,wilbur1 said one of the committee1     
you'll see all those folks at the       
station in a few moments4  ,why1 who is 
at the station8 asked ,wright4  ,oh1    
twenty-five or thirty of the boys was   
the reply4  ,as they entered their home 
city they saw the streets thronged with 
people4  ,i see the twenty-five or      
thirty1 remarked ,mr4 ,wright1 but ,i   
thought you folks knew better than this4

  ,later they were honored in their home
 city with a two-day celebration1 at the
 climax of which medals were presented  
to them from ,congress1 from the ,state 
of ,ohio and from the city of ,dayton4  
,their fame was world-wide and at last  
their own city had discovered them and  
welcomed them with enthusiastic pride4  
,united ,states ,government             
,requirements ,successfully ,met   ,soon
 afterward they returned to ,fort ,meyer
 to continue their work preparatory to  
the final tests4 ,they had entered into 
a contract with the ,united ,states     
,government which was to pay #be1jjj for
 a machine which would carry two men one
 hour in a circuitous course and perform
 a cross-country flight of ten miles at 
the rate of forty miles an hour4 ,on the
 day of the final tests the people of   
,washington came forth in greater crowds
 than ever before4 ,officialdom1        
including representatives of foreign    
embassies1 army officers1 newspaper     
correspondents and civilians1 were      

present to witness the crucial test4    
,among the spectators was ,miss         
,katherine ,wright1 the scholarly sister
 of the two brothers1 who had followed  
with deep and sympathetic interest every
 step in the progress of her brothers up
 to this hour4  ,at a signal1 ,orville  
,wright1 with ,lieutenant ,lahm again at
 his side started on his time-test      
flight4 ,upward in spiral course they   
rose4 ,at length the hour limit was     
passed and a mighty cheer from the      
multitude announced the result4 ,still  
the machine with its two passengers     
remained aloft4 ,nine minutes more      
passed4 ,the world's record made by     
,wilbur ,wright was broken4  ,wilbur1   
who was present1 announced the result by
 waving a handkerchief and calling      
aloud1 ,give him a cheer1 boys4 ,soon   
after this the machine gently descended1
 having been in the air an hour1 twelve 
minutes and forty seconds1 the longest  
two passenger flight that had been made 
to that date4  ,orville ,wright was soon

 overwhelmed with congratulations4      
,coming forward ,president ,taft said3  
,i am glad to congratulate you on your  
achievement4 ,you came down as          
gracefully and as much like a bird as   
you went up4 ,i hope your passenger     
behaved himself and did not talk to the 
motorman4 ,it was a wonderful           
performance4 ,i would not have missed   
it4  ,the ,president then shook hands   
with ,wilbur1 saying1 ,your brother has 
broken your record4  ,yes1 replied      
,wilbur1 with a smile1 but it's all in  
the family4  ,on ,august #cj came the   
speed trial over a course from ,ft4     
,meyer to ,alexandria five miles        
distant4 ,this at that time was         
considered the most difficult test of   
all4 ,the course was over a broken and  
uneven country1 valleys1 ravines1 hills1
 forests and open fields alternating4   
,lieutenant ,benjamin ,d4 ,foulois was  
chosen to accompany ,orville ,wright on 
this perilous trip4 ,the machine arose  
and circled between the two flags that  

marked the starting line1 and amid      
cheers of the spectators started on its 
flight toward the two captive balloons  
that marked the limit of the course4    
,smaller and smaller it grew in the     
distance as it was swayed slightly out  
of its path by the wind4 ,it at length  
turned the goal on the hill at          
,alexandria4 ,on the return it was borne
 downward until it disappeared4 ,would  
it rise again or would it be swept down 
by a treacherous current and wrecked in 
the valley8 ,after a moment's suspense  
it again appeared in clearer outline    
over the treetops4 ,nearer and nearer it
 came until in the midst of waving      
handkerchiefs and thunderous cheers1 it 
softly alighted near its starting place4
 ,the daring aviator was heartily       
congratulated again by the ,president   
and other eminent men who thronged about
 him4 ,his sister told him that the glad
 news had already been telegraphed to   
his aged father in ,dayton4 ,the machine
 had successfully met all requirements  

and had made in the cross-country flight
 #db4f miles an hour1 entitling the     
brothers in addition to the #be1jjj to a
 bonus of #e1jjj1 making in all #cj1jjj4
 ,wonderful as was this record at the   
time1 succeeding flights with improved  
machines now make it seem trivial and   
commonplace4  ,later in the year #aiji  
,orville ,wright went back to ,europe   
where he achieved distinction in a      
number of nights while ,wilbur remained 
at home to participate in the           
,hudson-,fulton celebration and thrill  
his countrymen by encircling in a flight
 the statue of liberty and returning to 
his starting point on ,governor's       
,island4  ,it is not necessary to follow
 further the aeronautic achievements of 
the ,wright brothers4 ,while they were  
the first to construct a successful     
aeroplane1 inventors in ,america and    
abroad quickly followed them and        
machines of various forms and           
construction but based on the same      
principle were soon making record       

flights in many lands4 ,the simultaneous
 development of the aeroplane in the    
,united ,states and ,europe is explained
 by the fact that the progress of the   
experiments of the ,wright ,brothers was
 promptly reported and eagerly noted on 
the other side of the ,atlantic4 ,octave
 ,chanute immediately after his visit to
 ,kitty ,hawk made a trip abroad and    
gave a detailed account of what the     
,wright brothers had accomplished4 ,this
 account with drawings was published and
 ,european inventors had this           
information on which to work4 ,in #aiji 
,louis ,bleriot1 a ,french aviator1 who 
had sprung into prominence the preceding
 year1 crossed the ,english ,channel in 
his beautiful birdlike monoplane4 ,in   
#aiaj ,george ,chauz1 flying upward     
#g1jjj feet1 crossed the ,alps amid the 
treacherous and frozen winds of the     
snow-capped peaks only to meet a tragic 
death as he neared the goal in sunny    
,italy4 ,equally daring and dangerous   
was the trip of the brilliant ,american 

aviator ,glenn ,curtis in his biplane   
from ,albany to ,new ,york ,city1       
followed a few days later by the notable
 achievement of ,charles ,k4 ,hamilton  
who in a machine of the same make flew  
from ,new ,york ,city to ,philadelphia  
at the average speed of fifty and       
one-half miles an hour4 ,aviation meets 
and record breaking flights in this     
country and ,europe now followed in such
 rapid succession that the long list    
would only weary the reader4 ,in this   
rapid and spectacular progress that gave
 man dominion over the air and the power
 to surpass the eagle's flight it is    
interesting to note how well the        
,wrights kept in the forefront of the   
era that they ushered in4 ,frequent     
changes have greatly improved the       
efficiency of their machine4 ,in #aiaj  
it made the greatest altitude flight1   
reaching a height of #aa1dgf feet4 ,in  
#aiaa ,c4 ,p4 ,rodgers1 in successive   
stages1 flew in one of their biplanes   
from ,new ,york ,city to ,long ,branch1 

,california1 a distance of #d1jbi miles1
 the longest flight ever made4          
,recent ,improvements   ,improvements   
are still in rapid progress4 ,the       
hydroaeroplane has been invented4 ,this 
is a slightly modified aeroplane with   
equipment that will keep it afloat on   
the water from which it may rise and fly
 at the will of the pilot4 ,aviators    
have developed high skill in the control
 of their machines in mid-air4 ,they    
have at high speed described intricate  
figures1 sustained themselves in        
inverted positions and performed the    
dangerous and thrilling feat of looping 
the loop in their swift downward flight4
 ,they have ascended high in air1       
reaching an altitude of over #bj1jjj    
feet1 and increased their speed rate to 
#abf miles an hour4 ,swifter than flight
 of bird and outspeeding the winged     
tempest1 man has cleft the highways of  
the air4 ,a long line of fatal accidents
 has marked his progress1 but with      
reckless and audacious courage he has   

kept his course until he has added the  
upper deep to the realm of his dominion4
     ,future of the ,aeroplane   ,future
 achievements in this new field are of  
course matters of speculation4 ,man has 
flown across the ,alps1 the ,rocky      
,mountains1 the ,english ,channel1 the  
,straits of ,florida and the            
,mediterranean ,sea4 ,even now there is 
reported a contemplated airship for the 
crossing of the ,atlantic4  ,thus far   
the chief use of the aeroplane has been 
for sport and armament4 ,the leading    
nations of the world have equipped their
 armies with flying machines from which 
it will be possible at a safe height to 
spy out the position of the enemy1 carry
 messages across besieging lines and    
drop destructive explosives in the midst
 of hostile fortifications4 ,what effect
 this will have on the future of war can
 only be conjectured4 ,some have        
predicted that when further perfected it
 will bring to an end this era of vast  
armaments and defenses by making them   

useless4 ,if it does this1 it may indeed
 be hailed as the beneficent invention  
of this new century1 for it will have   
realized the vision of the poet         
,tennyson who crowned with his immortal 
verse the century that is gone3         
,for ,i dipt into the future1 far as    
human eye could see1     ,saw the       
,vision of the world1 and all the wonder
 that would be2      ,saw the heavens   
fill with commerce1 argosies of magic   
sails1     ,pilots of the purple        
twilight1 dropping down with costly     
bales2      ,heard the heavens fill with
 shouting1 and there rained a           
ghastly dew     ,from the nations' airy 
navies grappling in the central blue2   
,far along the world-wide whisper of the
 south wind rushing     warm1     ,with 
the standards of the peoples plunging   
through the     thunder-storm2          
,till the war-drum throbbed no longer1  
and the battle-flags were     furled    
,in the ,parliament of man1 the         
,federation of the world4