Some American Experiments

Extract

Probably few readers realize the advance which has been made towards a practical solution of the problem of aviation within the last eight years. It is greater than all that was accomplished during the preceding two centuries. Not only has the subject been rescued from the contempt brought upon it by past failures and eccentric proposals, but very able men—Langley, Maxim, Pilcher, Hargrave, and Lilienthal—have shown by their experiments and writings that man may fairly hope eventually to fly through the air.

Hundreds of failures during the last 300 or 400 years have well shown what arrangements will not answer, but the labours of these latter experimenters now enable us to forecast that success is most probably to be won with aerocurves, driven by screws or flapping propellers, actuated by a steam or a petroleum engine.

What is the best course to be now followed to make still further advance? Most of the above experimenters seem to have proceeded upon the assumption that it is practicable to evolve a complete flying machine at one operation, and to apply propellers and motors from the first, before we are quite certain as to the stability in a wind.