40 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[ November i, 1909. 



will be dutiable at 45 per cent, ad valorem under the metal 

 schedule. The Payne law provides that a duty of 45 per 

 cent, shall be levied on articles of which metal is the com- 

 ponent material of chief value. As an aeroplane consists of 

 the wooden framework, the propeller, and the canvas or 

 balloon fabric planes, in addition to the motor, the latter 

 seems to be the part most valuable, and thus liable to duty 

 under the metal schedule. 



MR. FONT FINANCING THE WRIGHTS. 



Among the American enthusiasts in the matter of aerial navi- 

 gation high place must be given to Mr. Charles R. Flint, of 

 New York. Mr. Flint was mentioned in the newspapers as 

 being present at all the principal contests in aviation in Europe 

 during the sum- ..--. 



mer, following his 

 careful attention to 

 the trials made by 

 the Wright broth- 

 ers prior to their 

 sale of a biplane to 

 the United States 

 government last - 

 year. During the 

 past month Mr. t 

 Flint returned 1 

 home to New 

 York, after having 

 made plans, it is 

 understood, for an 

 international com- 

 pany for making 

 and marketing the 

 Wright flying ma- 

 chine. It is stated 

 that Mr. Flint has 

 been financing the 



Wright brothers for two years past, but was desirous of not 

 having this generally known until the success of their machine 

 was demonstrated. Mr. Flint, who has great faith in the value 

 of the aeroplane for military use, thinks that the United States 

 government should have bought the secret of the Wright broth- 

 ers' invention and thereby have obtained control absolutely of 

 the most successful flying machine in the world, instead of forcing 

 the Wrights to go abroad for recognition. 



Mr. Flint will be remembered in the industrial and financial 

 world from his connection with the organization of the United 

 States Rubber Co.. which, at its inception, was the largest in- 

 dustrial corporation in existence. The company has grown 

 since hut in some other industries, involving more capital, by the 

 application of the ideas on which Mr. Flint based his work, 

 larger corporations have come into existence. 



Charles R. Flint. 



Mr. Flint has 



Glenn H. Curtiss's Biplane. 



[Winner of a Trophy at Rhcims. 1 



long been a student of industrial consolidation, and if the flying 

 machine trust, as some people care to express it, is to be formed, 

 Mr. Flint would appear to be particularly fitted to direct the 

 work, particularly since in late years he has formed important 

 financial connections in Europe. 



Factories for the Wright machine have been planned or estab- 

 lished in St. Petersburg, Berlin, and Paris, as well as in the 

 United States. The Wrights have patents in this country, Europe, 

 Australia, and South America, and Mr. Flint considers that they 

 have a monopoly in the way of a practical biplane. Mention has 

 been made in these pages of the infringement suits brought by 

 the Wright interests against the makers and users of the Curtiss 

 biplane. The Cie. Generale de Navigation Aerienne, owners of 

 the Wright patents in France, secured a technical attachment 

 on all the biplanes on exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris 

 during the past month, on the ground of alleged infringements. 



It is understood that the Wright brothers have decided not to 

 make further flights for exhibition purposes. "Every time we 

 go into the air," Wilbur Wright is quoted as saying, "we make a 

 study of some part of the mechanism or some peculiar weather 

 condition with a view to improving our machine. We could not 

 do that as hired attractions." 



Wilbur Wright was paid $15,000 by the Hudson-Fulton com- 

 mission for appearing at New York during the celebration. He 

 went next to Washington to complete his instruction of army 

 officials in the use of his aeroplane sold to the United States 

 government last year. Thence he expected to go to his home at 

 Dayton. Ohio, where his American aeroplane factory is located. 



AUT0M0BILING AND FLYING IN THE AIR. 



The close relation in interest as between automobiling and 

 aviation is suggested in part by an expression from Mr. Wilbur 

 Wright on the occasion of his last appearance in New York. It 

 was to the effect that the further improvement of the biplane 

 must depend upon his ability to obtain better motors. Then it 



Bleriot Crossing the English Channel 



The Santos-Dcmont Machine. 



