120 EXPERIMENTS WITH THE LANGLEY AERODROME. 



weight of the model was 58 pounds, its sustaining surface fiG square 

 feet, and the horsepoAver from 2J to 3. 



This was the first time in history, so far as I know, that a success- 

 ful flight of a mechanically sustained flying machine was made in 

 public. 



The flight was not as long as had been expected, as it was found 

 afterAvards that one of the workmen, in his zeal to insure an especially 

 good one, had OA'erfilled the gasoline tank, which would otherwise 

 have enabled a flight several times as long. However, as such a 

 flight would have given absolutely no more data than the short one 

 did, and as the delays in getting ready for testing the large machine 

 had already far exceeded what was expected, it was thought best not 

 to make any more tests with the small one, as all of the data which 

 was desired had been procured, and it Avas accordingly stored away 

 and every energy immediately concentrated in getting the large ma- 

 chine ready for its first test, which at that time seemed only a few 

 clays away. 



During all these delays it ma}^ be remarked that we necessarily 

 resided near the house boat, and therefore in a region of malaria, from 

 Avhose attacks a portion of us suffered. 



I have spoken of the serious delays in the test of the small macliine 

 caused by changed atmospheric conditions, but they proved to be 

 almost negligible compared Avith Avhat Avas later experienced Avith 

 the large one. I have also alluded to the fact that the necessai-ily 

 light ribs of the large sustaining Aving surfaces Avere coA^ered Avith 

 several coats of a special marine varnish Avhich many tests had shoAvn 

 enabled the glue to Avithstand submersion in Avater for more than 

 tAventy-four hours Avithout being affected. This Avater test aa as nuide 

 Avith a vieAv to guarding against the joints of the ribs being softened 

 when the machine came down into the water, as it Avas i^lanned for 

 it to do at the close of its flight, and these submersions had apparently 

 shoAvn that no trouble need be anticipated from the effects of the 

 sustaining surfaces getting Avet. It is an instance of the unpre- 

 dictable delays Avhich present themseh-es, that Avhen preparations 

 had been begun for the immediate trial of the large machine, already 

 down the riA^er, it Avas found that every one of the cross ribs had 

 been rendered almost useless by the damp, though under shelter. 

 As it would take months to build ncAV ones, a temporary means of 

 repairing them Avas used. There Avere other delays too numerous 

 to mention, but chiefly incident to Avorking over the Avater, some of 

 the principal of Avhich were due to storms dragging the house boat 

 from its moorings and destroying auxiliary apparatus, such as 

 hutnches, boats, rafts, etc., to say nothing of the time consumed in 

 bringing Avorknien to and from the scene of the experiments. The 

 propellers Avere even found to break under the strain of the actual 



