NO. 3 LANGLEY MBMOIB ON MECHANICAL FLIGHT 95 



which, nevertheless, again proved prohibitory to the launching, and with ex- 

 treme disappointment the party returned to Washington, it being al last fully 

 recognized that unless some way were found of holding down all the extended 

 supporting surfaces upon the launching piece, and at the same time of firmly 

 clamping the body of the aerodrome until it could be dropped, as well as of re- 

 leasing all this simultaneously at the critical instant, no attempt at launching 

 was likely to succeed except in such an entire and perfect calm as rarely occurs. 

 Independent of this launching difficulty, some way of protecting the fires from 

 the wind had to be found, which was by no means easy, since an efficient pro- 

 tection meant an enclosure of them and a diminished influx of air, of which it 

 was essential that there should be an unlimited supply. 



December 1. L, with B, R, and M proceeded to Quantico. The same con- 

 ditions presented themselves and the party returned, without effecting anything. 



December 7. L, B, R, and M present; day overcast but perfectly calm. 

 Taught by experience, we had everything ready, and a little after one o'clock the 

 launch was made. The aerodrome fell directly into the boat, the rod of the 

 starter having broken. It was little damaged, but in view of the injury and 

 the rising wind, all other attempts were abandoned for the day. 



December 11. Present, L, with B, R, and M. A new " starter " had been 

 devised and brought down, but was not yet quite ready for use, and an attempt 

 was made to employ the old one with the improvements suggested by experi- 

 ence, but, after two attempts to launch, the work was abandoned for the day, ow- 

 ing this time not to the launching apparatus, but to troubles in the engines and 

 pumps, due probably to injuries received in the fall of the 7th, which were not 

 detected until the time of the actual trial. 



December 20. L, with B, M, and G, present; engine and aerodrome in or- 

 der and everything apparently favorable. What seemed to be an almost entire 

 calm came toward evening, yet once more the all but imperceptible breeze which 

 prevailed was found to defeat all arrangements for holding the aerodrome to 

 the launching ways before it was let go. 



Trips to Quantico were also made on November L'4, and December 1 and 21, 

 of winch no account is given as the very moderate wind which prevailed in each 

 case precluded any attempt at launching the aerodrome. 



It will be seen that eight trips were made to Quantico, and that, far from 

 any flight having been made, not once even was the aerodrome launched at all. 

 The principal cause for this lay in the unrecognized amount of difficulty intro- 

 duced by the very smallest wind, irrespective of the unfitness of the launching 

 apparatus to give the desired initial speed and direction. 



In all these trials, the aerodrome rested on the launching apparatus, by 

 which it was projected forward by means of a spring in such a way as not to 

 interfere with the propellers. 



