104 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE Vol.. 27 



ingly good flight, yet the fad thai the aerodrome rose immediately after being 

 launched, and continued to do so until the power gave out, was in itself very 

 encouraging. 



At 1.40 p. in. No. ") was again ready for trial (the third one for the day), 

 and this time Mr. Langley and Dr. Bell witnessed it from a greater distance in 

 hopes of being aide more clearly to study its behavior when actually in the air. 



The previous trial having missed success through the fuel and water hav- 

 ing been consumed before the machine was launched, special instructions were 

 given to avoid the recurrence of this mistake. But the machine was held for 

 probably two minutes after the burners were lighted, with very much the same 

 result as before. The conditions of the aerodrome were the same as in the 

 previous trial, except that the tail was a little natter, so as to tend to make the 

 head slightly lower in flight. It was launched at an angle of aboul thirty de- 

 grees with the very gentle wind that was blowing, and, apparently under the di- 

 rection of the rudder, turned into the wind, the midrod rising to an angle of 

 about twenty degrees and (as noted in Mr. Langley's record book) "The whole 

 machine absolutely rising during five or six seconds — a fine spectacle! Then 

 the power visibly gave out, the propellers revolving slower. It settled forward 

 and lost nearly all of its forward motion at the end of about seven seconds, but 

 did not finally touch the water until ten and a quarter seconds." 



While the length of time that the aerodrome had been sustained in the air 

 was so short that no actual flight had really been achieved, yet the results en- 

 couraged the belief that with the aerodrome more accurately balanced, it could 

 reasonably be hoped that a somewhat longer flight would be obtained. It was, 

 however, very evident that, although the correct balancing which would in- 

 sure equilibrium for a few minutes might soon be attained, the machine, lack- 

 ing a human intelligence to control it, must be provided with some mechanism 

 which would tend to restore the equilibrium, the conditions of which must nec- 

 essarily change in a machine depending on the air for its support. In order 

 In see what could be done in this direction, it was, therefore, decided to return 

 immediately to Washington with the machines and make some minor changes 

 in them before attempting further flights. 



By the (Mid of May, Nos. 4 and 5 were again in readiness for a trial, and 

 the mechanics were accordingly sent to Quantico to complete preparations for 

 the jests. During May Mr. A. M. Eerring, who had been experimenting with 

 model machines for several years, was engaged for a U'w months as an assist- 

 ant, and he was immediately put in charge of the field trials of Nos. 4 and 5, 

 which were now about to be made. On June (i Mr. Langley, accompanied by 

 Mr. Eerring, went to Quantico, and on .tune 7, at .1 a. m., Aerodrome No. 5 was 

 ready for trial, but the wind was so high thai nothing could be done. The wind 

 later diminished in intensity, but the house-boat had become stuck on the beach 





