108 SMITHSONIAN CONTBIBTJTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE VOL. 27 



The aerodrome was immediately recovered from the water and prepara- 

 tions made for a second test, the machine being launched again at 5.10 p. m. at a 

 steam pressure of 160 pounds. The conditions were the same as at the first trial, 

 except that the wind had changed from north to south and was perhaps of less 

 velocity than before. The path traversed by the aerodrome in this second trial 

 was almost a duplicate of the previous one, excepl that on account of the change 

 in the direction of the wind the machine was launched in the opposite direction. 

 In tightening up the guy-wires, which had not been properly adjusted in the pre- 

 vious tot. they were prohably tightened somewhat too much, since in this sec- 

 ond test the aerodrome circled towards the left, whereas in the first flight it had 

 circled towards the right. The aerodrome made three complete turns, rising 

 to a height of approximately sixty feet with its midrod inclined to the horizon 

 at a slightly greater angle than before. The propellers again ceased turning 

 while the machine was high in the air and it glided forward and downward and 

 finally settled on the water after having been in the air one minute and thirty- 

 one seconds. The distance travelled was estimated as before, by plotting the 

 path on the coast-survey chart, and was found to he 2300 feci. 



During these flights several photographs were secured of the machine while 

 it was actually in the air, some of the pictures being taken by Dr. Bell ami others 

 by Mr. F. E. Fowle. The clearest of these are shown in Plates 20, 21, and. 22. 



.lust what these flights meant to Mr. Langley can he readily understood, 

 They meant success! For the first time in the history of the world a device pro- 

 duced by man had actually flown through the air, and had preserved its equi- 

 librium without the aid of a guiding human intelligence. Not only had this de 

 vice down, hut it had been given a second trial and had again flown and had 

 demonstrated that the result obtained in the first test was no mere accident. 



Shortly after returning to Washington, Mr. Langley left for Europe, hut 

 before doing so he gave instructions to the workmen to remedy the small weak- 

 nesses and defects which had been found in Aerodrome No. (>, and to have botb 

 aerodromes ready for trial before his return in the fall. 



After returning in the fall, Mr. Langley again had Aerodromes Nos. 5 and 

 (\ taken down to Quantico for trial, and this time had as his invited guest Mr. 

 frank (i. Carpenter. On November 27 a test was made of Aerodrome No. 6, 

 the general disposition of which at this time may lie learned from the description 

 in Chapter X, and the photographs in Plates 29A, 29B. The model was launched 

 at 4.25 p. m. with a -team pressure of 125 pounds. The aerodrome went nearly 

 horizontally against the wind, and descended into the water in six and a quarter 



- nds at a distance of perhaps 101) yards. After the machine had been re 



covered from the water, it was found that a pin had broken in the synchronizing 



rod which com ts the two propeller shafts together, and that the counter, which 



showed 4!)."> revolutions of the propellers, had been caused to register inaccu- 



