140 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE VOL. 27 



but requires the overcoming of a strong downward force at the rear, even more 

 serious than would be caused by placing an extra load at the rear of the ma- 

 chine without regard to its effect on the balancing. In experiments of this 

 kind, however, the workmen get certain ideas of their own as to how the work 

 should be conducted, and il is almost impossible in assembling the aerodrome to 

 prevent them from making adjustments which are quite different from those 

 which they have been directed to make, and which have been definitely planned 

 with a view to determining the effect of slight changes which it is desired shall 

 not be masked by changes of any kind in other details. 



JUNE 23 AERODROME NO. 6 



The wind, which had been blowing half a gale all day, gradually quieted 

 down Inwards sunset and at five o'clock was very light, blowing only two miles 

 an hour from the east-southeast. As one of the rear superposed wings had been 

 injured on the previous day in carrying the aerodrome into the house-boat after 

 its short and erratic flight, it was decided to use the " single-tier " wings in 

 this experiment, and also to continue using the " overhead " launching appa- 

 ratus for a few more flights. Everything being in readiness, the burners were 

 lighted and 70 seconds were consumed in raising a steam pressure of 120 pounds, 

 at which pressure the aerodrome was launched. It started straight ahead, drop- 

 ping not more than a foot, and flying on an absolutely even keel for about 800 

 feet, when it suddenly turned to the left and made a short half circle of about 

 100 feel diameter, heading for a point about 150 feet east of the house-boat. 

 When it was about 200 feet from the shore, a sudden gust of wind caught under 

 the Penaud tail, raising the rear portion of the aerodrome and causing the bow 

 to point down at an angle of about 30 degrees. The aerodrome kept this angle 

 and struck the shallow water only about 20 feet from the shore. The aerodrome 

 was comparatively uninjured, and another flight would have been made imme- 

 diately bid for the' fact that by the time the aerodrome had been properly in- 

 spected it was quite late, and entirely too dark, and there would have been dan- 

 ger of losing it in the adjacent marshes, which are difficult to traverse even un- 

 der the best conditions of tide and light. The path of this flight is shown by the 

 dotted line ill Plate 



JUNE 27 AERODROME NO. 5 



W'liilc the preceding tests had been going on with Aerodrome No. 6, such 

 time as could be spared for it was spent in getting Aerodrome Xo. 5 into proper 

 condition. The copper tubing from which the boilers for both aerodromes were 

 made was greatly inferior to that which had been used in previous years, and 

 as this tubing could be procured only by having it specially drawn to order in 

 Prance, and as it required several months after placing an order before the tub- 



