NO. 3 LAN'iiLEY MEMOIR ON MECHANICAL FLIGHT 143 



JULY 11 TO JULY 14 AEIiODROME NO. 5 



The very early morning preceding actual .sunrise on July 11 was undoubt- 

 edly as calm as it is possible to find; there was absolutely no breeze stirring 

 and the water in the river was as smooth as glass as far as one could see. The 

 anemometer cups were stationary, the wind vane stood absolutely parallel to 

 the launching apparatus and everything promised a most successful experiment. 

 After mounting the aerodrome on the " overhead " launching apparatus the 

 burner was lighted, and while the steam pressure was still rising and the pro- 

 pellers were revolving faster and faster all the time, there was a snap and they 

 ceased to turn. The fire, which was burning fiercely, ran the pressure imme- 

 diately to 150 pounds. An attempt was at once made to start the propellers 

 again by giving them an initial turn by hand, it being thought possible that a 

 sudden gush of water had taken place and, accumulating in one end of the en- 

 gine cylinder, had blocked the engine. However, as the engine refused to keep 

 the propellers going after they were started, and as the pressure was still rising 

 very rapidly, the burner was shut off and an investigation made. Upon remov- 

 ing the hull covering, it was found that the connecting rod bearing had broken 

 off short near the crank pin of the engine, and that it would be necessary to 

 take the part to Washington in order to repair it, as there were no machine 

 tools on the housedioat. 



After several days of exceedingly bad weather, the conditions grew more 

 favorable. Late in the afternoon of July 14, Aerodrome No. 5 was again placed 

 on the " overhead " launching apparatus and prepared for a trial. After light- 

 ing the burners, 95 seconds were required to raise a steam pressure of 120 pounds. 

 Upon leaving the launching apparatus the aerodrome went directly ahead for 

 a few feet, but immediately commenced to rise, elevating its bow to an angle of 

 20 degrees by the time it had travelled 40 feet. With its bow in this position, 

 it was blown back towards the house-boat and a little to the right of it, and, 

 when within about 5 feet of the water, suddenly righted itself and started ahead 

 again, rising all the time and reaching a height of about 20 feet by the time it 

 had travelled 100 feet. In the meantime the bow had again become elevated to 

 an angle of about 15 degrees and the aerodrome was blown backwards and down- 

 wards again. Just before reaching the water it started to right itself, but it 

 had descended so that the front guy-post was in the water, thus destroying its 

 equilibrium and causing it to settle into the water. The path of this flight is 

 shown by the peculiar S-shaped line in Plate 34. 



In the adjustments preliminary to the above trial the Penaud tail was ele- 

 vated to an angle of 7| degrees when the aerodrome was stationary in the shop. 

 This excessive elevation, coupled with the fact that the center of gravity was 

 also probably a little too far forward, no doubt accounts for the erratic flight. 

 The data on setting of wings, tail, etc., are given on Data Sheet No. 7 (Appendix). 



