NO. 3 l,.\.\ol,F.\ MEMOIR OH MECHANICAL FLIGHT L47 



200 grammes placed al the center were required to defied the tail to a horizontal. 

 It was not intended thai the angle of the tai] should have been less than 5 de 

 grees, but i( was found that one of the workmen had improperly attached the 

 fastening wire, and had considerably decreased the angle. This Lasl adjustmenl 

 of the Penaud tail should have been the same as that used on Aerodrome No. 

 5 in its flight of duly li). The CG had purposely been moved forward slightly, 

 but the effect of moving the CG forward and al the same time decreasing the stiff- 

 ness and angle of the tail was shown by this flight. 



The above trial not only very clearly emphasizes the importance of ''arc 

 fully determining what the elasticity of the Penaud tail should be, bul also em 

 phasizes the fact that even the best workmen, who have had several years of 

 experience, cannot be relied on in anything which requires that everything be 

 done exactly right and not nearly right. 



JULY 29 AERODROME NO. 5 



The aerodrome equipped with " single-tier " wings and Penaud tail was 

 launched from the " underneath " launching apparatus at ',) a.m., 1 minute and 

 30 seconds having been required to raise 120 pounds steam pressure. The wind 

 was from the southeast, with a velocity of 3 miles an hour, and the launching 

 (rack was pointed directly into it. 



The launching apparatus, with the disappearing track, worked perfectly, 

 and the aerodrome started straight ahead, dropping slightly at first, but imme- 

 diately regaining its level and going ahead, gradually raising its bow to an 

 angle of about 8 or 10 degrees, and slightly slacking up its speed by the time it 

 had gone about 300 feet. It then made a circle to the left of a radius of about 

 75 feet and started hack. As soon as it had made this turn it regained its level 

 and directly regained its speed. But as soon as it had speeded up again it ele- 

 vated its bow, which slackened its speed as before. It then again righted itself, 

 still going in the same direction and crossing the sand bar on the point of the 

 island al a height of about 40 feet. As soon as it had crossed the sand-bar, it 

 again made a circle to the left with a radius of about 75 feet, heading directly 

 for the house-boat, hut when it had got hack above the sand-bar it again circled 

 to the left, passing directly between two tall trees, and barely missing them, 

 and still circling to the left, when it again reached the opposite side of the sand 

 bar. It, however, kept on circling to the left ami once more started back to- 

 wards the house-boat, this time passing to the left of the trees and again barely 

 missing them, and completing this, its second, circle over the sand bar. It then 

 stalled due north, heading directly for Quantico, but by this time something 

 had evidently happened to the burners as (he lire went out, and the propellers 

 gradually slowed up. However, it kept on towards Quantico, gradually de- 

 scending on an even keel, and came down in the water at a point about 500 feet 



