LANGLEY AEROPLANE—ZAHM, at. 
with foam. The whole craft was now in soaring poise. It quickly 
approached the photographers, bearing on its back the alert pilot, 
who seemed to be scrutinizing every part of it and well satisfied to let 
it race. Then it rose majestically and sailed on even wing 1,000 feet; 
sank softly, skimmed the water, and soared another 1,000 feet; 
erazed the water again, rose and sailed 3,000 feet; turned on the 
water and came back in the same manner; and, as it passed the pho- 
tographers, soared again nearly half a mile. The flights were re- 
peated a few minutes later, then, owing to squally weather, were 
discontinued for 11 days. 
On October 1, 1914, the aeroplane was launched at 11 a. m. in an 
off-shore breeze strong enough to raise whitecaps. Hovering within 
30 feet of the water, and without material loss of speed, it made in 
quick succession flights of the following duration, as observed by 
four of us in a motor boat and timed by myself: 20 seconds, 20 sec- 
onds, 65 seconds, 20 seconds, 40 seconds, 45 seconds. As the speed 
through air averaged about 50 feet per second, the through air 
lengths of these flights were, respectively, 1,000 feet, 1,000 feet, 3,250 
feet, 1,000 feet, 2,000 feet, 2,250 feet. As the aeroplane was now 
well out from shore among the heavy billows and white caps, Mr. 
Doherty landed it upon the water and turned it half about for the 
homeward flight. Thereupon the propeller tips struck the waves 
and were broken off, one casting a splinter through the center of the 
left wing. The pilot stopped the engine, rested in his seat, and was 
towed home by our motor boat. The flights were witnessed and 
have been attested by many competent observers. 
As to the performance of the aeroplane during these trials, the 
pilot, Mr. E. Doherty, reports, and we observed, that the inherent 
lateral stability was excellent, the fore-and-aft control was satisfac- 
tory, and the movement of the craft both on the water and in the air 
was steady and suitable for practical flymg in such weather. Ap- 
parently the machine could have flown much higher, and thus avoided 
touching the water during the lulls in the breeze; but higher flying 
did not seem advisable with the frail trussing of wings designed to 
carry 830 pounds instead of the 1,520 pounds actual weight. 
At the present writing the Langley aeroplane is in perfect condition 
and ready for any further tests that may be deemed useful. But 
it has already fulfilled the purpose for which it was designed. It 
has demonstrated that, with its original structure and power, it is 
capable of flying with a pilot and several hundred pounds of useful 
load. It is the first aeroplane in the history of the world of which 
this can be truthfully said. 
If the experiments be continued under more painstaking technical 
direction, longer flights can easily be accomplished. Mr. Manly, who 
designed the Langley engine and screws and who directed the con- 
