76 



Popular Science Monthly 



balancing an aeroplane, there is no 

 time lo lose. The huge machine is 

 treacherous because its great inertia 

 makes it apparently stable. But once 

 it yields a little, it tries obstinately to 

 yield more. The necessarily wide distri- 

 bution of weights around the center of 

 gravity aggravates this inherent ten- 

 dency. In the light of these considera- 

 tions the idea of using biplane-ailerons 

 on the first huge land aeroplane recently 

 tried in this country seems interesting, 

 a frank confession that stronger con- 

 trols are needed, although an excess of 

 head resistance at the wing tips, and ob- 

 jectionable leverage are the price paid for 

 this improvement. The frame that holds 

 the wheels has been strengthened by 

 shortening it, which is made possible by 

 raising the propellers and motors (to 

 clear the ground) although the total 

 length of framing remains the same. 

 There is an advantage in having the lower 

 plane thus laterally brace the length at 

 the point it does. Otherwise the wheels 

 themselves appear weak for a total 

 weight of over two tons and the mass of 

 open framework supporting the motors 

 has undue head resistance; it has the 

 excuse that the motors may thus be 

 brought further ahead to increase the 

 leverage and staljilizing effect of the tail. 



The weak elevator contrasts strangely 

 with the powerful ailerons and the 

 double \crtical rudder. 



To find out what reall\- lia|)[)ened to 

 the wrecked "Super-America," we must 

 read the testimonjof the tugboat cai)tain 

 who happened to see the accident at close 

 range. The flyers were given no time 

 for observations. Eye-witnesses tell of 

 a propeller working loose and an "ex- 

 plosion" that scattered small fragments 

 Ix'fore the plunge came. The mere loss 

 of a propeller and the racing of an engine 

 should not jeopardize stability. Prob- 

 ably the pilot, bewildered l)y the injury 

 to the power plant and handicapped by 

 relatively weak controls, failed to coun- 

 teract some air disturbance. 



The machine also was only one 

 hundred feet up, too close to the water 

 for righting a small monoplane, let alone 

 a dreadnought. The "somersaults" be- 

 fore reaching the water testify to an 

 "America's" lack of stability resulting 

 from lack of le\erage between the 

 stabilizing planes and the principal 

 weights which are not concentrated 

 enough and not large enough in pro- 

 portion to the amount of momentum. 

 All long-hulled flying-boats suffer from 

 such a lack of leverage, with no practical 

 solution in sight. 



II 



^^B^^^^fe 



On a recent trip from Wasliington to Newport News this •■Super-America" fell. killinR two 



passengers and injuring three. So rigid was its structure that axes could not break through 



in the effort to extricate the victims 



