The Problem of Aerial Navigation, 



By BARNETN. BOTTS. 



Thfi inventor is sending out this paper 

 for the purpose of securing financial aid to 

 build a practical workiug air-ship. Several 

 suggestions are also made, and ideas ad- 

 vanced, in regard to different forms of air- 

 ships. Having applied for a United States 

 patent, and neglecting to explain in the 

 specification tlie laws upon which the in- 

 vention is based, when the cas& cauin up 

 for examination the Exauiiner looked 

 upon its successful operHtion as being 

 somewhat doubtful, without the use of a 

 gas field to suspend it in the air, and the 

 Patent Office held it to be inoperative, call- 

 ing for a model capable of ascension and 

 propulsion. A machine will have to be 

 furnished before an}' further iiction will be 

 taken by the office. This will be a very 

 expensive machine to build and the in- 

 ventor is not prepared financially to carry 

 it out. He has taken this course, calling 

 for help, by sending out this paper to 

 Scientific and Aeronautical Societies, thus 

 placing it before those who will comprehend 

 the fundamental principles upon which the 

 invention is based. The inventor expects 

 no assistance except by giving undoubted 

 proof that his machin is practical. 



The following explanations are given in 

 the form of a discussion between A and B, 

 in order that the points may be brought 

 out more clearly. Believing' the ifollowing 

 explanations are sufficient to convince the 

 most skeptical, in regard to the successful 

 operation of the machine, the inventor is 

 prepared to correspond with those who 

 may be interested in the invention. 



A — Mr. B, I, understand you have inven- 

 ted an air-ship, and I am here to criticise 

 on your invention. 1 am an engineer by 

 profession, and during my life, nave made 

 Natural Philosophy a study. I wish now 

 to deal only with fundamental principles. 

 You will understand. Mr. B, that in order 

 to determine the possibilities of an inven- 

 tion, we must look beiieatti the form, to the 

 law; and there the facts will be disclosd, 

 which will tell the story of its possibilities. 

 Now 1 wish you to give a i;le^ir and exact 

 explanation of the laws upon which your 

 iuventi.iu is base(i. 1 will be your critic 

 while you give your explanation. 



B — Mr. A, in regard to the general fea- 

 ture of my air-sliip, it consists of a horizon- 

 tal, cigir-shapi-ii cylinder, with a central, 

 uprigtit. hollow mast. An air-compressor 

 and moKjr are placed within the cylimier, 

 the cylinder forming the car. The inlet 

 pipes tu the air compressor open out at the 

 top side of the car. The Outlet pipes ex- 

 tend from the compressor up into the 

 hollow mast. When they have reached a 

 poiiit above the top siue of the car, they 

 fxtend horizontally in opposite directions 

 and ut right angles to the length of the car. 



Their ends then extend vertically down- 

 ward and form fiairing nozzles. The action 

 of the compressor draws the air in through 

 the inlet pipes and throws it out turough 

 the outlet pipes. Tlui.« the air entering the 

 inlet pipes vertically downward, will by the 

 so called suction lift the ship vertically up- 

 ward, and the air flowing vertically down- 

 ward from the outlet pipes or nozzles, past 

 the sides of the car, in the form of jets, will 

 by reaction from the outer atmosphere, 

 push tlie ship vertically upward. We 

 thus have the liftine power of the suction 

 nozzles and the out.lowing jets of air. The 

 months of the air jet nozzles are placed 

 ahjve the center (jf gravity of the ship, 

 to prevent cap-izing, as the main lift comes 

 on them, and they are resting on the 

 pointed ends of cones of Compressed air. 

 The mouths ot the nozzles are made fiair- 

 ing to prevent the hissing noise of com- 

 pressed air passing them, whicli would 

 otherwise occur. A large horizontal plane 

 is fixed on the mast mentioned abovt^, 

 and in case the machinery should cease 

 to act, and iht ship start to fall, this 

 horizontal plane is forced sidewise against 

 the air which slides it up a short distance 

 along the mast whicn it surrounds. This 

 action of the piane opens a valve and 

 admits compressed air from a chamber 

 within the car, to the jet nozzles. The jets 

 of air flowing from these nozzles, form 

 aerial parachutes; and this stored up 

 emergency power will maintain them 

 till the ship can safely descend to the 

 earth. To maintain the ship in an upright 

 position during flight, plumb boba are 

 fixed upon the car, capable of swinging 

 back am! f nth and sidewise. In case the 

 ship tilts from an upright position, the 

 pUiuib bijbs maintaining a vertical posi. 

 tion,open ports and throw a jet of air 

 from a nozzle exten.ling in the directi;)n 

 to which the ship is tilted. The reaction 

 of the jet ot air rights the ship. 



A — Mr. B, have you not yet learned 

 that an enormous amount of energy is 

 coJisumed in jjroducing an air j«^t whose 

 reaction iscomp^iratively nc^tbing? 



B — Yes, Mr. A, I have learned that this 

 is or is not the case. 



A— Mr. B, you understand we have 

 been trying for a long time, to get up an 

 airshi}) capable of ascension without the 

 use of a gas field. You also understand 

 that no steam engine or other motor, has 

 ever been capable of lifting itself in the 

 air. The difficulty Mr. B, has been this: 

 we have never been able to get a motor 

 sufficiently light, for the amount of 

 energy it produced. It simply consists 

 in securing a lighter motor with a greater 

 power. When we advance far enough in 

 this direction we will navigate the air. 



