Electrical Flying machines

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 175, 23 October 1886, Page 7 (Supplement)

Electrical Flying machines-

Berlin, July 27. — The success of the aeronaut L'Hoste and his companion in making, in a balloon, the journey acroßS the channel from Cherbourg to London ban caused no little excitement here. It is the first successful attempt to reach a point determined on beforehand, and indicates a decided advance in aeronautics, which will be put to good use in a coming war. Germany and Russia have both, for some time, been pushing forward experiments in flying machines for use in war and otherwise. The direction in which they have been working was the one which, previous to the experiment just made by L'Hoste in the balloon Torpilleur, was most likely to be successful. It ignored the idea of the inflated gasbag, which is enormous in size, difficult and costly to fill in war, and floats —a gigantic derelict — at the mercy of every current of air, a huge mark for the first gunner who can hit and bring it to the ground. Baumgarten in Germany and Baranovski in Rus-ia have adopted the principle of the inclined plane pressed against the air, and thus capable of making some attempt, at least, to regulate its course. In the kite the force that presses the inclined plane is the hand of the boy acting through the string. la the sail of the boat the resistance of the water to sidelong motion keeps the Bail against the wind. In, the flying machines of Baumgarten and Baranovski the pressure is given by an engine carried by the machine and acting by meanß of fans.' The difficulty was the weight of the engine and the fuel ; but with the development of practical knowledge of electricity accumulators have been i built which, supply, the maximum of motive power with the minimun of weight. If the attempts should prove successful, (the problem of flying in still air will be solved. But whether men Bhall ever be able to ride the storm, is .another matter.