MASTERY OF THE AIR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 77, 9 July 1910, Page 9

MASTERY OF THE AIR

' AEIMIPLA-NKS AS CHEAP AS HIKES. t - Colonel J. D. Eullerton, ii.E., lecturing before the Aeronautical Society. J London, on "Wings v. Screws." expressf ed 'the opinion that practical livers , would soon be as cheap as bicycles. I The lecture was illustrated by praeti- , cal experiments with wing models de- , signed (by Major Moore. These were ol , the (lying .box type. By means of a clock spring, the wings were caused to Hap up and down, and the. model being placed on a groove-slide. s a jerking forward movement' of the contrivance took place, showing that an up and down movement of wings designed on this principle will produce a forward propulsion. The conclusions arrived at bv Colonel ■Fullerton were that the propeller in the form of a screw, as in the ship's propeller, is quite as efficient as the wing type, as machinery fitted with bird' wing propellers only would be highly dangerous, if the motor were to stop accidentally when the wings were at an awkward angle. Colonel .Cody, the box-kite expert, stated that in his opinion wing machine* would never be practicable. M. Jose Weiss, the well-known landscape painter, showed some successful model bird-flight wings with pieces of thin cardboard cut into the shape of a 'bird with outstretched wings, and weighted with pieces of lead to represent the weight of the bird's hotly. These gliders soared across the large hall of the Society of Arts in a series of curves, exactly imitating the flight of a dropping seagull. A .paradox of flight also demonstrated by experiment is that the stronger the wind blowing against a certain form of curved wing-surface, the less resistance does the bird offer to it!

I THE GNOME MOTOR. ADVANTAGES OF THE ROTATING ENGINE. The chief feature of the Gnome engine, which is used 'by Mr. Grahanie j White and M. Paulhan, is that the whole motor revolves round a fixed shaft. The seven cylinders—each machined out of a bar of solid steel—are placed concentrically round the craiVk .chamber, and the connecting rods operate upon the same crank of the stationary shaft about which the engine rotates. One of the connecting rods is fitted with a rigid "big-end" of extra large size and all the other connecting rods are hinged to this member. The greatest of the advantages of the Gnome is that no cooling system is needed, the revolutions of the cylinders through tlie air preventing any possibility of heating. It has been found possible to place the bare hand upon all parts of the engine after it has been running continuously for an hour. Thp explosive mixture is fed to the revolving cylinder, via the hollow stationary erank-shaft and atmospheric induction valves situated at the pistons. Each valve, with its seating and attendant parts, form a detachable unit. Two high-tension ignition-plugs are. employed in each cylinder-head. The weight* of the ,;0-h.p. Gnome motor complete is only 1651b. Lubrication has been most successfully effected by Mr. Farman with a mixture of petrol and castor, oil. which, however, gives a very unpleasant odor to the exhaust.