the age of invention-第32节

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isure　in　scientific　reading　and　in　the　invention　of　a　typewriter　which；　however；　he　never　perfected。　He　inspired　an　interest　in　scientific　principles　in　his　boys'　minds　by　giving　them　toys　which　would　stimulate　their　curiosity。　One　of　these　toys　was　a　helicopter；　or　Cayley's　Top；　which　would　rise　and　flutter　awhile　in　the　air。

After　several　helicopters　of　their　own；　the　brothers　made　original　models　of　kites；　and　Orville；　the　younger；　attained　an　exceptional　skill　in　flying　them。　Presently　Orville　and　Wilbur　were　making　their　own　bicycles　and　astonishing　their　neighbors　by　public　appearances　on　a　specially　designed　tandem。　The　first　accounts　which　they　read　of　experiments　with　flying　machines　turned　their　inventive　genius　into　the　new　field。　In　particular　the　newspaper　accounts　at　that　time　of　Otto　Lilienthal's　exhibitions　with　his　glider　stirred　their　interest　and　set　them　on　to　search　the　libraries　for　literature　on　the　subject　of　flying。　As　they　read　of　the　work　of　Langley　and　others　they　concluded　that　the　secret　of　flying　could　not　be　mastered　theoretically　in　a　laboratory；　it　must　be　learned　in　the　air。　It　struck　these　young　men；　trained　by　necessity　to　count　pennies　at　their　full　value；　as　〃wasteful　extravagance〃　to　mount　delicate　and　costly　machinery　on　wings　which　no　one　knew　how　to　manage。　They　turned　from　the　records　of　other　inventors'　models　to　study　the　one　perfect　model；　the　bird。　Said　Wilbur　Wright；　speaking　before　the　Society　of　Western　Engineers；　at　Chicago：

〃The　bird's　wings　are　undoubtedly　very　well　designed　indeed；　but　it　is　not　any　extraordinary　efficiency　that　strikes　with　astonishment；　but　rather　the　marvelous　skill　with　which　they　are　used。　It　is　true　that　I　have　seen　birds　perform　soaring　feats　of　almost　incredible　nature　in　positions　where　it　was　not　possible　to　measure　the　speed　and　trend　of　the　wind；　but　whenever　it　was　possible　to　determine　by　actual　measurements　the　conditions　under　which　the　soaring　was　performed　it　was　easy　to　account　for　it　on　the　basis　of　the　results　obtained　with　artificial　wings。　The　soaring　problem　is　apparently　not　so　much　one　of　better　wings　as　of　better　operators。〃*

*　Cited　in　Turner；　〃The　Romance　of　Aeronautics〃。


When　the　Wrights　determined　to　fly；　two　problems　which　had　beset　earlier　experimenters　had　been　partially　solved。　Experience　had　brought　out　certain　facts　regarding　the　wings；　and　invention　had　supplied　an　engine。　But　the　laws　governing　the　balancing　and　steering　of　the　machine　were　unknown。　The　way　of　a　man　in　the　air　had　yet　to　be　discovered。

The　starting　point　of　their　theory　of　flight　seems　to　have　been　that　man　was　endowed　with　an　intelligence　at　least　equal　to　that　of　the　bird；　and；　that　with　practice　he　could　learn　to　balance　himself　in　the　air　as　naturally　and　instinctively　as　on　the　ground。　He　must　and　could　be；　like　the　bird；　the　controlling　intelligence　of　his　machine。　To　quote　Wilbur　Wright　again：

〃It　seemed　to　us　that　the　main　reason　why　the　problem　had　remained　so　long　unsolved　was　that　no　one　had　been　able　to　obtain　any　adequate　practice。　Lilienthal　in　five　years　of　time　had　spent　only　five　hours　in　actual　gliding　through　the　air。　The　wonder　was　not　that　he　had　done　so　little　but　that　he　had　accomplished　so　much。　It　would　not　be　considered　at　all　safe　for　a　bicycle　rider　to　attempt　to　ride　through　a　crowded　city　street　after　only　five　hours'　practice　spread　out　in　bits　of　ten　seconds　each　over　a　period　of　five　years；　yet　Lilienthal　with　his　brief　practice　was　remarkably　successful　in　meeting　the　fluctuations　and　eddies　of　wind　gusts。　We　thought　that　if　some　method　could　be　found　by　which　it　would　be　possible　to　practice　by　the　hour　instead　of　by　the　second；　there　would　be　a　hope　of　advancing　the　solution　of　a　very　difficult　problem。〃

The　brothers　found　that　winds　of　the　velocity　they　desired　for　their　experiments　were　common　on　the　coast　of　North　Carolina。　They　pitched　their　camp　at　Kitty　Hawk　in　October；　1900；　and　made　a　brief　and　successful　trial　of　their　gliding　machine。　Next　year；　they　returned　with　a　much　larger　machine；　and　in　1902　they　continued　their　experiments　with　a　model　still　further　improved　from　their　first　design。　Having　tested　their　theories　and　become　convinced　that　they　were　definitely　on　the　right　track；　they　were　no　longer　satisfied　merely　to　glide。　They　set　about　constructing　a　power　machine。　Here　a　new　problem　met　them。　They　had　decided　on　two　screw　propellers　rotating　in　opposite　directions　on　the　principle　of　wings　in　flight；　but　the　proper　diameter；　pitch；　and　area　of　blade　were　not　easily　arrived　at。

On　December　17；　1903；　the　first　Wright　biplane　was　ready　to　navigate　the　air　and　made　four　brief　successful　flights。　Subsequent　flights　in　1904　demonstrated　that　the　problem　of　equilibrium　had　not　been　fully　solved；　but　the　experiments　of　1905　banished　this　difficulty。

The　responsibility　which　the　Wrights　placed　upon　the　aviator　for　maintaining　his　equilibrium；　and　the　tailless　design　of　their　machine；　caused　much　headshaking　among　foreign　flying　men　when　Wilbur　Wright　appeared　at　the　great　aviation　meet　in　France　in　1908。　But　he　won　the　Michelin　Prize　of　eight　hundred　pounds　by　beating　previous　records　for　speed　and　for　the　time　which　any　machine　had　remained　in　the　air。　He　gave　exhibitions　also　in　Germany　and　Italy　and　instructed　Italian　army　officers　in　the　flying　of　Wright　machines。　At　this　time　Orville　was　giving　similar　demonstrations　in　America。　Transverse　control；　the　warping　device　invented　by　the　Wright　brothers　for　the　preservation　of　lateral　balance　and　for　artificial　inclination　in　making　turns；　has　been　employed　in　a　similar　or　modified　form　in　most　airplanes　since　constructed。

There　was　no　〃mine〃　or　〃thine〃　in　the　diction　of　the　Wright　brothers；　only　〃we〃　and　〃ours。〃　They　were　joint　inventors；　they　shared　their　fame　equally　and　all　their　honors　and　prizes　also　until　the　death　of　Wilbur　in　1912。　They　were　the　first　inventors　to　make　the　ancient　dream　of　flying　man　a　reality　and　to　demonstrate　that　reality　to　the　practical　world。


When　the　NC　flying　boats　of　the　United　States　navy　lined　up　at　Trepassey　in　May；　1919；　for　their　Atlantic　venture；　and　the　press　was　full　of　pictures　of　them；　how　many　hasty　readers；　eager　only　for　news　of　the　start；　stopped　to　think　what　the　initials　NC　stood　for？

The　seaplane　is　the　chief　contribution　of　Glenn　Hammond　Curtiss　to　aviation；　and　the　Navy　Curtiss　Number　Four；　which　made　the　first　transatlantic　flight　in　history；　was　designed　by　him。　The　spirit　of　cooperation；　expressed　in　pooling　ideas　and　fame；　which　the　Wright　brothers　exemplified；　is　seen　again　in　the　association　of　Curtiss　with　the　navy　during　the　war。　NC　is　a　fraternity　badge　signifying　equal　honors。

Curtiss；　in　1900；　waslike　the　Wrightsthe　owner　of　a　small　bicycle　shop。　It　was　at　Hammondsport；　New　York。　He　was　an　enthusiastic　cyclist；　and　speed　was　a　mania　with　him。　He　evolved　a　motor　cycle　with　which　he　broke　all　records　for　speed　over　the　ground。　He　started　a　factory　and　achieved　a　reputation　for　excellent　motors。　He　designed　and　made　the　engine　for　the　dirigible　of　Captain　Thomas　S。　Baldwin；　and　for　the　first　United　States　army　dirigible　in　1905。

Curtiss　carried　on　some　of　his　experiments　in　association　with　Alexander　Graham　Bell；　who　was　trying　to　evolve　a　stable　flying　machine　on　the　principle　of　the　cellular　kite。　Bell　and　Curtiss；　with　three　others；　formed　in　1907；　the　Aerial　Experimental　Association　at　Bell's　country　house　in　Canada；　which　was　fruitful　of　results；　and　Curtiss　scored　several　notable　triumphs　with　the　craft　they　designed。　But　the　idea　of　a　machine　which　could　descend　and　propel　itself　on　water　possessed　his　mind；　and　in　1911　he　exhibited　at　the　aviation　meet　in　Chicago　the　hydroaeroplane。　An　incident　there　set　him　dreaming　of　the　life…saving　systems　on　great　waters。　His　hydroaeroplane　had　just　returned　to　its　hangar；　after　a　series　of　maneuvers；　when　a　monoplane　in　flight　broke　out　of　control　and　plunged　into　Lake　Michigan。　The　Curtiss　machine　left　its　hangar　on　the　minute；　covered　the　intervening　mile；　and　alighted　on　the　water　to　offer　aid。　The　presence　of　boats　made　the　good　offices　of　the　hydroaeroplane　unnecessary　on　that　occasion；　but　the　incident　opened　up　to　the　mind　of　Curtiss　new　possibilities。

In　the　first　years　of　the　World　War　Curtiss　built　airplanes　and　flying　boats　for　the　Allies。　The　United　States　entered　the　arena　and　called　for　his　services。　The　Navy　Department　called　for　the　big　flying　boat；　and　the　NC　type　was　evolved；　which；　equipped　with　four　Liberty　Motors；　crossed　the　Atlantic　after　the　close　of　the　war。

The　World　War；　of　course；　brought　about　the　magical　development　of　all　kinds　of　air　craft。　Necessity　not　only　mothered　invention　but　forced　it　to　cover　a　normal　half　century　of　progress　in　four　years。　While　Curtiss　worked　with　the　navy；　the　Dayton…Wright　factory　turned　out　the　famous　DH　fighting　planes　under　the　supervision　of　Orville　Wright。　The　second　initial　here　stands　for　Havilland；　as　the　DH　was　designed　by　Geoffrey　de　Havilland；　a　British　inventor。

The　year　1919　saw　the　first　transatlantic　flights。　The　NC4；　with　Lieutenant　Commander　Albert　Cushing　Read　and　crew；　left　Trepassey；　Newfoundland；　on　the　16th　of　May　and　in　t