Chapter I: Preface

The object of this book is to explain the fundamental principles of aeronautics and to point out the historic development of both the heavier-than-air and the lighter-than-air craft. The treatment is simple. Technical phrases have been avoided wherever possible. Emphasis has been laid on the changes in the design or construction of aeroplanes and dirigibles, which show the evolution of flight and aircraft from early experiments with balloons and gliders to the transatlantic flights of the NC-4, the Vickers “Vimy” Bomber, and the R-34. Only those things have been singled out which indicated a step forward in the science of aeronautics. Emphasis is placed upon the commercial accomplishments of the aeroplane and the dirigible, and many of the present uses and future possibilities of aircraft as a commercial vehicle have been pointed out.

I am indebted to many sources for the information contained herein. Mr. Henry Woodhouse, the well-known aeronautical authority and editor of _Flying Magazine_ and author of the text-books on military and naval aeronautics, has been the source of much of my information, and the volumes of _Flying Magazine_ have supplied me with much historic data. _Aerial Age Weekly_ and Mr. G. Douglas Wardrop, the managing editor, have also been very helpful. The British periodicals _Flight_, _The Aeroplane_, and _Aeronautics_ have furnished me with many facts regarding British aircraft. The articles of Mr. C. G. Grey, the editor of _The Aeroplane_, dealing with the growth of heavier-than-air machines, and of Mr. W. L. Wade on lighter-than-air craft, have been the source of many of the facts regarding the evolution of aircraft. Many other aeronautical authorities have afforded statistics, facts, etc.

EVAN JOHN DAVID.

NEW YORK, August 12.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE FIRST BALLOONS 1

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FREE BALLOON—THE
CAPTIVE BALLOON—THE DIRIGIBLE—THE BLIMP—THE
KITE BALLOON.

II. THE AEROPLANE 13

EXPERIMENTS WITH PLANES—LILLIENTHAL’S
GLIDER—LANGLEY’S AERODROME—SUCCESS OF
THE WRIGHTS—FIRST AEROPLANE FLIGHTS.

III. WHY AN AEROPLANE FLIES 25

THE HELICOPTER—THE ORNITHOPTER—WING
SURFACE—FLYING SPEED—LANDING SPEED—EFFECT
OF MOTORS—THE SEAPLANE.

IV. LEARNING TO FLY 34

EARLY METHODS—DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOLS—STUDYING
STRUCTURE OF PLANES, MOTORS,
THEORY OF FLIGHT, AERODYNAMICS, MAP READING—FRENCH
SYSTEM—GOSPORT SYSTEM.

V. AEROPLANE DEVELOPMENT, 1903 TO 1918 47

ADER’S EXPERIMENTS—MAXIM’S MULTIPLANE—DUMONT’S
AEROPLANE—WRIGHTS’ 1908 PLANE—VOISIN
PUSHER—BLERIOT’S MONOPLANE—AVRO
TRIPLANE—FARMAN’S AILERONS—OTHER TYPES.

VI. DEVELOPMENT OF THE AEROPLANE FOR WAR PURPOSES 67

GERMAN AERIAL PREPAREDNESS—PRIZES GIVEN
FOR AERONAUTICS BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS—FIRST
USE OF PLANES IN WAR—FIRST AIRCRAFT
ARMAMENT.

VII. DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIBERTY AND OTHER
MOTORS 76

DEBATE IN REGARD TO ORIGIN OF LIBERTY MOTOR—LIBERTY-ENGINE
CONFERENCE, DESIGN, AND
TEST—MAKERS OF PARTS—HISPANO-SUIZA MOTOR—ROLLS-ROYCE—OTHER
MOTORS.

VIII. GROWTH OF AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING IN
UNITED STATES 94

THE 1912 EXPOSITION—THE FIRST PAN-AMERICAN
EXPOSITION—THE MANUFACTURERS AIRCRAFT
EXPOSITION—DESCRIPTIONS OF EXHIBITORS—GROWTH
OF AIRCRAFT FACTORIES—NAVAL
AIRCRAFT FACTORY.

IX. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AERO MAIL 134

FIRST MAIL CARRIED BY AIRCRAFT—NEW
YORK—PHILADELPHIA—WASHINGTON SERVICE—NEW
YORK—CLEVELAND—CHICAGO SERVICE—FOREIGN
AERO MAIL ROUTES.

X. KINDS OF FLYING 151

NIGHT FLYING—FORMATION FLYING—STUNTING—IMMELMAN
TURN—NOSE DIVING—TAIL SPINNING—BARREL—FALLING
LEAF, ETC.

XI. AERIAL NAVIGATION 161

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS—WINDS AND THEIR
WAYS—CLOUD FORMATIONS, NAMES, AND ALTITUDES.

XII. COMMERCIAL FLYING 169

BUSINESS POSSIBILITIES OF THE AEROPLANE—SOME
CELEBRATED AIR RECORDS—GERMANY’S
INITIAL ADVANTAGE—A HUGE INVESTMENT—CAUSES
OF ACCIDENTS—DISCOMFORTS OVERCOME—INEXPENSIVE
FLYABOUTS—THE SPORTS TYPE—ARCTIC-FLIGHT—NO
EAST OR WEST.

XIII. THE COMMERCIAL ZEPPELIN 203

THE AMBITION OF THE AGES REALIZED—A GIANT
GERMAN DIRIGIBLE—ZEPPELIN ACCOMPLISHMENTS—HIGH
COST OF ZEPPELINS—SAFETY OF
TRAVEL—SOME BRITISH PREDICTIONS—THE FUTURE
OF HELIUM—THE LIFE-BLOOD OF COMMERCE.

XIV. THE REGULATION OF AIR TRAFFIC 235

IMPORTANCE OF SAME—LAWS FORMED BY BRITISH
AERIAL TRANSPORT COMMITTEE LIKELY TO
BE BASES OF INTERNATIONAL AERIAL LAWS—COPY
OF SAME.

XV. THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT 251

THE NC’S—THE LOSS OF THE C-5—READ’S STORY—BELLINGER’S
STORY—THE GREAT NAVAL
FLIGHT—HAWKER’S STORY—ALCOCK’S STORY—TO
AND FROM AMERICA—THE R-34.

APPENDIX I 327

UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE PRODUCTION
FOR THE UNITED STATES AIR SERVICE.

APPENDIX II 354

RECORDS OF ALLIED AND ENEMY ACES WITH
NUMBER OF PLANES BROUGHT DOWN.