than¡¡to¡¡furnish¡¡complete¡¡diagrams¡¡of¡¡the¡¡details
of¡¡a¡¡machine¡£¡¡The¡¡former¡¡teach¡¡the¡¡art£»¡¡whereas
the¡¡latter¡¡merely¡¡point¡¡out¡¡the¡¡mechanical
arrangements£»¡¡independently¡¡of¡¡the¡¡reasons¡¡for
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interesting¡¡reading£»¡¡does¡¡not¡¡even¡¡lay¡¡the¡¡foundations
of¡¡a¡¡knowledge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡subject£»¡¡hence¡¡that
field¡¡has¡¡been¡¡left¡¡to¡¡others¡£
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in¡¡knowing¡¡WHY¡¡certain¡¡things¡¡are
necessary£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡reasons¡¡for¡¡making¡¡structures¡¡in
particular¡¡ways¡£¡¡That¡¡is¡¡the¡¡void¡¡into¡¡which
these¡¡pages¡¡are¡¡placed¡£
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while¡¡experimenting¡¡with¡¡and¡¡building¡¡aeroplanes£»
how¡¡eagerly¡¡every¡¡boy¡¡inquires¡¡into¡¡details¡£
They¡¡want¡¡the¡¡reasons¡¡for¡¡things¡£
One¡¡such¡¡instance¡¡is¡¡related¡¡to¡¡evidence¡¡this
spirit¡¡of¡¡inquiry¡£¡¡Some¡¡boys¡¡were¡¡discussing¡¡the
curved¡¡plane¡¡structure¡£¡¡One¡¡of¡¡them¡¡ventured
the¡¡opinion¡¡that¡¡birds'¡¡wings¡¡were¡¡concaved¡¡on¡¡the
lower¡¡side¡£¡¡¡¨But£»¡¨¡¡retorted¡¡another£»¡¡¡¨why¡¡are
birds'¡¡wings¡¡hollowed£¿¡¨
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leap¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡not¡¡satisfying¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡know¡¡that
man¡¡was¡¡copying¡¡nature¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡more¡¡important
to¡¡know¡¡why¡¡nature¡¡originated¡¡that¡¡type¡¡of¡¡formation£»
because£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡obvious£»¡¡that¡¡if¡¡such¡¡structures
are¡¡universal¡¡in¡¡the¡¡kingdom¡¡of¡¡flying¡¡creatures£»
there¡¡must¡¡be¡¡some¡¡underlying¡¡principle
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much¡¡dependence¡¡is¡¡placed¡¡on¡¡the¡¡aviator£»¡¡the
desire¡¡in¡¡the¡¡present¡¡condition¡¡of¡¡the¡¡art¡¡is¡¡to¡¡exploit
the¡¡man¡¡and¡¡not¡¡the¡¡machine£»¡¡dare¡devil¡¡exhibitions
seem¡¡to¡¡be¡¡more¡¡important¡¡than¡¡perfecting
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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡THE¡¡AUTHOR¡£
AEROPLANES
CHAPTER¡¡I
THEORIES¡¡AND¡¡FACTS¡¡ABOUT¡¡FLYING
THE¡¡¡¨SCIENCE¡¨¡¡OF¡¡AVIATION¡£It¡¡may¡¡be
doubted¡¡whether¡¡there¡¡is¡¡such¡¡a¡¡thing¡¡as¡¡a¡¡¡¨science
of¡¡aviation¡£¡¨¡¡Since¡¡Langley£»¡¡on¡¡May¡¡6£»
1896£»¡¡flew¡¡a¡¡motor¡propelled¡¡tandem¡¡monoplane
for¡¡a¡¡minute¡¡and¡¡an¡¡half£»¡¡without¡¡a¡¡pilot£»¡¡and¡¡the
Wright¡¡Brothers¡¡in¡¡1903¡¡succeeded¡¡in¡¡flying¡¡a
bi¡plane¡¡with¡¡a¡¡pilot¡¡aboard£»¡¡the¡¡universal¡¡opinion
has¡¡been£»¡¡that¡¡flying¡¡machines£»¡¡to¡¡be¡¡successful£»
must¡¡follow¡¡the¡¡structural¡¡form¡¡of¡¡birds£»¡¡and
that¡¡shape¡¡has¡¡everything¡¡to¡¡do¡¡with¡¡flying¡£
We¡¡may¡¡be¡¡able¡¡to¡¡learn¡¡something¡¡by¡¡carefully
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those¡¡interested¡¡in¡¡the¡¡art£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡see¡¡how¡¡they
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experiments¡£
MACHINE¡¡TYPES¡£There¡¡is¡¡really¡¡but¡¡one¡¡type
of¡¡plane¡¡machine¡£¡¡While¡¡technically¡¡two¡¡forms
are¡¡known£»¡¡namely£»¡¡the¡¡monoplane¡¡and¡¡the
bi¡plane£»¡¡they¡¡are¡¡both¡¡dependent¡¡on¡¡outstretched
wings£»¡¡longer¡¡transversely¡¡than¡¡fore¡¡and¡¡aft£»¡¡so
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SHAPE¡¡OR¡¡FORM¡¡NOT¡¡ESSENTIAL¡£It¡¡may¡¡be
stated¡¡with¡¡perfect¡¡confidence£»¡¡that¡¡shape¡¡or¡¡form
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assertion£»¡¡and¡¡its¡¡meaning¡¡may¡¡be¡¡better¡¡understood
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A¡¡STONE¡¡AS¡¡A¡¡FLYING¡¡MACHINE¡£When¡¡a¡¡stone
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If¡¡it¡¡has¡¡rough¡¡and¡¡jagged¡¡sides¡¡its¡¡speed
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POWER¡¡THE¡¡GREAT¡¡ELEMENT¡£Now£»¡¡let¡¡us¡¡examine
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more¡¡effective¡¡against¡¡the¡¡cotton¡¡than¡¡the¡¡iron
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becomes¡¡important¡¡in¡¡a¡¡flying¡¡object¡£¡¡The¡¡metal
ball¡¡may¡¡be¡¡flattened¡¡out¡¡into¡¡a¡¡thin¡¡disk£»¡¡and¡¡now£»
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it¡¡will¡¡go¡¡as¡¡much¡¡farther¡¡as¡¡the¡¡difference
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rapid¡¡motion¡¡in¡¡an¡¡object¡¡of¡¡great¡¡density£»¡¡lightness
in¡¡flying¡¡machine¡¡structures¡¡has¡¡been¡¡considered£»
in¡¡the¡¡past£»¡¡the¡¡principal¡¡thing¡¡necessary¡£
THE¡¡EARLY¡¡TENDENCY¡¡TO¡¡ELIMINATE¡¡MOMENTUM¡£
Builders¡¡of¡¡flying¡¡machines£»¡¡for¡¡several
years£»¡¡sought¡¡to¡¡eliminate¡¡the¡¡very¡¡thing
which¡¡gives¡¡energy¡¡to¡¡a¡¡horizontally¡movable
body£»¡¡namely£»¡¡momentum¡£
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substituted¡£¡¡This¡¡was¡¡found¡¡in¡¡so¡¡arranging¡¡the
machine¡¡that¡¡its¡¡weight£»¡¡or¡¡a¡¡portion¡¡of¡¡it£»¡¡would
be¡¡sustained¡¡in¡¡space¡¡by¡¡the¡¡very¡¡element¡¡which
seeks¡¡to¡¡retard¡¡its¡¡flight£»¡¡namely£»¡¡the¡¡atmosphere¡£
If¡¡there¡¡should¡¡be¡¡no¡¡material¡¡substance£»¡¡like
air£»¡¡then¡¡the¡¡only¡¡way¡¡in¡¡which¡¡a¡¡heavier¡than¡air
machine¡¡could¡¡ever¡¡fly£»¡¡would¡¡be¡¡by¡¡propelling¡¡it
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some¡¡sort¡¡of¡¡i
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