Page:Aerial Flight - Volume 2 - Aerodonetics - Frederick Lanchester - 1908.djvu/53

 Flight No. 4, same as No. 3, distance 200 yards; time not recorded (Fig. 26).

Flight No. 5, June 24th (?), same aerodone as Flight No. 2; distance 150 yards; time of flight 5½ seconds; very light wind. Velocity = 56 m.h.

Flight No. 6, July 3rd, twin screw aerodrome; weight 2½ lbs.; distance 188 yards; no appreciable wind; time of flight 4½ seconds (Fig. 27).

'''§ 15. The Author's Experiments. Discussion.'''—The result of the experiments described was to fully confirm the author's views as to the possibility of securing automatic stability without the employment of any equilibrium mechanism or "brain equivalent." When the weather was calm the aerodones carved their way through the air as if running on invisible metals, without the smallest visible fluctuation or quiver. When on the other hand the flight was made in a gale of wind, the flight path took the form of a bold sweeping sinuous curve, without a momentary suggestion of loss of equilibrium, but rather with the appearance of some set and intelligent purpose.

In general the velocities of flight employed appeared to range from about 50 to 60 miles per hour, and it is certain that at velocities of this sort there is very little to fear from any ordinarily bad weather conditions.

In general the launching velocity was very much higher than the natural velocity, and consequently the gliding angle was entirely masked and remained an unknown quantity; the considerable range of flight obtained was without doubt due to this cause.

One remarkable fact in connection with the above series of experiments is the exceptional time (27 seconds) the aerodone remained in flight when launched in a gale of wind (Flight No. 2). Taking the velocity relatively to the air as that measured in