II. EARLY EXPERIMENTS

Continued from page 16......
The doctrine thus set forth might appear plausible, but it is based on the common misconception that all the force which might be put into the helicopter or 'pterophore' would be utilised for lifting or propelling the vehicle through the air, just as a propeller uses all its power to drive a ship through water. But, in applying such a propelling force to the air, most of the force is utilised in maintaining aerodynamic support--as a matter of fact, more force is needed to maintain this support than the muscle of man could possibly furnish to a lifting screw, and even if the helicopter were applied to a full-sized, engine-driven air vehicle, the rate of ascent would depend on the amount of surplus power that could be carried.

For example, an upward lift of 1,000 pounds from a propeller 15 feet in diameter would demand an expenditure of 50 horse-power under the best possible conditions, and in order to lift this load vertically through such atmospheric pressure as exists at sea-level or thereabouts, an additional 20 horsepower would be required to attain a rate of 11 feet per second--50 horse-power must be continually provided for the mere support of the load, and the additional 20 horse-power must be continually provided in order to lift it.

Although, in model form, there is nothing quite so strikingly successful as the helicopter in the range of flying machines, yet the essential weight increases so disproportionately to the effective area that it is necessary to go but very little beyond model dimensions for the helicopter to become quite ineffective.

That is not to say that the lifting screw must be totally ruled out so far as the construction of aircraft is concerned. Much is still empirical, so far as this branch of aeronautics is concerned, and consideration of the structural features of a propeller goes to show that the relations of essential weight and effective area do not altogether apply in practice as they stand in theory. Paucton's dream, in some modified form, may yet become reality--it is only so short a time ago as 1896 that Lord Kelvin stated he had not the smallest molecule of faith in aerial navigation, and since the whole history of flight consists in proving the impossible possible, the helicopter may yet challenge the propelled plane surface for aerial supremacy.

Aviation Videos: Danger Flight (1939) [DVD] A Tailspin Tommy Movie Based On t...
Tailspin Tommy is the lovable stunt pilot born from twenties comic strips who became a feature film franchise. Here in Danger Flight, Tommy returns to straighten out some juvenile delinquents. Featuring some beautiful post World War I style aviation, Tailspin Tommy teaches the children about the wonders of flight and gives them wholesome hobbies. This includes some great looks at vintage model airplanes. But disaster strikes when Tommys plane wrecks! Danger Flight is quality family entertainment with a beloved American character.

Director: Howard Bretherton
DVD: Year: 1939, Run time: 59:55, Director: Howard Bretherton, Starring: John Trent, Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone, Jason Robards Sr., Tommy Baker, Dennis Moore, Julius Tannen, Eddie Parker
Company: Quality Information Publishers, Inc. (2008)
List Price: $9.99
Amazon Price: $9.99

PART I: THE EVOLUTION OF THE AEROPLANE

II. EARLY EXPERIMENTS ( Page 17 ) <<Previous Next >>

Categories