THE principles of flying are really simple when
understood. We always knew that a large piece of paper, or any flat object
of considerable area, would present so much surface to the air, if kept in
a horizontal position, that it could not fall rapidly. The trick was to
make one or more flat surfaces or planes, as they are now called, and
balance them so nicely that they would maintain their position parallel to
the ground. The
Wright brothers accomplished this in some of their earlier
models, and were able to glide slowly down from hills, sometimes alighting
a half-mile from the starting point. Thus encouraged beyond their fondest
hopes, they went further and added devices to their machine that enabled
them to tilt the wings or planes to any desired angle, retarding the
down-ward motion at will.
As a boat is forced through the water by the screw
wheel in the rear, so an air craft may be made to move forward by a
similar propeller. The only thing that remained was to provide some force
to drive the propeller that would be light enough to be practical. The
Wright brothers searched about until they found an engine light enough for
their purpose, and their efforts to fly soon became successful.
Soon after the advent of the airplane, the building
of model airplanes became a hobby for those old and young alike.
These models were not the models we think of today; those which come
scripted in a box, require sparse effort and serve no purpose at all
except as mere background fodder. The model airplanes of yesteryear
actually could fly. They did not contain anything as complicated as
a motor, but merely used basic aeronautic principles to fly short
distances and short heights. Learn how to build this sort of model
airplane.
