CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

Although in 1896 Mr. Langley had made the firm resolution not to undertake the construction of a large man-carrying machine, as he realized that his multitudinous administrative duties left him practically no time available for original research, yet the longing to take the final great step of actually transporting a human being through the air, which the successful flights of the models had now for the first time in the history of the world actually proved to be possible, soon became irresistible.

Ten years of almost disheartening difficulties, a full appreciation of which can hardly be gained from the preceding description, had already been spent in demonstrating that mechanical flight was practicable, and Mr. Langley thoroughly realized that the construction of a large aerodrome would involve as great, if not even greater difficulties. Nevertheless, his indomitable will, which balked at no obstacle, however great it might seem, prevailed against the advice of his close friends and associates, and even that of his physician, who had counselled him that a resumption of concentrated thought and vigorous endeavor would materially shorten his life, which had already passed three score years. Only a few were privileged to come into close contact with him in his daily work, and thereby catch the inspiration of his unwavering persistence, his ceaseless perseverance, his plain inability to submit to defeat; but no one who has read the record of his astronomical expedition to Mt. Whitney, or the story of his development of the Bolometer, or the preceding chapters of this history of his years of patient work in the development of the flying machine, can have failed to obtain some appreciation of this most striking feature of his character. Having once determined on the accomplishment of a definite object, no amount of difficulty that might arise deterred him from pushing on until in some way and by some means he had succeeded; and no one appreciated better than he that if the thin edge of the right wedge can be inserted under an obstacle, that obstacle can be removed, no matter how formidable it may seem.

The undertaking of the construction of a large aerodrome was very largely influenced by President McKinley, who had become impressed with the great [p124] possibilities of a flying machine as an engine of war. When he found that Mr. Langley was willing to devote his own time to the development of a machine, provided the Government would furnish the funds for the actual construction and tests of it, he appointed a joint board, consisting of Army and Navy officers, to investigate and report on the plans with which Mr. Langley had achieved success with the models. The report of this joint board of Army and Navy officers being favorable, the Board of Ordnance and Fortification of the War Department, at the direction of President McKinley, requested Mr. Langley to undertake the construction and test of a machine, which, while not expected to be a practical war machine, might finally lead to the development of such an engine of war. In this connection it is interesting to read a letter which Mr. Langley addressed to the Board of Ordnance and Fortification at the time he undertook this work.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, December 12, 1898.

‹The Board of Ordnance and Fortification, War Department›.

GENTLEMEN: In response to your invitation, I repeat what I had the honor to say to the Board--that I am willing, with the consent of the Regents of this Institution, to undertake for the Government the further investigation of the subject of the construction of a flying machine on a scale capable of carrying a man, the investigation to include the construction, development and test of such a machine under conditions left as far as practicable in my discretion, it being understood that my services are given to the Government in such time as may not be occupied by the business of the Institution, and without charge.

I have reason to believe that the cost of the construction will come within the sum of $50,000.00, and that not more than one-half of that will be called for in the coming year.

I entirely agree with what I understand to be the wish of the Board that privacy be observed with regard to the work, and only when it reaches a successful completion shall I wish to make public the fact of its success.

I attach to this a memorandum of my understanding of some points of detail in order to be sure that it is also the understanding of the Board, and I am, gentlemen,

With much respect, Your obedient servant, S. P. LANGLEY.

MEMORANDUM

ATTACHED TO MY LETTER OF THIS DATE TO THE BOARD OF ORDNANCE AND FORTIFICATION

While stating that I have, so far as I know, an exclusive right of property in the results of the experiments in aerodromics which I have conducted heretofore and am now conducting, and while understanding that this property and all rights connected with it, whether patentable or otherwise, will remain mine unqualifiedly, I am glad to place these results, without charge, at the service of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification for the special construction at present proposed, which seems to me to be of National utility. [p125]

I assume that no public statement will be made by the permission of the Board until the work is terminated, but that I may publish ultimately at my discretion a statement of any scientific work done in this connection.

I understand that the exercise of this discretion includes the ordering and purchase of all material by contract or in open market, and the employment of any necessary help, without restriction, and that, while I desire that no money shall pass through my hands, itemized bills for each expenditure, made in proper form and approved by me, will be paid by the Chief Signal Officer.

Much has already been spent at the Smithsonian Institution for the purpose in question, in special apparatus, tools and experiments, and in recent constructions now actually going on, which have involved still more time than money, and which are essential for experimental use in building the proposed machine; and since to re-create all this independently would greatly defer progress, I assume that my discretion includes the decision as to how far this shall be used and paid for at the cost of this allotment (it being understood that I have no personal property in any of the material which might be transferred for the purpose of the work); and I also assume that my discretion includes the decision as to where the work shall be conducted--that is, whether in shops already constructed, or in others to be elsewhere erected or rented, with the necessary adjuncts, whether on land or water, and generally whatever is necessary to the earliest attainment of the object desired by the Board.

S. P. LANGLEY. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, D. C., December 12, 1898.

As is always the case in experimental work, especially in a field so very new as was the field of aerodromics at the time that this larger construction was undertaken, the “plant,” or shops and laboratories required for the constructional and testing work, grew to a size far beyond what seemed even remotely possible at the beginning of the work; and even the mere administration involved in the carrying on of this work proved to be no inconsiderable matter before it had progressed very far.

The years of experiment with the models had demonstrated clearly that the greatest difficulty in the development of the aerodrome was the construction of a suitable power generator, which should combine the elements of extreme lightness and unusual power with a fair degree of durability. Although remarkably good results had been secured in the case of the models through the use of steam, it was realized from the first that not only would the development of a steam-power plant for a large man-carrying aerodrome present difficulties of a constructional nature, but that such a steam plant would necessarily be so fragile and delicate as to make it a constant menace to the machine which it was to propel. The solution of the difficulty, it was believed, was to be found in the use of an internal combustion engine; but Mr. Langley had had very little experience with such engines, and was averse therefore to undertaking the construction of a large aerodrome until he had assurance that a suitable gasoline engine could be secured. Before making an agreement to attempt the work for the War [p126] Department, he had, therefore, made a search for a reliable builder who would undertake to construct a gasoline engine of not less than 12 horse-power to weigh not exceeding 100 pounds, and what then seemed a safe contract had been entered into with such a builder to supply one engine which would meet these requirements.

Almost immediately before the Board of Ordnance and Fortification had officially placed the work in Mr. Langley’s hands and had made an allotment of fifty thousand dollars to meet the expenses thereof, it was found that the engine builder could not be depended on, and that it would, therefore, be necessary to find one who was more reliable and more experienced in the construction of light engines. After a most extended search for the best builder to undertake this work, a contract was entered into on December 12, 1898, with Mr. S. M. Balzer, an engine builder in New York City. He was to furnish a twelve-horse-power engine to weigh not more then 100 pounds, and delivery of it was to be made on or before February 28, 1899. With this great problem of the engine apparently provided for, every facility of the Institution shops was pressed to the utmost limit in order to have the frame, supporting surfaces, launching apparatus, and other accessories ready as soon as possible after the delivery of the engine. It was expected from the first that more power would be necessary than this one engine would furnish, and provision had been made in the contract that a duplicate engine should be constructed immediately after the completion of this first one. From past experience, however, it was not likely that the correct balancing of the aerodrome could be determined from ‹a priori› calculation based on the results obtained with the models, and it was, therefore, expected that the aerodrome would have to be launched several times before a successful flight could be obtained. In view of this it was planned to make a test of the machine as soon as the first engine was ready, with the expectation that, while the aerodrome would not have sufficient power to fly, yet the test would furnish definite data on the all-important question of balancing, and also determine whether or not the launching apparatus would require modification. In fact, Mr. Langley felt so apprehensive that the first, and possibly the second test, would be unsuccessful that, in order to avoid the possibility of a fatal accident, it was planned that a dummy should be used to represent the weight of the man in these preliminary tests.

This plan, however, was not carried out. In 1903, when the large aerodrome was finally completed, so much time had been lost that the writer proposed to assume the risks of such an accident and to guide the machine in its first test, in the hope of avoiding a disaster, with the consequent delay of months for repairs, which the presence of a controlling hand capable of correcting any inaccuracies of balancing rendered far less likely to occur. To this proposal Mr. Langley assented with great reluctance, as he fully realized the danger involved. [p127]

Particular attention is called to the above facts, which clearly show that while a certain degree of success in the initial tests was later hoped for, yet from the beginning it had been felt rather certain that several tests would have to be made before final success would be achieved.

To those experienced in scientific experiments this realization of the probability of several tests being necessary before success could reasonably be expected does not seem strange, for the record of past experience contains very few examples of epoch-making inventions springing full fledged from the hand of their maker and proving a success on the first test.

The two experiments made in the fall of 1903, in which the aerodrome was each time so damaged in the process of launching that its ability to fly was never really tested, should therefore be considered merely as the first of a series which it had been expected would need to be made before success would be achieved. Further tests were made impossible at the time on account of the lack of funds, the expense of such work being unusually heavy.

While the lack of funds, therefore, was the real cause of the temporary suspension of the work, yet an influence which does not often enter into scientific work—the unjust criticism of a hostile press—was directly responsible for the lack of funds. It seems very certain that had it not been for this criticism of the press the funds would have been readily forthcoming for continuing the work to the point of success.

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