The San Francisco call. [volume], December 11, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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"THE SA?T r FRANCISCO CALi;, -SATURDAY, DECEMRER--iiU9O9.— THE TUXIofcCALi; :
8
HOW TO MAKE A BOY'S AEROPLANE
ARTHUR LANGWORTHY
\-/t OST.; every -boy with a mechanical
I^l ''streak" " knows that';, the aero
..'plane: is 'usually either a biplane
or .a monoplane^. A biplane .has two
sets of large main planes" as in -the
Wrights', machines, and it is 'extremely
difficult for any but a" trained .mechan
ician -to build. - The^monoplane,^having
but one' set of main v planes,.* is , much
easier to constriict.'and it flies every bit
as .-well.'' \. .-\u25a0 .' ,' ; . \u25a0'\u25a0'>~'-\±;\ -\u25a0'._,-,-'"
First; prepare' the "backbone 1 ; of the
monoplane. , A three foot ; rattan stick
three-eighths ~of an .inch square is j best
and lightest.^but; white '", wood -or- pine
will; do. .-..Then- cut the'twb " end . braces
(A'-B," 'Fig." 1 ) /each % one ; inch 'high ; by
half • aa-lnch.'.wide :by. a'quarter of an
inch thick. v First attach the end brace
(A,: Fig.; 1) to end as shown." 'Use r fish
glue and then wire 'firmly fin place as
shownr- ; A couple of very thin small .wire
nails i'" are "(now driven' into -the ."top to
reinforced , Don't drive 'directly"". in ; cen
ter. " ."If. the "wiring -is jgood and^tight
air danger of splitting 1 from' the snail is
prevented. . Having -got;ithe" principal
frame :work,v.tl>B next problem^ is 'the
motive power.; : This is supplied by the
"rubber band {motor" ; (C-C-C, 1 Fig.~ 1)
and ;is " the" easiest . part ; of i the i whole
construction; T First insert the screweye
into: the end -brace (A/-" Fig. 1)7 The
screweye' must be in^so tight, that It 'ls
immovable and -no : amount : of pressure
can i.turn j it." : '
•ThenSbore^a hole through the lend
brace (B: : Fig. ;1). The best, way to do
this without, splitting is to heat at wire
red hot 'and' bum it through.; It is, now
r%ady /' for j the I propeller ."shaft" \tol be
inserted. IThe . hole should *be ' a . trifle
.larger than the long • wire ". nail \u25a0'. (D.i Fig/
l), v which'; is the. shafts This brings us
to the propell»r. "" " ""
/You can; fashion it of very thin tin
ABOtfT THINGS
GOMMON
BEGINNING ,GF"THE; RUBBER INDUSTRY
GUSSIE P. DUBOIS
0-UR great-grandfathers knew rub
ber only as a curiosity and a; jsub
stance f or :* erasing; pencil marks.
In 1770 It was still so scarce. an article
that a piece containing half a cubic
inch v was " aoi'd in . London for 75 cents.
It -is/ however, one of the "articles "of
which natureihas provided a "vast sup
ply,- and greater 'quantities soon ? found
tbelr way Into '-the.' ; commerce vof .the
world.;until lnthe year. 1820 it was fre
quently, brought Tover| in \ ships "as j bal
last. So people began making experi
ments with- a view,; to rendering." lt \u25a0 use
ful/ 5 and i t ,was*f ound to" beTa n val uable
ingredient ' 'of ; blacking in .;;•"
. - In : England. Mack Int osh • inven ted - his
still' celebrated waterproof coats made
with~#a': paste of • indlarubber.i between
two cloths. In 1820 a pair Jof 'rubber
shoes I were > seen " for ; the . first f. timej in
the^United-.States.'" They were" shaped
like "X aS Chinese shoes, % were
"with \u25a0. gliding," . and were \u25a0 handed : about
as .a curiosity. • Two or three -years
later^: a ?.ship ' from f South 1-fAmerica
brought ; toT- Boston : 500 . pairs*-' of .- rubber
shoes,* thick, 1 heavy and lirshaped. They
sold* rapidly,^ others were imported," arid
indiarubber shoes ; became ". articles Vof
and solder to the shaft, or whittle it out
f rom ' a? thin ." pine ""slab. "The " best ..way,
is to find a ' two-bladed i toy > boat s pro
peller; and ' copy,;- that :'assyour;.. model.'
It should .be 15 inches longand. an Inch
and a half Iwide'ln^its; widest j>art. ' "
-•Now drive theshaft'nail'through'tho
hub "so ' the propeller is firm" and immo >.
ably.fixed upon' lt" and lthen* -putfoii:^the
"bearing"- (E," Fig.il). ; The bearing may.
consist of -any.; small;; button or bead
with;a' hole piercediin Jit.^Then'; insert
the shaft ; through"; the ; end ; brace 'j (B,
Fig.; 1) and , slip on^the ; otheri bearing.
'' Then with 'a ; pair of '" strong 'pliers'
bend the end as shown,'; after which
wire the section ;fF,'F;g.;.-l).- soothe
shaft- will i not \u25a0 slip j forward --' through
the shaft ;' hole. VI .Then attach^ the .'end
b race ~- i n place I ( B.' Fi g.i 1 ) ;b y the : same
means used in placing • the \u25a0 end-brace.
.Procured the . 10ng, ,; heavy L /rubber
bands (C-C-C.; : Fig. : J), .cutting; each" so
its . ends may.; be "^p.f the other
bands' as , shown. '.Smaller^, 'rubber
'straps or | string may jbe used "to fasten
the bands together. ---A: large number
of srnaller;:bands maj\ be i also strung;
together; to. serve j if . you cant- find the
big bands,; so long-as^the -winding 'up
principle "can, be "carried out.
-. That, is \u25a0 why the j shaft end with the
propeller* revolves' while the; other^end
is^. fixed, and , immovable..^ The 'propeller
Is turned round-. and round 7 by hand
until' the; bands are all twisted as tight
as possible (see Fig. 6). '\u25a0-, ' The ; second
the 1 1 propeller, . is '": released ,.:. the £ bands
begin to relax,* which"-^operation : un
winds ithem, thus turning the shaft 'at
high ', speed, and is -your "rubber
band ; motor.".- ' ./ -\u25a0-"-'-
'<... Fig. -2 shows the ' landing braces,
which : you" can make of pine strips
an eighth \u25a0; of an 'i Inch 'square and ;.eut
to : the* sizes marked. ;^ In fastening
gether* fish ;glue : reinforced by fine wire
at \u25a0 the joints will: give the proper"sta
common use- ' The r manner -of making
them "was - very ", crude. ' The ; sap \. was
gathered from the trees.'clay'lasts.were^
dipped , 20 or" 30 \ times \u25a0', into^ the - liquid,
each- layeribelng;smoked:a'llttle;;then
the" shoes were\hung up to ;hanlen : for
a- few ; days, after ..which " the clay was
removed; and : the* shoes';- were | stored for.
several ' months -• to' : harden . them :• still
more..;: " ;I . '•.\u25a0.'••\u25a0.-'; \u25a0 ;.\u25a0"-.:..-\u25a0\u25a0'".'- - : \u25a0.; '\u25a0'-".\u25a0' - :
1 The Yankees -thought they could do
all "; this J better " than \u25a0'-. South
Indiana, and ?•: cheaper,': for a k pair, of
shoes brought '• from $3ito $5. whlle^the
raw V gum sold ;'. 1n - Boston for \5 . cents .
a ; pound; -indeed.* so' much -of 'lt^was;
, brought -~ in" .-.; vessels > that % there * .were •
large" quantities =of 1 which; no use .-was,
made. ! So the Roxbury rubber company'
was > formed.-;; and f lt I made lan 'amazing
progress, its capital speedily increasing
from > $30,0.00 ' to - $400,000:.; Some \ one^ in
vented a; rubber \u25a0clotlT, which"; this iCora^
pany manufactured, making coats, caps,
wagon and sueh T articles.' Other,
f actcTrles^were ; started/- arid " there t was
a I regular^ indiarubber.:' mania. * -When
the business was at'lts height? Charles \u25a0
Goodyear t first . had t his '; attention t : di
rected - to'; the ; material v bei ng : manuf ac-^
£u red.'- "He " saw -s ome 1 life i preservers/
examined ; them? carefully,? and,"; bein'gra
Yankee, • bougiit one- and took it home to •
fbilityy . Fig. .6 shows _ the braces in
.•position. • .
,• ti Fig. 5 is "an enlarged . view of" the
-\u25a0rudder., and mechanism. ; One 'and- a
: sixteenth J inch -i bamboo strips are -the
best for the, rudder^ frame,* though pine
will dd:",^ The^ best i-wrayV to ; fasten r this
\u25a0light' bamboo; together.; is to first glue
_the> joints/ and .then "bind;: with shoe
maker's : thread.-;. Don't try*, to.use tacks.
This method, should " r be - emplc red in
.f all- light .framework.:-'.-^-:. ""V \u25a0 '..
Theltiller ? (A, Fig.; B); 'turns' on the
tack ; pivot. of the sternpost; (B, Fig. 3)
and Is . fixed at the~angle wanted "by
; the". movable pin in the^different holes
'of the semicircular base I (C, Fig. 3). '
Therear or 'lighting plane". is shown
:.lin the "enlarged view. of Fig 4. Con-"
''..struct ' the :framework. of the; plane of
one and ; a. j" sixteenth": inch .bamboo
"^strips;, cute to. sizes marked,^ fastening
; ,togetlier,; with ': glue .and shoemaker's
•thread as-in^ the" rudder \u25a0frame.'
• The lifting plane governs, the
of an aeroplane's flight. For instance,
if.you^want the airship to make a long,
level flight ; the planes should Ibe set
horizontally. :"A gradual .upward flight
means a slight dip of the plune down
; ward. "\u25a0Here" the 'principle of the
7 steering * ; gear Vis~. used, only up and
..down:" instead. v .. - " -*-
The projection CA, Fig. '4) . is cut of
} two thln>tln : ;strips,:the ) ends of which
\u25a0- -B.re"'bent \u25a0 to^and .firmly wired .to the
" plane";- framework. : : The • projection is
; pivoted on the rudder post at : B,"^ Fig. 4,
* '.by ?a small wire nail, and can be tilted
: into- any position by removing. the- p-in
. (C* Fig. 4) 'and- inserting same in the
"other v boles": -of. the i diagonal support
. (D, Fig. 4). -The; rudder pdst is three
sixteenths of an inch square and the '
-diagonal^supporter* three-sixteenths of
«an inch wide-; by an 'eighth of-an inch
thick. "\ ,"' :-:--"\u25a0"..
t The large "main. plane Is shown . in
see if he could improve, on 7 it." '\u25a0;
\u25a0'<\u25a0-.':; In the ; meantime ; something Vwholly
j§ unexpected : occurred.;,Th<} quantities of
cloth and* shoes had been manufactured
-during the cool months of 1834 and 1835
\u25a0 -and when the" warm weather came the
* ' large r "part -\u25a0 of - them - malted/, 'Twenty
dollars'- worth".: of . garments
-.-vwere" returned, and.'- not orify were they
I ito ~< the ) consistency \ot | common
"gum, but - so; offensive .was* their odor
% that 'they were forc«d ,to bury them.} In
• some! cases the "shoes* bore the heat of
v one" summer.; bufmelted, the next," while
\u25a0wagon covers 4 becainej sticky in' the sun
-and stiff In" the i cold. * .
: '; Mr. - Goodyear^: made his " Improvement
'on :the life-preserver and " returned to
New York ' to ': sell ; it .'to 1 the 'company."
'-They •\u25a0 confided i in, i him \ that. '\u25a0: although
•; they '."could; not bttyi his life % preserver,
- there 'was . scarcely anything they would
Vnotgfve. him -for. the secret/: if he could
I only discover, how. to make indiarubber .
.stand "the - summer's vheat."- .'And "now.
V* you ' should V know,; a " little of . this man,
s Cuarles; Goodyear." "" ~ .' '*"«'.-•'•'
":i; From*: his -he .had -always
: -Tbeeji T . Interested "in indiarubber. 1 : 'When
r ; he walked tthrough' the" streets»of*New>
;.' Haven," a ; schoolboy.'Jiej had an abiding:"
% faith .that he' was "called"." to~the~ study
~: of .this peculiar 'substance./; But. \at ithe
: Jtime Vyvhen he was "\u25a0 asked ! by" the Rox
:'\u25a0'. buryTcompany ; to this sub
t ; ject,,he" was a : man grown, v with a fam
' - ? ily : oV Ms" . Vands,": was" str uggHhg" hard
??against .^imprisonment* for : debt, and
• -had -already 'failed in- \u25a0business. • He
Flg.B. First construet-the framework
in the "same way ybu^dld^the j frame
work for the" lifting plane. . ' , Cut \u25a0 the
rtrips to the . sizes < marked :In ' Fig. 5.
The . two long strips should be an
eighth of an Inch wide by a sixteenth
of an i inch thick, but the nine small
strips should be a sixteenth of an inch
square. When the framework is bound
together .firmly the ."canvas", is .ready
to be stretched upon it.
•— r The i method -employed applies to the
• of the rudder and the lifting
plane also.. ' ~
-Chinese silk is the lightest, strongest
and best .material, but every .boy can
not get-it, bo white cambric muslin .or
any very light cloth will do.< Cut the
cloth^ out. leaving a^half inch margin
for the \u0084 flaps all around, with the
notching. at the four corners, as shown
by the dotted lines of Fig.. 5. Then
brush glue along the ; flaps and turn
them over. the framework, gluing down
firmly all along the edges.
: "After , the' plane is thoroughly dry
you may curve it (also : the lifting
plane) by wiring ; the ends, as" shown
by A.- Fig. 6. Fasten" it firmly to the
'•backbone" by brads, and. further
steady "It by wiring it further, as
shown.
And now as to flying the completed
aeroplane. No airship is liable to "be
have" on toe first trials. Your rubber
bands may not be adjusted exactly
right to give moat power; your lift
ing planes may not, be tilted right;
the wind may be too strong. or a dozen
littleT things may annoy you. or maybe
you don't know how to launch prop
erly.
Don't give any strong initial push,
but simply let the airship fly out of
your "hands with as little exertion on
your -part .as possible when "the pro
peller is released, for. in flying a model
aeroplane proper launching is half the
secret of a long, successful flight. -
"melted his first pound of rubber Inside
~ prison- limits. After .... his release he
worked patiently;. under 'great difficul
ties. Think of this strong, earnest soul
.melting five" cents'.. worth of the gum at
a -time over the kitchen fire, kneading
It himself and rolling it with his wife's
rolling pln^After a time he succeeded
\u25a0in making some cloth which bade fair
to stand the -test; 'then a '\u25a0, friend ad
vanced him money to make \u25a0 several
hundred pairs "or shoes, but he stored
- them" until summer, and alas! they were
all reduced to that same ill smelling
piste. But ; don't you "think for -one
moment that he gave up. He obtained
some barrels of the sap still liquid, and
began to experiment with different sub
stances, and at last discovered that the
great agent ? which . had eluded 1 ; aim *so
long "was . sulphur. Then came a weary
time trying' to.flnd out"how to mix it In
the mass, and at. the right temperature.
The* last discovery ..came ~by accident.'
He stood 'talking .with a friend one day
holding; Irr his bands % a f lump of rubber
'; which" ne" kneaded \ as : they \u25a0 talked, rr ln
* a"-;careless S gesture," I)6.7; bit the •; rubber
against the red hot sjtove. 'of
melting, - It ' became ..hardened. . but was
:' still elastic or'sprlngy. Then he^ knew
'*that he had found'tne' secret" of vulcan
izing, lndiarubber.-^ihe^.secret', which
has made it one of the most useful sub
stances In".' the world.' *
The greatest rubber " market in the
* world Is Fara,"" In" Bra2il,"-ft-fcich" supplies
-more than a fourth "of all the crude
* rubber use«. \u25a0 Xfifgl