The Philosophy of Soaring Flight (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 edition. Excerpt: ... in detail in the succeeding chapter. 2. The Supplementary Principle of Sustentation. From the standpoint of our "fundamentals," it will be realized at once that the inclusion of angular functions complicates things in general. But a very small component of the force of the impinging air acts as a drive, hence the greater portion of the impact force is statically counteracting weight, i. e., producing no motion of the bird system unless an excess quantity is absorbed in elevating this system. Placed alongside of, or superposed on our "fundamental" principle of work upon itself (in changing its direction) this is no concern of the bird and subtracts nothing from its energy. The bird can afford to spend liberally of what is not inherently its own and costs it nothing; just as in our society those who by birth or sundry accidents of success secure a commanding position need not work or produce but may spend with reckless abandon what comes easily and gratuitously. Herein may be found precisely what makes the atmosphere the inferior subject of the bird who by its superior means contrives to take advantage of it; and this difference in angular travel is also what makes a Wright aeroplane a system inferior to the atmosphere which nicely contrives to absorb from it enormous power as a toll merely for permitting it fairway in its domain. However, in practice it makes a great deal of difference whether the wings cause much or little fluid displacement of air acting upon them; since the more work the air does on itself the less it is capable of transmitting to the bird, the greater the velocity such air must have and the fewer must be the occasions when soaring it possible. Besides this, under average conditions the bird meets a great...