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Photo: Robert Deering 10/23/2006 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Chantilly, Virginia |
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Samuel
Langley's successful flights of his model Aerodromes Number
5 and Number 6 in 1896 led to plans to build a full-sized,
human-carrying airplane. Langley's simple approach was
merely to scale up the unpiloted Aerodromes to
human-carrying proportions. This would prove to be a grave
error, as the aerodynamics, structural design, and control
system of the smaller aircraft were not adaptable to a
full-sized version. Langley's primary focus was the power
plant. The completed engine, a water-cooled five-cylinder
radial that generated a remarkable 52.4 horsepower, was a
great achievement for the time. Despite the excellent engine, the Aerodrome A, as it was called, met with disastrous results, crashing on takeoff on October 7, 1903, and again on December 8. Langley blamed the launch mechanism. While this was in some small measure true, there is no denying that the Aerodrome A was an overly complex, structurally weak, aerodynamically unsound aircraft. This second crash ended Langley's aeronautical work entirely. Dimensions: Wingspan: 14.8 m (48 ft 5 in) Length: 16.0 m (52 ft 5 in) Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 4 in) Weight: 340 kg (750 lb), including pilot Materials: Fuselage: Steel Tubing Wings and Tail: Wood with Percaline (light-weight cotton) Covering Physical Description: Piloted tandem-wing experimental aircraft built and unsuccessfully tested by Samuel P. Langley in 1903. Fifty-two-horsepower, five-cylinder radial gasoline engine turning two pusher propellers via geared transmission system. Percaline covering. Natural fabric finish; no sealant or paint of any kind. Source: Smithsonian Air & Space Museum |
