Flight

http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=000E2A9A-2E05-1FA8-AE...3414B7F



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Richard P. Grant 0x5F9559B1 MRC Lab of Mol Biol
rpg 'at' mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk http://www.rg-d.com/BioLOG/
'We are not at home to Mister Reasonable, sergeant'
'I do not hear him knocking, sir'

Richard P. Grant <rpg14.TakeThisOut@yahoo.co.uk.invalid> wrote:

<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?</font" target="_blank">http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?</font</a>>
 > articleID=000E2A9A-2E05-1FA8-AE0583414B7F0000

Humph. Despite admitting that Richard Pearse flew further and earlier
than the Wrights, the writer of that article dismisses Pearse's flight
because he crashed into a hedge illustrating "the need for
controllability in aerial navigation."

The Wright's control methods were primitive and crude - wing warping and
rudders to approximate roll stability and directional change. Pearse's
aeroplane was way ahead of its time, a monoplane with separately hinged
ailerons, wheeled undercarriage and the engine and propellor at the
front. His home-made engine had four times the power to weight ratio of
current auto engines of the time. A most remarkable fellow.

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Pd<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->