26 CHAPTER 5. BUILDING THE SKY RACER<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Antoinette, with the general features of both, but with many changes<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> improvements.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> wings were shaped somewhat like those of a humming-bird, which, asis well known, can, at times, vibrate its wings with such velocity that the mostrapid camera lens cannot quite catch. And when it is known that a bulletin flight has been successfully photographed, the speed of the wings of thehumming-bird can be better appreciated.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> writer has seen a friend, with a very rapid camera, which was used tosnap automobiles in flight, attempt to take a picture of a humming-bird. Hegot the picture, all right, but the plate was blurred, showing that the wings hadmoved faster than the lens could throw them <strong>on</strong> the sensitive plate.Not that <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> intended the wings of his m<strong>on</strong>oplane to vibrate, but he adoptedthat style as being the best adapted to allow of rapid flight through the air; <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>the young invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> had determined that he would clip many minutes from thebest rec<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>d yet made.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> body of his craft, between the f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ward wings <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the rear <strong>on</strong>es, wherethe rudders were located, was shaped like a cigar, with side wings somewhatlike the fin keels of the ocean liner to prevent a rolling moti<strong>on</strong>. In additi<strong>on</strong>,<str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> had an ingenious device to automatically adapt his m<strong>on</strong>oplane to suddencurrents of air that might overturn it, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> this device was <strong>on</strong>e of the pointswhich he kept secret.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> mot<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>, which was air-cooled, was located f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ward, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> was just abovethe heads of the operat<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the passenger who sat beside him. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> single propeller,which was ten feet in diameter, gave a minimum thrust of <strong>on</strong>e thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>pounds at two thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> revoluti<strong>on</strong>s per minute.This was <strong>on</strong>e feature wherein <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s craft differed from others. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> usualaeroplane propeller is eight feet in diameter, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> gives from four to five hundredpounds thrust at about <strong>on</strong>e thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> revoluti<strong>on</strong>s per minute, so it can be readilyseen wherein <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> had an advantage.“But I’m building this f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> speed,” he said to Mr. Jacks<strong>on</strong>, “<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> I’m goingto get it! We’ll make a hundred miles an hour without trouble.”“I believe you,” replied the engineer. “<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> mot<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> you <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> your father havemade is a w<strong>on</strong>der f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> lightness <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> power.”In fact, the whole m<strong>on</strong>oplane was so light <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> frail as to give <strong>on</strong>e the idea ofa rather large model, instead of a real craft, intended f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> service. But a carefulinspecti<strong>on</strong> showed the great strength it had, f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> it was braced <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> guyed in anew way, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> was as rigid as a steel-trussed bridge.“What are you going to call her?” asked Mr. Jacks<strong>on</strong>, about two weeks afterthey had started w<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>k <strong>on</strong> the craft, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> when it had begun to assume shape<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>m.“I’m going to name her the Humming-Bird,” replied <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>. “She’s little, butoh, my!”“And I guess she’ll bring home the prize,” added the engineer.And as the days went by, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>, his father <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mr. Jacks<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tinued tow<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>k <strong>on</strong> the speedy craft, this hope grew in the heart of the young invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Buthe could not rid himself of w<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ry as to the fate of the plans that had disappeared.
Who had them? Was some <strong>on</strong>e making a machine like his own from them? <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>wished he knew.27
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