Tom Swift and His Sky Racer or The Quickest Flight on ... - Fourmilab

emained much to do on it. It was not painted <strong>or</strong> dec<strong>or</strong>ated, <strong>and</strong> looked rathercrude. But what <strong>Tom</strong> wanted to know was how it would fly, what control hehad over it, what speed it could make, <strong>and</strong> how it balanced. F<strong>or</strong> it was, at best,very frail, <strong>and</strong> the least change in equilibrium might be fatal.Bef<strong>or</strong>e taking his place in the operat<strong>or</strong>’s seat <strong>Tom</strong> started the mot<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> bymeans of a spring balance tested the thrust of the propellers. It was satisfact<strong>or</strong>y,though he knew that when the engine had been run f<strong>or</strong> some time, <strong>and</strong> hadwarmed up, it would do much better.“All ready, I guess, Mr. Damon!” he called, <strong>and</strong> the odd gentleman took hisplace. <strong>Tom</strong> got up into his own seat, in front of several wheels <strong>and</strong> levers bywhich he operated the craft.“Start the propeller!” he requested of Mr. Jackson, <strong>and</strong> soon the mot<strong>or</strong> wasspitting fire, while the big, fanlike blades were whirring around like wings oflight. <strong>The</strong> engineer <strong>and</strong> Eradicate were holding back the Humming-Bird.“Let her go!” cried <strong>Tom</strong> as he turned on m<strong>or</strong>e gasoline <strong>and</strong> further advancedthe spark of the mot<strong>or</strong>. <strong>The</strong> roar increased, the propeller looked like a solid circleof wood, <strong>and</strong> the trim little monoplane moved slowly across the rising ground,increasing its speed every second, until, like some graceful bird, it suddenly rosein the air as <strong>Tom</strong> tilted the wing tips, <strong>and</strong> soared splendidly aloft!45