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. 1910 Excerpt: …weight means increased bulk, i.e. additional air resistance. Honduras mahogany is really a better all-round wood, and beech is not far behind. Resilience is an important factor. Ash heads the list; but mahogany’s factor is also good, and in other respects superior. Lombardy poplar ought to be a very good wood for propellers, owing to its lightness and the ease with which it can be worked. Hollow reeds, and even porcupine quills, have been pressed into the service of the model maker, and owing to their great strength and extreme lightness, more especially the latter, are not without their uses. CHAPTER VIII. HINTS ON THE BUILDING OF MODEL AEROPLANES. 1. The chief difficulty in the designing and building of model aeroplanes is to successfully combat the conflicting interests contained therein. Weight gives stability, but requires extra supporting surface or a higher speed, i.e. more power, i.e. more weight. Inefficiency in one part has a terrible manner of repeating itself; for instance, suppose the aerofoil surface inefficient–badly designed–this means more resistance; more resistance means more power, i.e. weight, i.e. more surface, and so on ad infinitum. It is because of circumstances like the above that it is so difficult to design really good and efficient flying models; the actual building of them is not so difficult, but few tools are required, none that are expensive or difficult to use. In the making of any particular model there are special points that require special attention; but there are certain general rules and features which if not adhered to and carefully carried out, or as carefully avoided, will cause endless trouble and failure. 2. In constructing a model aeroplane, or, indeed, any piece of aerial apparatus, it is very i…
