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Scientific American, June 08, 1901
Boston Transcript, August 19, 1901
New York Herald, August 19, 1901
American Inventor letters to the editor penned by Whitehead and
editorial responses April, 1902
The Aeronautic World, May, 1903
Scientific American, September 19, 1903
Aviation History, March 1996
Air Enthusiast 35, January 1988
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Gustave Whitehead’s New Machine
This improved machine, which somewhat resembles in appearance
the Herring Chanute multiple glide, is clearly shown, minus the
screw propellers in the illustration below. It is equipped with
three superposed concavo-convex aeroplanes, arranged 10 inches
apart, measuring 18 feet long by 6 feet wide, which afford a total
aero-surface of 300 square feet, while the tail or rudder offers
horizontally and vertically 80 square feet of surface.
The motive power is a marvelous 12 horsepower gasoline motor of
the two cycle, two cylinder type, specially designed by Whitehead
for the purpose. It is built entirely of steel for strength and
lightness, and is designed for high speed and high compression,
and complete, weighs with propellers, only 45 pounds. This air-cooled
motor occupies a floor space of only 6 inches, with a height of
16 inches, and consumes only 2 1/2 gallons of oil for a run of
12 hours.
...The two propellers, which are arranged in front, one on each
side of the body and six feet apart. They measure 4 feet 6 inches
in diameter and when revolving in opposite directions exert a
pulling or drawing effect on the machine and not the pushing effect
as utilized by steamships. This method of drawing into the air
by means of propellers placed near the front of machine has been
found to act much more effectively in aerial craft than like propellers
placed near the stern and exerting a pushing effect.
The machine, which is securely stayed from every point with steel
wires, will be first tested without the body and as a simple glide,
but it is not quite clear as to what such a demonstration will
lead, as the weight will be about 79 pounds, and this for a man
to run with at top speed so as to launch himself on the air may
prove a somewhat difficult undertaking. The aero-surface is so
great that light puffs of wind may cause it to tilt and flutter
about considerably and thereby shift its center of gravity and
otherwise still further increase the difficulty.
Those who, like Mr. Whitehead, have tested similar ideas experimentally,
know how difficult it is to handle such a craft during a breeze...
The construction of a practical flying machine is simply a mechanical
difficulty, which should and will be shortly overcome, but it
will require the skill and ability of a mechanical and scientist,
and a man of sound general knowledge and good judgment. Amond
the chief points for consideration are lightness, strength , great
self-contained power and perfect stability. Of course, there are
many other points, but they can undoubtedly be surmounted.
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