WWI Aero

The Journal Of The Early Aeroplane
No. 176, May 2002

Reviewed by Jim Schubert

You will have noticed that the sub title of this publication is The Journal Of The Early Aeroplane. That's especially applicable to the 18 page lead article of this issue. It is the first of several parts regarding the efforts of Alexander F. Mozhaisky (1825-1890) who achieved brief powered flight with a heavier than air , steam powered (!), machine at St. Petersburg in 1884. The immediately following article treats of the initial aviation work of Edson Fessenden Gallaudet (1871-1945). In 1898, whilst a professor of physics at Yale, he designed, built and flew, a large, wingspan over 11 feet, biplane kite on floats to test differential wing warping as a method of roll control for aeroplanes. These efforts later figured in the infamous, long running, series of suits re the Wright's patents. These are the kinds of articles that make this journal so absorbing and so enlightening. I especially enjoyed the four page article on the Deperdussin Hydro-Monoplane reprinted from the Flight magazine of May 1913, which includes a great photo of the plane about to lift off the water and a charming contemporary three-view drawing.

The balance of the 144 pages are filled, as usual, with many short articles and lots of drawings and photos of early aeroplanes and another bit on Historiography (why and how history is or was represented for public consumption); a fascinating, thought provoking, on-going, topic in this journal.

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