The Aeroplane Speaks. Fifth Edition

"Well, what result?" calls the Flight-Commander to the Pilot. "A hundred miles an hour and a thousand feet a minute," he briefly replies. "And a very good result too," says the Aeroplane, complacently, as he is carefully wheeled into his shed. That is the way Aeroplanes speak to those who love them and understand them. Lots of Pilots know all about it, and can spin you wonderful yarns, much better than this one, if you catch them in a confidential mood--on leave, for instance, and after a good dinner. [Footnote 8: A.M.'s: Air Mechanics.] [Footnote 9: Butt means to thicken at the end. Screw means to machine a thread on the butt-end of the wire, and in this way the wire can make connection with the desired place by being screwed into a metal fitting, thus eliminating the disadvantage of the unsatisfactory loop.] [Footnote 10: Deviation Curve: A curved line indicating any errors in the compass.] [Footnote 11: A propeller screws through the air, and the distance it advances during one revolution, supposing the air to be solid, is known as the pitch. The pitch, which depends upon the angle of the propeller blades, must be equal to the speed of the aeroplane, plus the slip, and if, on account of the rarity of the air, the speed of the aeroplane increases, then the angle and pitch should be correspondingly increased. Propellers with a pitch capable of being varied by the pilot are the dream of propeller designers. For explanation of "slip" see Chapter IV. on propellers.]