The Margin of Lift will have
entirely disappeared, and there we shall be, staggering
along at my tremendous angle, and only just maintaining
horizontal flight.''
``And then with luck I'll get my chance,'' said the Drift.
``If he is a bit worse than green, he'll perhaps still further
increase the Angle. Then the Drift, largely increasing, the
Speed, and consequently the Lift, will become still less,
i.e., less than the Weight, and then--what price pancakes,[[3]]
eh?''
[[3]] Pancakes: Pilot's slang for stalling an aeroplane
and dropping like a pancake.
``Thank you,'' from Efficiency, ``that was all most
informing. And now will you tell me, please, how the
greatest Speed may be secured?''
``Certainly, now it's my turn,'' piped the Minimum Angle
of Incidence. ``By means of the Elevator, the Pilot places
the Aeroplane at my small Angle, at which the Lift only
just equals the Weight, and, also, at which we shall make
greater speed with no more Drift than before. Then we get
our greatest Speed, just maintaining horizontal flight.''
``Yes; though I'm out of the horizontal and thrusting
downwards,'' grumbled the Propeller, ``and that's not
efficient, though I suppose it's the best we can do until that
Inventor fellow finds his Mechanics.''
``Thank you so much,'' said Efficiency. ``I think I have
now at any rate an idea of the Elementary Principles of
Flight, and I don't know that I care to delve much deeper,
for sums always give me a headache; but isn't there something
about Stability and Control? Don't you think I ought
to have a glimmering of them too?''
``Well, I should smile,'' said a spruce Spar, who had come
all the way from America.
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