Thus is the
Aeroplane ``nose-heavy'' as a glider, and just so to a degree
ensuring a speed of glide equal to its flying speed. And the
Air Speed Indicator is steady at one hundred miles an hour,
and ``That's all right!'' exclaims the Pilot. ``And very
useful, too, in a fog or a cloud,'' he reflects, for then he can
safely leave the angle of the glide to itself, and give all his
attention, and he will need it all, to keeping the Aeroplane
horizontal from wing-tip to wing-tip, and to keeping it
straight on its course. The latter he will manage with the
rudder, controlled by his feet, and the Compass will tell him
whether a straight course is kept. The former he will control
by the Ailerons, or little wings hinged to the tips of the planes,
and the bubble in the Inclinometer in front of him must be
kept in the middle.
A Pilot, being only human, may be able to do two things
at once, but three is a tall order, so was this Pilot relieved
to find the Design not at fault and his craft a ``natural
glider.'' To correct this nose-heavy tendency when the
Engine is running, and descent not required, the centre
of Thrust is arranged to be a little below the centre of Drift
or Resistance, and thus acts as a counter-balance.
But what is this stream of bad language from the Exhaust
Pipe, accompanied by gouts of smoke and vapour?
The Engine, now revolving at no more than one-tenth its
normal speed, has upset the proportion of petrol to air,
and combustion is taking place intermittently or in the
Exhaust Pipe, where it has no business to be.
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