The Boy Aviators in Nicaragua; or, In League with the Insurgents
Page 8
CHAPTER VII.
FEATHERING THE GOLDEN EAGLE.
Bright and early the next day the work of completing the erection of the_Golden Eagle_ went on. The lower planes were covered and threaded on tothe frames with the same care as the covering of the upper set had beenaccomplished.
The long bird-like balancing tail was then put in place and the tillerlines—of bronze rope—threaded through guiding pulleys to its planeswhich were designed to raise or lower the course of the ship when in theair. The lateral steering was accomplished by means of double verticalrudders of the thinnest bronze obtainable, strengthened by a triangularframe of aluminum, and were controlled by a clever device of Frank’sfrom the same wheel that adjusted the horizontal planes.
Then came the pleasant work of fitting up the car. There was a box forFrank’s binoculars and separate compartments for each of the instrumentsused in determining height and speed. Then the thermometer had to bescrewed in place and the automobile clock adjusted where the steersmancould see it. The food basket was then stocked, for Frank did notbelieve in doing things by halves and he was determined that when theyquit work that night that everything about the ship should be inship-shape fashion and ready for flight at a moment’s notice.
In the food basket, besides the blankets and medicines already mentionedand some folding knives and forks, the boys packed:
Four pounds of beans, a small box of hardtack, a plentiful supply ofsoup and meat tablets as used by the German army and which contain asupply of nutriment far in excess of their bulk, five pounds of bacon,the same quantity of ham, tins of salt, pepper and seasoning, a can ofbutter for special occasions and two cans of condensed milk, and fivepackages of self-raising flour.
“There doesn’t look to be enough there to feed a flock of canary birds,”remarked Billy, as he watched the stowing of the grub.
“That’s because you don’t know the exact science of modern rations,”replied Frank, “experiments in Germany have proved that the condensedsoups and meat essences we have in that are alone capable of sustaininglife for a long period, the other things are luxuries.”
“Well, me for porterhouse steaks and food you can get your teeth into,”replied Billy. “Count me out on this tabloid table-d’hôte idea.”
“It’s easy to see you were never cut out for an aeronaut,” laughedHarry, “here, lay hold of this bar and make yourself useful.”
The body of the car was raised on screw-jacks, when the work ofattaching it to the planes had been completed, and the food basketcarefully slung underneath, where it was readily getatable through asmall hinged hatch in the floor of the pilot’s cockpit. Then came thework of attaching to the bottom of the frame, and to the tail, thewheels and spring braces which were devised to make a descent in theairship as easy as alighting from a taxicab. The wheels were also to aidin starting the craft.
Frank and Harry had come to the conclusion long before they finishedbuilding the _Golden Eagle_ that they did not want to have to cartaround a runway with them to give the ship start when they wished tomake a flight, as is the case with the Wright Brothers’ machines. Theirair craft was equipped with pneumatic tired-wheels like those of abicycle, only several times as strong, in order to give her a goodrunning start when her twin propellers were started.
When they wished the _Golden Eagle_ to soar aloft from the ground, allthat was necessary to do with this equipment was to throw in a clutchgeared to the rear pair of wheels and the _Golden Eagle_, like a greatbird with her wings spread, began to glide over the ground, and in a fewseconds the pressure of the air under her curved planes gave her thenecessary lift and she shot up like a hawk, or her namesake, leaving theeyrie.
The forward pair of wheels were movable, castor-fashion, so that whenthe ship struck the ground they were free to head in any direction inwhich the ship might take the earth. The rear wheels were attached tothe body of the aeroplane in the same manner, except that they had adevice connected with them which made it possible to lock them when theoperator wished to throw in the clutch that started the engine up. Theforward wheels also had a detachable steering appliance connected withthem so that in starting the machine it could be steered in anydirection the operator desired, like an automobile.
Besides these wheels the forepart of the _Golden Eagle_ possessed a pairof inclined planes moving on an axis. To the outer ends of these planeswere attached powerful springs. The action of these planes when theforward end of the ship struck the ground on them was of course madefree from jar by the spring attachment which acted as a sort of buffer.The wheeled arm attached to the bird-like tail astern was geared in asimilar fashion and was designed to support this important part of theaeroplane and protect it from damage when the _Golden Eagle_ settled.
Frank eagerly explained the uses and action of all the devices to hisfather and Jimmie Blakely, the latter of whom had neglected his workshamefully since the _Golden Eagle_ had been roosting under itspalm-thatched shed. How the ship got its name was at once apparent assoon as the boys had completed covering its wings. The balloon silk theyused was of a rich orange hue and indeed the ship looked like nothing somuch as a great golden bird.
The last task the boys had to tackle was the delicate one of placing theengine and its condenser in position and connecting it to the gasolene,water and lubricating tanks. Then there was the job of putting in theignition apparatus and wiring it up to the spark plugs of the motor.Frank and Harry used the jump-spark system as being both simpler andeasier to repair in time of trouble than the make and break method. Thespark for starting was obtained from batteries, but when under way the_Golden Eagle’s_ engine was “sparked” by a magneto. Both boys alwayscarried a supply of extra spark plugs in case of the carbonization ofthe ones already in the cylinders and they had had very little troubleindeed with this important part of their engine, one which gives morebother usually than any other part of the motor. The spark plugs werehooded with waterproof caps as a precaution against short-circuiting byrain or dampness.
The twin propellers of the Chester boys’ craft, four-bladed ones ofbronze, framed and covered with specially prepared and varnished fabric.These frames were internally braced by specially tested steel wire andhad shown themselves in every way capable of standing the terrificstrain that 1200 revolutions a minute put on them. The shafts connectingthem with the engine were of the best Tobin bronze, a non-corrosivematerial and one of the most suitable metals for the construction ofpropeller shafts.
It took Frank and Harry the best part of another day to adjust theengine to its bed and true up all its connecting parts with spirit-leveland plumb-line. This work they had to do alone as it required expertknowledge of the most exhaustive kind.
At last, however, everything was adjusted and screwed in place in a wayto satisfy even the critical Frank, who went over every joint andfastening with an eye that spied out immediately the slightest weakness.When everything was announced to be complete at last, a holiday wasdeclared on the estancia and all hands gathered round the palm-thatchedshed to watch Frank and Harry tune up the _Golden Eagle’s_ engine.
Frank’s eyes fairly shone as he stepped lightly into the car and openedthe valve that sent a flow of life-giving gasolene along a brass tube tothe carbureters.
Before he did this, however, the hands had been busy for an hour fillingcoffee bags with earth and heavy stones and piling them down on allsides of the _Golden Eagle_. Stout stakes were also driven into theground and the craft securely roped to them in such a way that she couldnot free herself when her propellers began to whiz round.
“Now, then, hold tight, everybody!” shouted Frank, as he “tickled” thecarbureter, and Harry threw in the switch. The Boy Aviator gave theflywheel a light twist back against the compression—there was a loud“bang,” that made the women shriek and the next minute the engine of the_Golden Eagle_ was purring away as contentedly as if it had never beenseparated from the craft of which it was the heart and packed u
p for itslong voyage.
But the natives,—where were they? With the exception of one tubby littlefellow who was sprawling on the ground and who scrambled to his feet andmade off at top speed as soon as possible, there was not one to be seenof all the crowd that had clustered round the _Golden Eagle_ but a fewminutes before.
They had not heeded Frank’s warning cry,—somewhat naturally, notunderstanding it,—and when the huge propellers began to whirl round,creating a regular whirlwind in which hats were snatched from heads, anddresses blown every which way, they had, with one concerted howl of“Witchcraft,” fled to their quarters, where only a great deal ofpersuasion induced them to leave.
By supper time that night, the boys were delighted to think that theirbeautiful craft was ready to soar again. Everything in fact was readyfor an immediate flight. The sand-bags were removed, the ropes untiedfrom the stakes, and the batteries carefully seen to. It was with lighthearts that the boys hurried to the house for their evening meal. As forBilly, he danced a sort of what he was pleased to call a “Pean ofTriumph,” round the ship. The performance of the engine and the generaltrim and trig appearance of the Chester boys’ flyer had aroused him tosuch a height of admiration and enthusiasm that he declared himselfquite willing to take a trip in it himself—which was “going some” forBilly.