Artificial and Natural Flight

Hiram Stevens Maxim

Jan 1908 · Whittaker

Ratings and reviews

Chapter VIII is an amusing historical record of the debate dividing the two camps of "aeronautics" back in the day: those who believe the future of flight is in "balloons or machines lighter than air" and those who believe the future of flight is in "true flying machines or machines heavier than air". Our author says "I do not believe that the time is far distant when those now advocating machines lighter than the air, will join the party advocating machines heavier than the air, and eventually balloons will be abandoned altogether". Then he runs through a series of calculations showing why balloons are for chumps. The chapter ends with the rather smug footnote "Shortly after this was written, the Zeppelin machine was completely demolished by a gust of wind."