DICK'S FIRST FLIGHT
Mr. Vardon gave his helper a quick and warning glance.
"Hush!" he exclaimed, as he looked to see if Lieutenant Larson had
heard what Jack had said. But the army man evidently had not. He gave
the machinist a glance, however, that was not the most pleasant in the
world. It was evident that there was some feeling between the two.
Dick wondered what it was, and what Jack's ominous words meant.
Having put away the two biplanes, and requested the cadets to look at
them as much as they liked, but not to meddle with the apparatus, the
two lieutenants left the sheds, to report to their respective captains.
Mr. Vardon and his helper remained with Dick and his chums.
"Very fine machines," said the aviator. "Compared to my poor pile of
junk, very fine machines indeed!"
"But part of yours is good; isn't it?" asked Dick. "You can use part
of it, I should think."
"Very little," was the hopeless reply. "The damage was worse than I
thought. My gyroscope attachment is a total wreck, and it will cost
money to build a new one."
"Yes, and that gyroscope was tampered with before we started on this
last flight!" declared Jack, with conviction. "And I'm sure HE did
it!" he added, pointing an accusing finger at the retreating form of
Lieutenant Larson.
"You must not say such things!" cried the aviator. "You have no proof!"
"I have all the proof I want as far as he is concerned," declared Jack.
"Maybe he didn't intend to kill us, or hurt us, but he sure did want to
wreck the machine when he tampered with the gyroscope."
"What is the gyroscope?" asked Dick.
"It is an invention of mine, and one over which Lieutenant Larson and I
had some argument," said Mr. Vardon.
"You probably know," the aviator went on, while Dick, Paul, and Innis,
with several other cadets, listened interestedly, "you probably know
that one of the great problems of aviation is how to keep a machine
from turning turtle, or turning over, when it strikes an unexpected
current, or 'air pocket' in the upper regions. Of course a birdman
may, by warping his wings, or changing the elevation of his rudder,
come out safely, but there is always a chance of danger or death.
"If there was some automatic arrangement by which the airship would
right itself, and take care of the unexpected tilting, there would be
practically no danger.
"I realized that as soon as I began making airships, and so I devised
what I call a gyroscope equilibrizer or stabilizer. A gyroscope, you
know, is a heavy wheel, spinning at enormous speed, on an anti-friction
axle. Its great speed tends to keep it in stable equilibrium, and, if
displaced by outside forces, it will return to its original position.
"You have probably seen toy ones; a heavy lead wheel inside a ring.
When the wheel is spinning that, and the ring in which it is contained,
may be placed in almost any position, on a very slender support and
they will remain stable, or at rest.
"So I put a gyroscope on my airship, and I found that it kept the
machine in a state of equilibrium no matter what position we were
forced to take by reason of adverse currents. Of course it was not an
entire success, but I was coming to that.
"In the biplane which was wrecked in the river I had my latest
gyroscope. It seemed to be perfect, and, with Jack and Harry, I had
made a number of beautiful flights. I even flew alone upside down, and
had no trouble.
"Before that I had made the acquaintance of Lieutenant Larson, who is
also an expert aviator. He worked for me before he went in the army.
He had his own ideas about equilibrium, and his plan, which he wanted
me to adopt, consists of tubes of mercury that can automatically be
tilted at different angles. I do not believe they will ever work, and
I told him so. I refused to use them, and he and I parted, not the
best of friends. He wanted his invention exploited, but I refused to
try it, as I thought it dangerous.
"When my gyroscope worked fairly well, I presume Lieutenant Larson was
professionally jealous. At any rate he, left me, and I am glad of it."
"But he was around our workshop just before we made this last flight!"
insisted Jack. "He came in pretending he had left some of his
important drawings behind when he went away, but I noticed that he hung
around the airship a good bit. I saw him looking at, and running the
gyroscope, and I'm sure he did something to it that caused it to fail
to work, and so wrecked us."
"You should not say such things," chided Mr. Vardon.
"Well, I believe it's true," insisted Jack. "And you found something
wrong with the gyroscope, when you took it from the airship; didn't
you?"
"Yes, but that may have occurred in the wreck."
"No, that gyroscope began to act wrong before we started to fall," went
on the helper. "I noticed it, and I believe that mean lieutenant
monkeyed with it. He wanted you to think your plans were failures."
"I should dislike to believe that of anyone," spoke Mr. Vardon,
seriously.
"Well, I'm going to keep my eye on him," said Jack. "He won't get
another chance at any of our machines."
It was a day or so after this conversation that Dick came upon his chum
Innis, talking to Mr. Vardon. They seemed very much in earnest, and at
Dick's approach the aviator strolled away. Innis stood regarding him a
moment, and remarked, in a low tone:
"Poor chap!"
"What's the trouble?" asked Dick, quickly. "Has anything happened to
him?"
"Yes, Dick, a whole lot of things!" replied Innis earnestly. "I feel
mighty sorry for him. You know how his airship was wrecked, but that's
only one of his troubles. He's practically lost every cent he has in
the world, and he's deeply in debt, for he borrowed money to build his
aircraft, and perfect his stabilizer. He's just about down and out,
poor chap, and he feels mighty blue, I can tell you.
"When you came up I was just trying to figure out a way to help him.
But I don't see how I can. My dad hasn't any too much money himself,
since some of his investments failed, or he'd pull my cousin out of
this hole. But, as it is, I don't see what's to be done. And his
gyroscope stabilizer will work, too, only he won't get a chance to
prove it, now."
Dick was silent a moment, and then he asked:
"Say, Innis, would it help your cousin any if he had a contract to
build airships, and could install his stabilizer on one of them?"
"Why, of course it would, Dick! That would be just the very thing he'd
want. But who'd give him such a contract, especially after this
accident? And he hasn't any money to back up his claims. In fact he's
a bankrupt. Nobody would give him such a chance."
"Yes, I think someone would," said Dick, quietly.
"Who?" asked Innis, quickly.
"I would. It's this way," the young millionaire went on. "I've fully
made up my mind to have an airship, since dad consented, though I
believe he's secretly laughing at me. Now the kind of craft I want
doesn't come ready made--it will have to be built to order.
"So why can't I contract with your cousin to make my airship for me?
I'd be willing to pay all expenses and whatever his services were
worth, so he could make some money that way. I'd a good deal rather
give him a chance on the work, than some stranger. Besides, I like his
idea of a gyroscope, and, even if he doesn't want to build my craft,
I'd like to arrange to buy one of his stabilizers. Do yon think he
would like to take the contract from me?"
"Do I?" cried Innis earnestly. "Say, he'll jump at the chance! You try
him, and see! Say, this is fine of you, old man!"
"Oh, nonsense! It isn't anything of the sort," protested Dick. "I've
got to have somebody build my airship, and I'd rather it would be your
cousin than anyone else."
"It's fine and dandy!" Innis exclaimed. "Come on; let's find him and
tell him. He needs something to cheer him up, for he's got the blues
horribly. Come along, Dick."
To say that Mr. Vardon was delighted to accept Dick's offer is putting
it mildly. Yet he was not too demonstrative.
"This is the best news I've heard in a long while," he said. "I guess
my cousin has told you I'm pretty badly embarrassed financially," he
added.
"Yes," assented Dick. "Well, I happen to have plenty of money, through
no fault of my own, and we'll do this airship business up properly.
"I'd like you to get started at it as soon as you can, and as there
will be preliminary expenses, I'm going to advance you some cash.
You'll have to order certain parts made up, won't you?" he asked.
"Yes, I presume so," agreed the aviator.
"And, of course, I'll want your stabilizer on my craft."
"That's very good of you to say. It will give me a fine chance to
demonstrate it," said Mr. Vardon.
Later in the day, Dick, his chums, the aviator and Larry Dexter were
talking about some of the flights made in the army machines that
afternoon.
"Can you arrange to have a wireless outfit on my airship?" asked the
young millionaire, as an exchange of wireless talk had been a feature
of the exhibition that day.
"Oh, yes, that can easily be done," assented the birdman.
"Say, you're going to have a fine outfit!" complimented Paul.
"Might as well have a good one while I'm at it," answered Dick, with a
laugh. "I've got to make good on dad's account anyhow. I can't stand
him laughing at me. I wish I had my airship now."
"I'll start building it, soon," promised Mr. Vardon.
"I'll want it in time for the summer vacation," went on Dick. "I'm
going to spend a lot of time in the air."
"Why don't you make a try for the prize?" suggested Mr. Vardon.
"What prize?" Dick wanted to know.
"Why the United States Government, to increase interest in airship
navigation, and construction, especially for army purposes, has offered
a prize of twenty thousand dollars for the first flight from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, or from New York to San Francisco, by an
airship carrying at least three persons. Only two landings are allowed
during the flight, to take on gasolene, or make repairs. Why don't you
try for that?"
"What, me try for that prize in the first airship I ever owned!"
exclaimed Dick. "I wouldn't have the nerve! I guess the government
doesn't want amateurs in the trans-continental flight."
"It doesn't make a bit of difference," declared Mr. Vardon. "It is
going to be an open competition. And, let me tell you, amateurs have
done as much, if not more, than the professionals, to advance and
improve aviation. Why, as a matter of fact, we're all amateurs. We are
learning something new every day. The art, or business, of flying is
too new to have in it anything but amateurs. Don't let that stop you,
Dick."
"Well, I'll think about it," said the young millionaire.
Dick obtained some detailed information, and entry blanks for the
government prize contest, and a little later announced to his chums:
"Well, fellows, in view of what Mr. Vardon said about amateurs, maybe I
will have a try for that prize. It will give us an object, instead of
merely flying aimlessly about. And if I should win, wouldn't I have
the laugh on dad! Yes, I'll make a try for it!" he added.
"And we'll help you!" cried Paul.
"And I'll make a good story of it," promised Larry Dexter.
"I guess we'd better get the airship first," suggested Innis, dryly.
"Oh, I'll look after that," promised his aviator cousin.
The days that followed were busy ones at Kentfield Academy. A course
of instruction was arranged concerning the making and flying of
airships. In the former Mr. Vardon was the chief lecturer, as he had
had more practical experience in building the aircraft than had either
of the army captains.
But the army men had made a study of air currents, and the management
of biplanes and monoplanes, and were equal to Mr. Vardon in this
respect. And so the cadets looked on and listened, watching the army
aviators test their machines, run them over the starting ground, and
finally, by a tilting of the rudders, send the machines up like big
birds.
"Young gentlemen," announced Colonel Masterly after chapel exercises
one morning, "I have an important announcement to make. You have been
studying aviation for some time now, and it is necessary, if you keep
on with it, to have practical work. Therefore we have decided that,
taking turns, those cadets in this course will make a flight, beginning
with today. You will go up, one in each aeroplane, with the two army
officers, who will look after and instruct you.
"I will now call for volunteers to make the first flight. Don't all
speak at once," added the colonel, with a grim smile.
There was a moment of breathless pause, and then, from where he sat,
Dick arose. With a salute he said:
"I'll volunteer, sir."
"Good!" came in whispered comment that the colonel did not try to check.
"And I'll also volunteer!" spoke Innis, quickly.
"So will I!" added Paul, and then several more announced their
intention.
That afternoon came around very quickly, it seemed. Out on the
starting ground were the two big machines, being looked over by the
army men. The cadets were drawn up in files.
"All ready, sir," announced Captain Grantly to Major Rockford. "The
first cadet will take his place."
"Dick Hamilton!" called the commandant, and our hero stepped forward
for his first airship flight.