"Of course I am not anxious to
throw money away, but I want to make a success of this, and win the
prize, not so much because of the cash, as to show how your
equilibrizer works, and to prove that it is possible to make an
airship flight across the continent.
"So, if bigger hydroplanes are going to make it more certain for us
to survive an accident, put them on."
"I will," promised the aviator.
Pontoons, or hydroplanes, in this case, I might state, were hollow,
water-tight, wooden boxes, so fitted near the wheels of the airship,
that they could be lowered by levers in case the craft had to
descend on water. They were designed to support her on the waves.
Several days of hard work passed. The aircraft was nearing
completion. The cabin was finished, and had been fitted up with
most of the apparatus and the conveniences for the trip. There were
instruments to tell how fast the Abaris was traveling, how far she
was above the earth, the speed and direction of the wind and
machinery, and others, to predict, as nearly as possible, future
weather conditions.
In the front of the cabin was a small pilothouse, in which the
operator would have his place. From there he could guide the craft,
and control it in every possible way.
There was a sleeping cabin, fitted with bunks, a combined kitchen
and dining-room, a small living-room, and the motor-room. Of course
the latter took up the most space, being the most important.
In addition there was an outside platform, built in the rear of the
enclosed cabin, where one could stand and look above the clouds, or
at the earth below.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96