Airships Past and Present: Together With Chapters on the Use, of Balloons in Connection With Meteorology, Photography and the Carrier Pigeon

Excerpt from Airships Past and Present: Together With Chapters on the Use, of Balloons in Connection With Meteorology, Photography and the Carrier Pigeon

The flying machine, which includes all devices which aim at the imitation of the flight of birds, is on the other hand rather briefly discussed, inasmuch as from the practical point of view little of real importance has been accomplished in this depart ment. But it is more than probable the future will have surprises in store for us, and that the hopeful views, lately expressed by the Académie des Sciences, will prove to be justified in so far as the results which may be expected from work on these lines is concerned.