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ORVILLE WRIGHT IN THE 80-MILE-AN-HOUR “BABY WRIGHT” RACER.5

How It Flies
or,
THE CONQUEST OF THE AIR
The Story of Man’s Endeavors to Fly and of the
Inventions by which He Has Succeeded
By
RICHARD FERRIS, B.S., C.E.
Illustrated by Over One Hundred and Fifty Half-tones and Line
Drawings, Showing the Stages of Development from the
Earliest Balloon to the Latest Monoplane and Biplane
New York
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS
381-385 Fourth Avenue

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Copyright, 1910, by
THOMAS NELSON & SONS

THE TROW PRESS, NEW YORK7

PREFACE

In these pages, by means of simple language andsuitable pictures, the author has told the story ofthe Ships of the Air. He has explained the laws oftheir flight; sketched their development to the presentday; shown how to build the flying machine andthe balloon, and how to operate them; recountedwhat man has done, and what he hopes to do withtheir aid. In a word, all the essential facts thatenter into the Conquest of the Air have been gatheredinto orderly form, and are here presented tothe public.

We who live to-day have witnessed man’s greatachievement; we have seen his dream of ages cometrue. Man has learned to fly!

The air which surrounds us, so intangible and socommonplace that it seldom arrests our attention, isin reality a vast, unexplored ocean, fraught withfuture possibilities. Even now, the pioneers of a8countless fleet are hovering above us in the sky, whilesteadily, surely these wonderful possibilities areunfolded.

The Publishers take pleasure in acknowledgingtheir indebtedness to the Scientific American fortheir courtesy in permitting the use of many of theillustrations appearing in this book.

New York, October 20, 1910.9

CONTENTS