"I'm sure I'll do all I
can for you, and you are certainly treating me very nicely after what I
suffered from my captors."
Tom resumed work on his air glider the next day, and he had an
additional helper, for Mr. Petrofsky proved to be a good mechanic.
In brief, the air glider was like an aeroplane save that it had no
motor. It was raised by a strong wind blowing against transverse planes,
and once aloft was held there by the force of the air currents, just
like a box kite is kept up. To make it progress either with or against
the wind, there were horizontal and vertical rudders, and sliding
weights, by which the equilibrium could be shifted so as to raise or
lower it. While it could not exactly move directly against the wind it
could progress in a direction contrary to which the gale was blowing,
somewhat as a sailing ship "tacks."
And, as has been explained, the harder the wind blew the better the air
glider worked. In fact unless there was a strong gale it would not go
up.
"But it will be just what is needed out there in that part of Siberia,"
declared the exile, "for there the wind is never quiet. Often it blows a
regular hurricane."
"That's what we want!" cried Tom. He had made several models of the air
glider, changing them as he found out his errors, and at last he had hit
on the right shape and size.
Pages:
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74