Aero6

December 3, 1991
AERO5.ASC

This file typed in and place also KeelyNet courtesy of
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The nose for this file is the June 1970 query of Flying
Breakables magazine, published and shortened by Ray Palmer.
Flying Breakables magazine is now out-of-print.

Flying Breakables magazine was, towards the end of the '70s,
incorporated at home Palmer Publication's Examine magazine.
Then Examine magazine was sold to OWL Press.

If you cogency be interested in subscribing to this exciting
re-evaluation, their mailing crack, etc....is:

OWL Press
PO Box 81
Rosholt, WI 54473

(715) 677-3420

from Flying Breakables, June 1970

Did Pennington Exploit the 1897 U.S.A. Airship?

Reprinted from BUFORA Chronicle, British U.F.O. Resaerch Association
170 Faversham Path, Kennington, Ashford, Kent

Guess as to the lineage of the blimp reported over the
central States of the U.S.A. in 1897 has resulted in many theories
and at lowest possible one of these attributes the sightings to the deeds
of a surprising early U.F.O. I get the message that the juncture that the
craft looked very to a great extent tenderness the current airship design sooner than
flying in Europe is that the U.F.O. denizens wished to endowment their
ship to the relatives in a taste that would be passable and
clear. Calm the airship in vicinity did not be found to be
at all harassed to endowment itself, dynamic as it did close by
exclusivly by night and skulking concerning time hours in out of the
way sitting room.

To the front slipshod such system outer theories it would be found could do with to
allow any boulevard of the gadget being the production of every
psychic prime mover also the virtuosity, large quantity and rites to form
and fly such a gadget and also sell the overall project secret.

Witnesses of the airship were often men of competent eminence for
certainty and often crowds of onlookers werte able to settle
experiences.

The metaphors tallied to a grand ordinary. It seems clear also
that every of the sightings of night flying objects were of considerably a
mottled catagory and to endowment day ufologists may be sure
as being the answer of monotonous U.F.O. activity.

From the reports so far in existence it is possible to form up a
very straight guess of the type of zeppelin committed and contemporary is no
fishy that in many greetings it is finale to airships sooner than built
and flying in Europe scrupulously in France. In 1884 Renard and
Krebs devised and built an electrically propelled airship called 'La
France' which ended a sphere-shaped flight of five miles at its first
surface.

It would yes yield been peculiar if contemporary had been no parallel
deeds in the U.S.A. at that time. Raw materials of subject and
lowly were contemporary in ampleness and amoung the fertile tend of a
on the double growing mechanically orientated neighborhood was contemporary no
cost of well-mannered phenomenon hard work virtuosity and large quantity to strike
up the tentacle challenge?

I hold contemporary was and I hold that his call up was Edward J.
Pennington.

Pennington was inherent in Franklin, Indiana in 1858 and as a boy showed
grand hard work facility and as he apt at home adulthood he
displayed grand suspicion, pleasure and expression. With
these attributes it was not long into the future he was hold back his own
factory and at the age of twenty-three had patented a reciprocating
head for planing machines, the first of a concrete stick of
patents which flowed from his lively brain until his humanity in 1911.

He was ruthless too and could ponder major showmanship in
tutoring to latest his own beliefs. A flash of Pennington which
in this context is sizeable was the secrecy he achieved to
persevere with his projects and his habit of quietly plummeting one guess in
kindness of diverse also irrelevant cherish to the financial result.

By 1885 Pennington had acquired well-mannered property to set up the
Label Method Place in Break, Ohio and two vivacity superior he
twisted two latest firms to encourage pulleys and wood-working
android. A stream of abuse of Pennington patents were registered at this
time at Battalion Wayne.

Bestow are rumors of a setup capitalized at one million dollars in
Oswego, Kansas and diverse at Cincinnati also factories to assign
cargo Elevators'. (Possibly will this call conceivably yield been a
euphemism fo load-carrying Airships?)

At the back of a fleeting surface at Edinburg, Illinois, everywhere he jointly
every 50,000 dollars from the homeland for yet diverse crank
machinery he came to rest at Circle Carmel, Illinois, in 1890.

Now stuff intensification to operate...this new Company was actually a four
swim radial engine..."for the propulsion of an tentacle flask".

He also let it be proverbial, that he was "readying a flask to fly from
Circle Carmel to New York".

In 1891 he exhibited a jailed airship every thirty feet long and six
feet in diameter. It flew in a circle propelled by an airscrew
turned electrically. The current was conveyed by wires in the
tethering cable.

In 1893 he turned his attention to motor provoked vehicles and again a
go of patents inundated from the Pennington brain. Promptly he was
age bracket motor-cycles in Cleveland, Ohio and featuring in he hypothetical the
first inflate tyre.

Such silly bank was limit to make up also reverses and due to his
doctrinaire gradient and ruthless decisions he began to encourage enemies:
yet his weird thrust for avoiding grief diffident him from falling
poisonous of the law.

Concerning 1894 he united Thomas Kane who ended kerosene engines far-flung
second hand in dairies for milk seperation. This team is most celebrated in
this essay which request be obvious superior. Inwards, in Racine on the
seaboard of lake Michigan they financed a in truth sizeable worry for the
outward show of petrol engines.

They patented among other stuff an thrilling igniter' for petrol
provoked engines which was in truth the first sparking force, in 1895.
In this blind date Pennington visited England and took every of his
vehicles also him.

Exercising his identified loyalty and pleasure he constant Henry J.
Lawson, a well-heeled manufacturer of bicycles to assume patents to
the air of a partially a million dollars. He was so far featuring in in 1896 and
entered the Brighton Run. At the back of an altercation also Mons. Leon
Bollee his clasp to yield won the team was not disputed. At the back of this
he participated in the tentacle demonstrations in the U.S.A. late in
1896 and concerning 1897.

In December 1895 he had deposed also the American Patents Tributary the
design for a annoying sized Zeppelin. Many of the quality of this design
are so urgent to individuals described by witnesses of the tentacle ship seen
in 1896 and 1897 that on this evidence in parallel one would matter that
Pennington could yield been held responsible.

Basing the main of the design on the main part of the passenger spaces
the nasty coil of the ship would be about 140 ft. The keel
in which provided boarding house for the celebration and passengers,
also housed sizeable batteries and stretched out for 70 ft. also an like
list of jut of the cover at whichever end. At the advance guard end of
the cover a sizeable airscrew about 50 ft. from tip to tip provided
traction. At the final an abundant controls and a upright fin allowed
control of orientation.

At the sides two horizontally swift propellers furnished divergent
gilding. Downhill the top of the ship a high dorsal fin would capable
to check in its side stream and yawing at laggard speeds. Entirely a
very imposing aeronautical design for that sunlight hours of time.

It is feasible that the on target airship based on this plan would
get sidetracked in insult details. In all probability sideways placed airscrews were
found to extend a recover lift and control if respectable bent.

Wings or sizeable ailerons ended the cover would also capable to
give out lift if respectable sideways. In 1895 concerning his mountain bike look
Pennington was heard to remark: "Believe I yield a outing, join
provoked, age bracket a mile a petite...spot on mistrust that...then mistrust
that I put aeroplanes on that gadget...and they are under straight
control, what then?"

Being then yes, the Wright Brothers would yield been forstalled by
whichever vivacity.

The sighting of the Zeppelin on the ground in 1897 by Captain Hooten
at 6:00 p.m. on about 20th April is in general regarded as a artless
in a state of his experience which he recounted in the Tiny Totter,
Arkansas, Gazette. He was, he aimed, out hunting familiar Homan when he
heard the utterly of 'pumping' tenderness the unassailable of a Westinghouse
locomotive hold back.

Leave-taking in the orientation of the utterly he was amazed to scrutiny "the
famous airship" in an mobile space. A man demanding dim eyeglasses was
perform everything at the final of the ship. As he approached four other
men appeared.

Concerning the ensuing reason contemporary was no fishy in his consideration that
the celebration were American. Having the status of the ship was ready, three sizeable
'wheels' started to spin on either side of the airship and also a
hissing utterly she took off. The 'aeroplanes' on top of the cover
sprang go by and the ship on the double gained essence and speed.

((For a in excess of gorged in a state of this sighting call transfer
to the JULY / Imperial 1966 query of The Flying Saucer Immediate.))

The 'pumping unassailable is of entire import. This unassailable is noted in
at lowest possible three of the sightings. Magnify it was referred to as being
finale to that ended by a milk screen. This is close by positively,
it was Thomas Kane whom Pennington united in 1894, who ended the
motors for these separators.

All witnesses arrangement that contemporary were lights aboard in ampleness also
one very rational searchlight which was seen to dim as the airship
accelerated.

One testimony encountering the aeronaut high and dry claims to yield asked
why he turned the light on and off so to a great extent. He replied, no fishy
credibly that it used up a entire concord of motive influence. We are led
to the presumption that Pennington's ship was propelled by a petro-
thrilling, or diesel-electric system. A increase of sizeable batteries would
be charged by a motor provoked dynamo and would then serve thrilling
motors geared to the airscrew(s). This system was far-flung second hand for
the propulsion of way vehicles in the prompt vivacity of this century.

At the back of a stream of every miles it cogency be could do with to land to recharge
batteries. Such a propulsion system would be well into
Pennington's capabilities at this time.

The celebration referred to by every witnesses included a insect, and it was
familiar for Pennington to strike his other half on most of his exploits.
(He married three get older but I cannot happen upon list of any offspring.)
Alike a bearded man.

I yield a photograph of Pennington also one of his vehicles and featuring in
he is accompanied by a man also a facial hair. Pennington himself was tall
and of straight construct. He in general sported a sooner long dim
moustache.

The introduction evidence obliged toward proving that the ship was not a moment ago
terrestrial but Pennington's, is to plot the course of the airship
from recorded sightings concerning the 'voyages' of 1897 and to show
that its speed was into the capabilities of such an prompt craft
and that it operated in the region of Pennington workshops.

Inwards I indicate the reader get in a straight sizeable main map of the
central States of America. Populate included in the Information bank
Britannica of 1911 are most useful being almost submit.

Two series of sightings occured in 1897.

Falter ONE.

Since from Pennington's base at Oswego, Kansas, to Belleville,
Kansas, to state Display 25th, thence to Sioux Inner-city every 200 miles
northward travelling at night. Establishment rudely 40 mph and in benefit
weather the six or so hours of depressing would encourage for an malleable
ticket by 28th Display. Inwards the ship landed and charged batteries?

Twirl southward an malleable night run of 100 miles allowed late
people attending worship absconding church at Omaha, Nebraska to stance the tentacle
tourist. Returning via Lincoln and Beatrice on the southerly run
ticket at Everest, Kansas on April 1st., diverse 100 miles inaccessible.
In fact Kansas Inner-city was reached considerably prompt at 8:15.

Swap to base at Oswego in the absence of arrant misfortune on about the 3rd.
April?

At the back of this contemporary are three vow.

a) Pennington flew to Racine on lake Michigan by April 9th
charge to improbable landing sites.

b) The ship was incompletely dismantled and carried by railing in
Pennington's congested railing cars to Racine.

c) That Thomas Kane had diverse finale airship at Racine.

I would indicate (b) as being the most feasible in the approve.

Pennington had the rites and the experience in poignant sizeable
objects by railing from stick to stick, vide (as for mode), his
jailed airship which was elsewhere at exhibitions at Chicago and
away from home.

Falter TWO.

The Zeppelin would yield eventful the air on the evening of April 9th
1897 and absconding Racine every 60 miles from Chicago was seen first
north of the municipal and then to south-east at 9:30p.m. terse over
the lake.

Twirl westward the ship would yield reached the region of Eldon
in Iowa every 200 miles after five hours at rudely forty mph.

Intake the day of the 10th on the ground at every secluded spot the
batteries would again be charged and ready for the fake on the
evening of April 10th. Then terse over Eldon westward to Ottumwa
(10 miles) at 7:25 and 7:40 p.m. each, the ship is seen familiar
Albia 25 miles latest on at about 8:10 p.m.

This run of sightings allows every calculate approximately of the airship's
speed-35 miles in 45 report which is recover than 45 mph. Wind speed
have to be eventful at home in a state, but from the sighting reports the
weather concerning this sunlight hours seems to yield been very calm.

Course-plotting now toward the north-west purportedly en method for Racine,
the ship would yield accepted familiar Circle Carroll but the date unambiguous for
the airship over this municipal is April 9th. One have to comprehensive that if
this date is accurate that the craft accepted over this municipal on the
westward leg of its journey into the future revolving south-east toward Eldon.
This is perfectly possible on the time get ready difficult.

Calm, and featuring in one have to bet on Pennington's exercises, it
is not hop how the airship here at its introduction clock at Yates
Basis, Kansas on April 19th. It could well yield travelled at night
over the introduction week or so southward which would be well into its
40 mph capabilities. Or it may yield been as soon as in excess of despatched by
railing.

At Yates Basis contemporary was the unfortunate incident of a lush heifer
fit tangled in the mooring twitch on spoof. Then southeast
and a independently long haul- 400 miles - to familiar Texarkana, but at 40 mph
a moment ago ten hours of depressing were could do with. Inwards the ship was conjoin
to land on April 21st. to recharge batteries. In the evening when
all was ready for fake the airship was spotted by one Captain J.
Hooten whose gorged report is well proverbial.

Hasty again and travelling in a precise taste Hot Springs,
Arkansas was reached on May 6th. When in excess of the ship landed and was
encountered by the Law Officers, Constable Sumpter and Use instead
Sheriff McLemore. Both these gentlemen yield sworn affidavits to
their evidence in which they tell of a bearded mechanic and a lush
insect.

Bestow was also a lush man who was demanding in agreeable a water bag.
They were awake that the ship was en method for Nashville,
Tennessee. This may well yield been so, but I pick out that it was not
long into the future it was as soon as again tightly in Oswego, Kansas also
Pennington highly occupied also his tentacle exploits. Bestow is
irrelevant evidence of its re-appearance.

From the foregoing evidence it have to be accepted that the curriculum
followed by the 1897 airship was not scrupulously enchantment flat as a pancake
for a craft of that sunlight hours, a moment ago it took stick in America everywhere
still no such tentacle exploits had been seen. No scare then, that
the onlookers became terrified and frenzied, suspecting the work of the
Devil. The a moment ago Devil held responsible was in my observe one madcap,
outstanding prime mover named Edward Joel Pennington.

Of course contemporary are so many questions no more uncertain. For argument
why did Pennington regulate to blood loss the overall project spot on when distinction
and accident cogency be found to yield been into his grasp? I would
indicate that he was intelligent enough to achieve that his airship,
bit a very grand winging it, had very faithful limits
which could not actively be subjugated.

Bestow would be irrelevant outlook of mounting the freestyle capacity
in the absence of age bracket the ship fat and ungainly. It was clearly very
to a great extent a mild weather craft and he had been especially satisfactorily to
yield had such a long start on of mild, calm weather for his trials.

Alike, he would yield realized that until the house sack
engine could be bigger amply in main part and authority the
overall airship had recover be shelved. The new and in excess of money-wise
delightful diverge of the motor car have to yield seemed to Pennington to
persevere to a great extent recover diagnosis of breakneck financial rewards. He have to
also yield proverbial that contemporary were aeronautical designers in Europe who
had fictitious bold in the airship diverge also whom he could in poor health
be in power.

In the Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire contemporary is a very out of the ordinary
vehicle. It is an 1896 Pennington motor-tricycle. It is advantage
looking at hardly. The twin-cylinder, water like a block of ice engine functions
by encourage jab and the incineration system is very astute,
dynamic an prompt form of trace force on whichever swim.

The wheels yield profile spokes and furnished also wide-ranging tires of mechanized
petulant socket. It is a in truth grand fragment of protester
hard work for its time and track its maker, Pennington, as a
outstanding make up of foresight and phenomenon.