Otto Lilienthal - Maihöhe-Apparat 1893 / Modell 1/15

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• published: 20 Nov 2014
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The "Maihöhe-Rhinow Apparatus" It is the third year of Lilienthals practical flight experiments. With two previous people carrying glider experiments he dared to execute jumps. These showed him the way to continue. With each jump he thought how to improve his gliders with respect to handling as well as technically and also on how to make their behaviour in the air more efficient. From the results he has gained during the use of his former two glider experiments, the Derwitz-Apparatus of 1891 and the Suedende-Apparatus of 1892 he created his newest glider experiment which he then tested himself from a small hill called Maihöhe near Rhinow. This new glider reflected already almost all general features shown in his later glider experiments up to 1896. What hindered him the most was the inflexible layout of his designs. He certainly noted rather quickly that it was not of any advantage to stick to and concentrate on aerodynamic refinements while the apparatus itself was trying to determine the base requirements for flight. He thought of ways which would allow him to construct his gliders more quickly. It should have been possible to make transport easier and also to change the wings cross section without any major rebuilt. This was a requirement in order to determine the correct aerofoil section for various proposes. Lilienthal was extremely systematically in his approach and was driven by the wish to make his gliders available to others for the sake of further development and sportive use. He considered serial production for the gliders and the provision to others as paramount. All his endeavours showed up in this newest glider experiment. He combined not only functionality with technical simplicity and easy handling with performance, but also managed to bring it all together in beauty. We owe to another pioneer, this time of early photography, Ottomar Anschütz, that Otto Lilienthal is the first human being whose successful attempts to fly have been proved by photographs. Anschütz accompanied Lilienthal to many experimental flights. Not only that his photographs along with Lilienthals reports convinced many who did not want to believe, but the dramatic impression of the photographs alone even captured people who are not into flying at all. With the new type as featured here in the model, the cross section of the wings could be changed by simple willow rods that have been bend to shape and slid onto the wing held in place by little loops of thread. The main scaffold was changed to provide a strong structure incorporating a large ring that was able to take all loads that occurred and to distribute them in a clever way. At the upper ends of the wooden cross special plywood sheets have been attached which sandwiched the ribs and allowed them to swing back. This way the wing became foldable much like we know from bats. As a handholds made from a willow rod was placed in front of the main timber cross. At the bottom end of the cross a wire loop was attached to which the flying cables from steel wire were attached. On top of the plywood sheets a little pole was put upright to hold the wing load when standing still. The attachment of the tailplane was done with a special system of willow rods to which the horizontal tailplane was mounted in a way so that it could flap up and down as a passive device in order to support the nose up movement of the machine during landing. The vertical fin was braced by means of strings running to the plywood sheets of the main timber cross. The model featured here is part of a private collection and permanent exhibition. http://www.collectors-editon.com