hat do you think of Sk

e memora

nd Bob, and the two chums had been working every one of the last three days helping John and Tom put the finishing touches on the big new airplane. And now this Friday morning it rested gracefully upon its own rubber-tired wheels, its great stretch o

uestion. He had not seen it for almost two weeks, and in that time, under the onslaughts of the four boys, it had change

s fingers lingeringly over the smooth fuselage, and smiled quietly as he regarded the name "Sky-Bird II" lettered in large blue characters on her sides and underneath each long bird-like wing. Then he mounted a folding step and went through a neat door into the glass-surrounded cabin. This was deep enough to stand up in, and provided comfortab

nvenience of things, "it looks as if you fellows hadn't lef

th such a machine as this there is no reason why a crew of four or five could not run nights as well as days, two operating while the others sleep in the h

hailstorm?" asked Mr. Giddings

some in a hailstorm, but it could not break out, as it is made of two

power of these, and what you need two for," observed Mr. Giddings. "I thought you said in the beginning

any motor might do? We could not continue, any more than the other fellow, and would have to volplane to the ground. Again, suppose we wished to fly continuously more than twelve hours? We could not do so, as such a steady run would heat the best motor and ruin it. These two Liberty motors, which we have, overcome all these troubles. Both are so arranged that a simple switch connect

er touched a peculiar-looking helmet ha

my new wireless telephone headpiece, and right underneath it here is the mahogany cabinet containing the sending and receiving instruments. You see, these two wires run fro

dded football player w

smile. "Why is a hel

e whirr of the propeller when it is revolving about 1450 revolutions per minute, or at the full speed of this one, makes quite a roar; so you see the need of the helmet to shut out all undesirable sounds possible. In ordinary planes the crew cannot talk to each ot

we won't,"

any judge,"

e of miles high?" asked Mr. Giddings, examining a transmitter attac

talk with ground stations or other aircraft at a distance of three thousand miles. Notice what a simple thing it is, dad," and Bob indicated a

ver made just like the ordin

mpress and release a capsule of carbon granules which agitate and set in motion an electrical current in two magnets connecting with them. The magnets convey the sound-waves in the form

r words the words one speaks, run out of t

es the diaphragm pulsate. These waves are then carried through the atmosphere in every direction, and sooner or later reach the antennae wires of some station equipped to

n they reach the receivers," argued Mr. Giddings. "Ho

oes the business. The electrical current agitates this in unison, and th

t there's just one thing yet I want light on: Where do you get your electrical curren

de here a m

he little party out of

od on the hangar floor,

beneath the nose of t

tleman's observ

th a torpedo sticking out from the

sh of wind spins the fan at a terrific rate, its axle operates a little dynamo in this torpedo-like case and manufactures electric current. The current then passes into this s

er man, "and a mighty good one, too." He now changed the subj

usand pounds," admitted John Ross, with a peculiar smile. "Put your hands

ings. "Why, her engines are right above this porti

," persisted Bob, who al

dly braced himself in a crouching position and pushed upward on the airplane's front. To his amazem

ch a thing? I had faith in this principle of the hollow wings and helium-gas, boys, but I never thoug

pounds as she stands," said Paul. "Just before you came today, Mr. Gidd

eeks nodded his head and ejaculated, "I'd say so! I'd say so!" his whole broad face a

man. "I notice you have installed that 'automatic pilot' too. And what

night traveling on this tour of the world. It ought to have good power, being

r. Giddings took his departure, promising to be on hand