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Partly for this reason, and partly because it proves a far more interesting
machine, we choose a model able to rise from the ground under its own power
and make a good flight after rising, assuming the instructions which we
give to have been carefully carried out. It is perhaps hardly necessary to
add that such a machine can always be launched by hand when desired.
Before entering into special details we may note some broad principles
which must be taken into account if success is to attend our efforts.
Important Points.--It is absolutely essential that the weight be kept
down as much as possible. It is quite a mistake to suppose that weight
necessarily means strength. On the contrary, it may actually be a cause of
weakness if employed in the wrong place and in the wrong way. The heavier
the machine, the more serious the damage done in the event of a bad
landing. One of the best and easiest ways of ensuring lightness is to let
the model be of very simple construction. Such a model is easier to build
and more efficient when constructed than one of more complicated design.
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