mazing Stories: September 1946

              CIRCLED-WINGED PLANE
               By W. C. HEFFERLIN
   
     AGAIN and again do new design planes and wings become more evident 
as progress marches along. In this article we describe still another 
that has answered a lot of head-aches and utilizes principles overlooked 
by many designers. This plane is designed for speed, strength and 
maneuverability.

     Models of the circle-winged plane were built and tested with the 
current models available in 1927 in the city of San Francisco, from high 
buildings to check on tail-spin and gliding ability. It was found 
impossible to "tail-spin" the circle-winged job, and its gliding ability 
was found to be at least four times that of any other type, with no 
stalling factors. They almost seemed to fly themselves!

     The principles involved? Easy, when it is pointed out to you. How 
many of us at some time have taken a "playing card" and held it between 
our fingers and flipped the card edgewise into the air? Remember how it 
"slid" through the air with very little of applied force? Yes, that's 
it; a wing designed to be almost flat with
knife edges. Circular in shape, with an inner opening, like a flattened 
cooky or doughnut. The circle design has the strongest and best pressure 
distributing and equalizing ability, and the weight is supported so that 
the pilot does not have to "teeter" every balance factor against up-and-
down air drafts and sudden weight shifts from any direction. 

     A stream-lined fuselage is hung from the outside edges of the 
wings, the fuselage having retractable landing wheels, two in front and 
two in the rear, and four-wheel brakes. Above the wing and from the 
plane body in front and back are the two rudders. The wings' outer edges 
are pivot type, fastened at the fuselage. The inner circle edge is moved 
upward and downward by pivot fastenings on a lever arm corning from the 
interior of the plane. In fact, all wing and rudder movements are 
controlled by either "I" beams or tubular connection through lever 
action to the pilot's controls.

     The motors are contained within the fuselage, and the propellers 
are on each side of the fuselage, and between it and the inner circle of 
the wing. The standard type of propeller was not found suitable for this 
plane; but a slow-moving "deep pitched" type with extreme air grabbing 
ability was the best.

     At the pilot's option this plane can be skimming forward through 
the air, and by swinging the rudders, can be used to spin like a pin-
wheel. The pilot's "blister" is in the center of the inner circle area 
of the fuselage's top side. Take off and landing speeds are materially 
reduced, and the plane with Ghyt No.1 motors has clocked better than 
1000 miles per hour at 20,000 feet elevation. The ceiling of this ship 
is above 60,000 feet altitude. Rate of climb and dive speeds are 
controlled by the raising or lowering of the inner circle of the wing. 
It was found impossible to "slide-slip" this plane, and any attempts to 
do so by the pilot produces a "banking" movement of the plane. On level 
flight the riding ability is as smooth as the latest "Stream-Liner" 
train, with the ability of an antelope to move in any direction at will. 
Truly a "Pilot's dream" come true.

     The entire ship is pressurized for high altitude. The wing diameter 
from one outer wing edge to opposite side edge is 100 feet. Length of 
fuselage, 135 feet. Passenger capacity, 40 people. 

     Fuel tanks are contained in the wing and have. honey-combed cells 
internally.