Maxim, 1898, Flying Machines and Ordnance

Hiram Stevens Maxim. "Flying Machines and Ordnance". Scientific American 79(26), 24 December 1898, p. 403.

Online at Internet Archive.

"Despite the fact that his airplane had actually demonstrated its ability to lift more than its own weight, Maxim became rather discouraged by his failure. In an article describing his experiments, which he published in the Scientific American in 1898, he said he was convinced that the 'aeroplane sysetm is not practical for flying.'" (Black, 1943, p. 39)

Specifically he wrote that he thought the Langley project wouldn't work:

I understand that the government is spending $25,000 with a view of evolving a practical flying machine. I do not think they will succeed on the aeroplane system. I believe that, when we come to a large apparatus, it will be necessary to construct a machine on a totally different plan. Moreover, the $25,000 will be found completely inadequate for the purpose, as my own experiments cost fully $100,000.

He also gives details on his earlier whirling arm project. The rest of the article deals with guns.