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[[strikethrough]] 129 [[/strikethrough]] 130 A NEW DESIGN The new ship was 112 feet in length by 17 1/2 feet in diameter. It contained about 18,000 cubic feet of gas and could carry three men with ballast and four hours fuel supply. I purchased the motor from Glen Curtiss at Hammondsport, New York. It was supposed to develop 15 horsepower and be thoroughly reliable. When the outfit was all assembled it was a thing of beauty as the balloon was constructed [[strikethrough]] made [[/strikethrough]] of white silk and made a fine appearance in the air. The stabilizing fins were attached to the vertical rudder instead of the tail of the balloon. It was much safer than having anything attached to the balloon as the tent was too small to take the machine [[strikethrough]] balloon [[/strikethrough]] in and out without injury. The simplest manner of changing altitude was for the pilot to move forward or to the rear as his weight was sufficient to cause the nose to point up or down and the propeller would exert enough pull to drive the ship in the direction desired. However, I determined to try forward horizontal rudders. After the first few trips I discarded them as they were broken when we moved the ship in and out of the tent. They were very effective in the air, so much so that the usual pitching was increased rather than diminished. These rudders were then places at the rear end of the frame just in front of the vertical rudder, and in this position, it was possible to reduce the pitching and correct fore and aft stability. As we were continually breaking their flames [[strikethrough]] them [[/strikethrough]] we decided that it was better practice to discard them and to go back to the old method of moving about on the frame. MAINTAINING HORIZONTAL STABILITY The public generally considered this a very hazardous feat, and was perhaps one of the chief reasons the airships was [[strikethrough]] a drawing [[/strikethrough]] an
