Quantico flight testing began again in early May 1895. Three attempts using No. 5 and No. 6 were considered failures. The longest time aloft was only six seconds.

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After more than three years of intensive work, Langley was feeling pressure from many sources to show better results. His critics were becoming more vocal. Having exhausted all the available brainpower within the Smithsonian, Langley decided to conduct an outside search for technical help. He found Augustus Moore Herring.

‘Gus’ Herring’s father had instilled a lifelong fascination with flight in his preteen son by presenting him with a rubber-band-powered flying model. Soon young Herring began to design, build and fly his own models by trial and error. A few years later, while Herring was attending Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., his father died, leaving his son independently wealthy and in a position to continue experimenting with flight. Young Herring developed several new flying models. One was actually a full-sized glider that flew but would not support his weight.

Herring completed four years of study in mathematics, engineering and drafting and then proposed a bold study for his required thesis: ‘The Heavier Than Air Flying Machine As a Mechanical Engineering Problem.’ His professor rejected the topic as ‘fanciful,’ an understandable reaction in 1888. Instead, Herring was assigned a topic on marine steam engines. Because he adamantly refused to work on the thesis, he didn’t complete his degree.

After leaving Stevens in 1888, Herring became a successful engineering consultant in New York City. He produced many progressive flying models, several of which are described in the Aeronautical Annual for 1896. Herring also had limited success in 1893 and ‘94 with self-constructed replicas of Lilienthal-type monoplane gliders. Otto Lilienthal, the German gliding master, had captivated the imaginations of newspaper and magazine readers around the world since 1891. Herring built three similar gliders. In one of these machines, narrow control surfaces were hinged to the left and right sides of the wing’s leading edge. Connected by short handles, they were manipulated by the pilot to assist with pitch control. Later, he suggested that those surfaces could also be used for lateral control, thus anticipating ailerons.

Langley learned about Herring’s activities through a chance conversation with James Means, the influential editor of the Aeronautical Annual. Langley and Herring met in New York City on May 13, 1895, and Herring showed him the Lilienthal-type machines and some of his rubber-band-powered models. They discussed construction techniques, control and stability, steam engines, propellers and a host of other aeronautical topics. Langley was impressed. Before leaving for Washington, he offered Herring a position at the Smithsonian as ‘Overseer of the Work in Aerodromics,’ for $150 per month.

Herring arrived in Washington late in the month. After a few days it became apparent that major problems existed between Langley and his staff. Although he hired overseers such as Herring, it was obvious that Langley never really believed in delegating authority. He constantly interfered with the workmen and confused everyone’s assignments. Langley kept control by demanding that his employees work within their job descriptions-while he absorbed their ideas. Herring alluded to that tactic in a letter to Octave Chanute, saying, ‘One of the disagreeable features [of Herring's position] is Mr. Langley’s inability to distinguish between the ideas of other people and his own.’ Langley demanded complete subservience from his employees. Anyone who did not agree with his methods was dismissed.

Herring’s first trip to the test site, in early June 1895, gave him firsthand knowledge of problems facing the program. A frustrated Langley decided that all further testing should be terminated until Herring analyzed the problems and made changes where necessary. The entire summer was set aside to address the situation.

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