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Though few people have any reason to love the year 1914 it must be admitted that it will always stand out in history as the year in which the aeroplane showed its true value.

Even before the war the tremendous long and high flights made by men like Herren Böhm, Basser, Langer, Thelen, Linnekogel, and Oelerich, MM. Gilbert, Garaix, Pourpe, Garros, Brindejonc des Moulinais, and Legagneux, and the Russian Sikorski, apart altogether from the acrobatics of the lesser aviators, indicated the possibilities of the aeroplane simply as a means of locomotion.

Since war broke out the aeroplane has done such surprising things that even the least imaginative inhabitant of this country has begun to realise that we have in it at least a very necessary adjunct to Naval and Military operations, and very possibly a vehicle for ordinary use in such time as war may cease.

In going through the issues of this paper for the past year one cannot fail to be struck by the predominance of Germany in all that concerned aviation. The official support given to German constructors at a time when our own constructors were struggling for their lives, the wonderful thoroughness and efficiency of the constructors themselves, the extraordinary organisation of everything connected with the new arm, give one furiously to think, in the light of later events. It may be that the date of the war had not been fixed, but it is certain that some unseen, and probably unhuman, force was steadily moving everything towards war. That Germany should have failed to obtain the command of the air is one of those curious freaks of fate which can only be explained by the theory that the British are the Chosen People of this epoch. By all the rules of science our little air fleet ought to have ceased to exist, along with our "contemptible little Army," about a week after war was declared. Why it did not vanish I hope to attempt to explain at a later date, but the wonder of its existence remains.

The truth about the Germans is excellently put by a writer in the "Times" who says:-"They are really a people immensely laborious, docile, and wrong-headed, but formidable because of the combination of all these qualities. They are as ignorant as they are learned. . and their intelligence in detail is only equalled by their stupidity about main issues. In fact, they are merely human, and having aimed fanatically at a certain kind of strength they have the weaknesses incidental to that strength. The individual German is to us, if we can catch him alone and look at him calmly, still a little ridiculous, and the nation consists of individual Germans. But when a man seems ridiculous his prestige, whether good or evil, is gone, and so it is with a nation. We shall fight the Germans better if we can laugh at them a little, and in doing so we shall follow our own national tradition which has kept us so often out of panic and cruelty. The war for us is a job to be accomplished, a disorder to be overcome, as if we were policemen dealing with a mob, not men fighting with devils."

In fact, like our friends of the Royal Aircraft Factory, the Germans have too much science and not enough sense. If we in this country had just a bit more of both we should get the job done sooner, but we can at

least be thankful that, on the whole, we have more sense than science, at any rate, the average Flying Officer of the R.F.C. has, and that is one reason why he wins through. Nevertheless, with all the warnings placed before us of Germany's preparations for the aerial side of war, it is a pity that more was not done to put our Services on something like an equal footing. A glance through the following retrospect of the year up to the time when war broke out, shows how clear those warnings were.

In this retrospect I have stated facts, without, in most cases, drawing any inference from them. The lessons are too obvious to need explanation. No mention is made of deaths in aeroplane accidents, as there has hardly been enough information obtainable about those occurring abroad to enable one to learn anything of value from them. The names of British aviators killed, and of foreigners killed in this country, will be given separately. Let us hope that, despite the perils of war, the list will be proportionately smaller in the coming year, though, considering the amount of flying done in the past year, it is actually very small. In most cases the deaths were quite avoidable, and it is to be hoped that their lessons have been learned by those responsible for them.

On the brighter side of the picture, we may pride ourselves on the fact that we have produced in this country the fastest machines in the world for their power, in the small biplanes commonly known as "tabloids," which were originated by the Sopwith Co., and have been built with variations by the MartinHandasyde, Bristol and Armstrong-Whitworth firms. The big seaplanes built by the Short, White, and Sopwith firms, are the fastest machines of their type in the world. Also, the Avro is the most efficient twoseater of its power in the world. All this has been done by sheer British obstinacy, in a most unscientific way, and despite official discouragement. On the same principle of obstinacy under difficulties the Aircraft Manufacturing Co. has built up a big business, and is turning out machines which are better than their French originals, and the Vickers Company has produced a really useful gun-carrier.

On the whole we might have done very much worse. Let us, therefore, consider the happenings of the year. January.

The New Year's Honours List contained the names of several officers connected with aviation. Captain Murray Sueter, R.N., Director of the Air Department of the Admiralty, and Captain Godfrey Paine, R.N., Commandant of the Central Flying School, were made Companions of the Bath, and Lt. Usborne was made a Commander, R. N. Major Trenchard, D.S.O., Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School, and Major Fulton, R.A., who had just been appointed head of the new Aeronautical Inspection Department of the Royal Flying Corps, were also made C.Bs.

The formation of the Aeronautical Inspection Department, which took place during January, under Major Fulton, was the first step in reforming the greatest evil in the previous history of the Royal Flying Corps, in that it placed the acceptance of Military Aeroplanes under an officer of the Royal Flying Corps, instead of compelling the manufacturers to submit their machines to the approval of an establishment which was practically a direct competitor, and was obviously

hostile to them. The new Department has done excellent work throughout the year, and Major Fulton has recently been graded as Wing Commander with temporary rank of Lieut.Colonel.

In Naval aviation, the first steps were taken towards making the Isle of Grain into a seaplane station to control the approaches to London, and the first signs were given of the Royal Naval Air Service absorbing the Coast Guard Service.

Early in the month, a protest was made in this paper against the placing by the War Office of large orders for "B.E." biplanes. It was then stated that "it does not appear that corresponding orders have been issued for British aeroplanes of any constructor's own designs, despite the fact that there are those which surpass the B.E. in efficiency." Almost at the same time, the new 80-h.p. Avro was produced, and on its first tests gave a range of speed between 30 and 83 miles per hour, carrying a pilot, a II-stone passenger, and three hours' fuel. This maximum speed has since been increased. Despite this performance, this type of machine was not encouraged by the War Office, and we are now paying for the mistake, because the improved Avro of this type has turned out to be by far the best two-seater tractor biplane at present used by the Royal Flying Corps, but, owing to the preference given to B.Es. at this period, the supply is not as large as one could wish.

During January the Wight seaplane, 160-h.p. Gnome, weighing loaded 2,400 lbs., put up a speed range of 31-63 m.p.h., and a climbing speed of 500 feet per minute, which, at the time, was the best performance done by a seaplane.

On the 21st Lieut. Seddon, R.N., flew from Isle of Grain to Plymouth on a Maurice Farman seaplane, 350 miles, the longest voyage done in the day up to that date.

In civilian flying, January was chiefly noted for the unbroken sequence of flying exhibitions and competitions at Hendon on Saturdays and Sundays, and for the various exhibition flights at provincial centres by the late Mr. Hamel, Mr. Hucks, Mr. Raynham, and others. On the 16th, the GrahameWhite Aviation Co. gave a "looping the loop" dinner at the Royal Automobile Club, everything being done topsy-turvy. On the 29th Mr. Hamel gave a flying exhibition at Windsor Castle by command of the King.

During January, a series of articles obviously inspired by friends of the Royal Aircraft Factory, appeared in the Engineering Supplement of the "Times, ,"condemning the aeroplane industry, and exalting the Royal Aircraft Factory. These were duly controverted, and their inaccuracy exposed by Mr. Whittaker in this paper.

In France a new directorate of military aeronautics was established, and the post of Permanent Inspector was abolished. The new system worked badly, and the French Flying Corps felt the effect of this maladministration seriously at the beginning of the war. There was much scandal in the French Press during the month concerning the insufficiency in the supply of military aeroplanes, but the full extent of the scandal has never been revealed. M. Girod, deputy for Doubs led the attack on officialdom with great success.

Among civilian aviators there was an epidemic of looping the loop, which affected practically all the well-known pilots. Much good flying was done, M. Gilbert being credited with rising to 500 metres (1,640 feet) in 70 seconds on a Morane 100-h.p., 9-cylinder Le Rhone. On the 31st, M. Garaix took six passengers to a height of 6,000 feet on the Paul Schmitt biplane. On the 16th, the French rigid airship, the Spiess, voyaged over Paris, since when she has done little. On the same day the Adjudant Vincenot remained in the air for 18 hours.

In Germany, plans were laid down, with the active support of the War Department, for the various great flying competitions which took place later in the year. The Zeppelin, LZ22, was completed during the month, and taken over by the German Army, being numbered officially Z VII. The Zeppelin, "Sachsen," hired by the Navy to replace L II, which exploded, flew from Cuxhaven to Heligoland and back. A 100-h.p. Curtiss flying boat was delivered to the German Navy. At that period Germany was said to possess 16 airship sheds, 7 single, and 9 double, or accommodation for 25 airships.

In Russia M. Sikorsky succeeded in tuning up his big biplane. This machine has a span of 125 feet, weighs 3 tons, and was driven by four 100-h.p. Argus engines. It has since done much good flying, but, contrary to newspaper reports, it is not used in the war.

In Italy a number of Savoia biplanes, H. Farman type, were delivered to the Government. The aviator Pensuti raised the Italian height record on the 29th to 13,300 feet on a Caproni mono., 80-h.p. Gnome. In Egypt much flying took place. Mr. Frank McClean, Mr. Ogilvie, and Mr. Horace Short started their voyage up the Nile to Khartoum on a Short biplane. The late M. Marc Pourpe started from Cairo and arrived at Khartoum on January 12th. Captain Watt, Mr. Samuel Pierce, and MM. Olivier and Védrines and Bonnier also flew in Egypt, M. Bonnier being the first to encircle the Pyramids.

In the United States, Mr. Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, in his report to Congress, put in a strong plea for the United States air services. The same plea was repeated even more strongly a few days ago. In the intervening twelve months very little progress has been made.

Mr. Lincoln Beachy flew for a matter of 300 feet inside an exhibition hall at San Francisco, and thus became the first indoor flier. A regular ferry service between Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, was established, with a couple of Benoist flying-boats, indicating the beginning of a regular industry. February.

February was notable for the fact that the Air Department at the Admiralty instituted the sound policy of encouraging the aeroplane industry with large orders. This policy has enabled several of our best aeroplane manufacturers to carry on when, if they had been dependent on the War Office, they would have retired from business, and therefore the Royal Flying Corps may thank the Air Department for the possession of a large proportion of the aeroplanes on which they have done such good work.

At the War Office strenuous efforts were made to accelerate the delivery of Mark B.E. aeroplanes to the Army, in order to make a good show in the Army Estimates.

On the 7th, Mr. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, paid a visit to Isle of Grain and Eastchurch, making the journey from Tilbury to these places by air.

A splendid performance was put up early in the month by a Short tractor seaplane, which, carrying pilot, passenger, wireless apparatus, and 4 hours' fuel, was officially timed to do 76 miles per hour.

At the beginning of the month a new 80-h.p. Avro, piloted by Mr. Raynham, with Mr. McGeagh Hurst as passenger, climbed 5,000 feet in 10 minutes and 10,500 feet in 25 minutes. On the 4th, Mr. Raynham took his So-h.p. Avro to 15,000 feet over Brooklands, then, stopping his engine, glided to Hendon (21 miles), which still ranks as the longest glide on record.

On the 20th, Mr. Churchill flew on a Sopwith biplane at Hendon, and on the 21st and 22nd on various seaplanes at Portsmouth, on each occasion controlling the machines himself when in the air.

On the 18th, the War Office issued the syllabus of a series of official tests for aeroplanes of private design, thus showing for the first time that the Royal Flying Corps was beginning to break away from the leading-strings of so-called "experts. On the 21st, a Supplementary Estimate for Military Aviation was laid before the House of Commons by Colonel Seely, the amount being £296,000, demonstrating the lack of foresight displayed by this Minister in the original Estimate. The necessity for a supplementary estimate was foretold by Mr. Whittaker when the original Estimate was presented.

The British height record with a passenger was raised by Mr. Raynham, accompanied by Mr. Hurst, to 14,300 feet on a standard Avro, 80-h.p. Gnome. Certain small alterations in the Wight seaplane raised its speed to 72 m.p.h. A new school was opened at Hendon by Mr. Geo. W. Beatty, who organised the school so as to teach pupils entirely on the dualcontrol principle.

Concerning foreign aviation, emphasis was laid in this paper on Germany's preparedness for action in the air, a description being given of the method by which the Germans' stock of reserve machines was kept constantly in flying order. The