The expected statement in reply to the charges brought by M. Esnault-Pelterie has been delayed owing to the Minister of War, M. Noullens, being unable to break into the troublous debates at present occupying the attention of the Chamber of Deputies. To replace this apology as best as may be, General Bernard, Director of Military Aeronautics, published a sort of explanation in 'Le Matin on Christmas Day. He says definitely that the Ministry of War did not state the number of aeroplanes they intended to purchase during the year, and that no pledge as to number was given. Manufacturers have received orders for as many machines as they were able to deliver. A portion of the Budget money was used to augment the £600 per aeroplane subscribed by the National Fund. This communication is in exactly the terms that might have been expected. There is no question as to the existence of a very real scandal in the management of the National subscription.

The aerial navigation laws have been further extended. Until the present day, waterplanes have been allowed to roam where they will, untrammelled by any other rule than the mere difficulty of flying. Now certain prohibited areas have been ordained in France and seaplanes may only alight in properly designated harbours and navigable inland waters.

The two Voisin hydro-biplanes and the Nieuport hydromonoplane, which were flown from Fréjus to Nice last week, were flown, back to Fréjus on December 20th, escorted by Torpedo Boat 107.

In the promotions in the Legion of Honour, to be made on December 31st, two Crosses of Officers and ten of Chevaliers are to be granted to officers in the flying service.

On December 22nd, M. Rugére flew a Voisin biplane (80-h.p. Gnome) through its acceptance tests for delivery to the French Army. It climbed 3,300 ft. in 13 mins. 45 secs. This is stated to be the first time on which a military biplane fitted with an engine of 80 h.p. has risen to that height in less than 15 minutes. Perhaps the Avro's climb of 5,000 ft. in 9 mins. with pilot, passenger, and 3 hours' fuel, with 80-h.p. Gnome, may interest the French Army.

FOREIGN NOTES.

France.

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The event of the week in France has been most certainly the capture of the height record by M. Georges Legagneux. Flying a Nieuport monoplane (80-h.p. Gnome), he rose to a height of 20,300 feet at Fréjus. He was in the air one hour 49 minutes altogether. At 12,000 feet he was for five minutes practically stationary in his climb, but after that found no difficulty whatsoever.

Scientific looping experiments have been carried out during the past week by M. Olieslagers at Buc (Blériot), M. Poulét (Caudron) at Chateaufort, M. Garros (Morane-Saulnier) at Saint-Raphael, M. Chevillard at Lyon, M. Hanouille (Blériot) at Marseilles, M. Chanteloup (Caudron) at Nantes, M. Guillaux (Caudron) over the grands boulevards of Paris, and M. Pégoud (Blériot) at Buc.

The sympathy of all concerned with aviation will go to M. Maurice Farman, whose daughter Renée died shortly before Christmas. She was buried at Père Lachaise on December 21st. In the funeral cortège were many of those whose rames are most celebrated in aeronautics.

M. Leo Van Steyn, the Dutch pilot, is still at Etampes, where he makes flights daily on a Henri Farman biplane

(80-h.p. Gnome). He has given flights, it would seem, to most of his compatriots in Paris.

M. Jules Védrines (Blériot) reached Jaffa on Saturday after The French cruiser "Bruix' a non-stop flight from Beirut. followed most of the way. In landing, a chassis wheel buckled, He luckily without causing further damage to the machine. reached Heliopolis on December 29th.

M. Bonnier (Nieuport, 80-h.p. Gnome) reached Konia on December 21st after a flight through an intensely cold atmosphere. His mechanic still accompanied him as passenger. Egypt.

Mr. Oswald Watt, of the Royal Aero Club, writes from Cairo on December 23rd.-"McClean and Spottiswoode have been here over a week-Ogilvie not arrived so far as I know yet. McClean spending most of his time at Alexandria, and when I saw him two days ago his machine had not arrived. He hopes to fly from Alexandria to Khartoum. Neither Vedrines nor Bonnier yet here, but Olivier has an old Farman, which flew, the papers say, over Adrianople [It will be remembered that Olivier and Paillard left the Bulgarian Army somewhat abruptly, without doing more than a little test flight, and on their return to Paris posed as gore-and-battle-stained heroes.-ED.], but when I was at Heliopolis on Sunday it was still in its case.

"Pourpre made a magnificent flight last week round the pyramids in a gale. He was to start for Khartoum on Monday morning at 6 a.m., but the day broke wet-very unusual for Cairo-with a very heavy white fog and (much against the advice of residents at Heliopolis, I hear) he started up and came back in ten minutes as he could not see his way. He took off a hard bit (prepared) of sand, but landed on the soft desert, which I understand was sodden, and up-ended; no damage to pilot luckily, and he reported a few days' work would put the machine right, but it's a bad business for him and has delayed him. His machine is a Morane-Saulnier single seater.

"The papers reported an Italian going to arrive at Alexandria with a 'waterplane,' but I have heard no more of it." On December 29th, M. Védrines arrived at Heliopolis, and on the 30th flew over Cairo. On the 29th, M. Bonnier reached Beyrout. On the 29th Lord Kitchener made a flight with Olivier.

U.S.A.

The advent of a new three-cylinder two-cycle rotary aeroengine is announced from Chicago, the patents being held by the Frederickson Patents Company. It is said that the engine turns an eight-feet-six propeller with a five-feet pitch at 1,075 r.p.m. A five-cylinder 80 h.p. engine is now being built, on the same principle. It is intended to be cheap.

It is alleged that the Curtiss Company is building at Hammondsport a monoplane flying boat of enormous span. Canada.

Mr. Cecil Peoli believes in bringing the ancient Christmas traditions up to date. On December 7th he kept the people

of Montreal amused for a long time by flying, in his Baldwin biplane, disguised as Santa Claus.

Shoreham Flying.

Perhaps the best exhibition Shoreham has ever seen took place on Saturday and Sunday, December 20th and 21st. Mr. B. C. Hucks and Mr. Cecil Pashley contributed to the programme, the former, of course, being the chief attraction.

Saturday's exhibition was the better and more creditable, considering the strong wind. A fair audience was drawn inside the aerodrome, but some preferred to remain outside, this being cheaper by a few pence. Before Mr. Hucks came out Mr. Cecil Pashley took up Mr. Howey, although the air was bumpy for a box-kite. At 3.30 Mr. Hucks without any ceremony climbed to 1,500 ft., dived, turned a half loop, and continued flying upside-down, finishing with a side turn. Subsequently, at a low altitude, he made six more loops and a double loop, the latter making a great impression. Afterwards the wind rose still more, but Mr. Cecil Pashley went up with Mr. Clarence Winchester.

On Sunday Mr. Pashley took up Mr. Winchester in order to get aerial photographs of the onlookers. Other passengers were also carried. Mr. Hucks made several loops, and on his descent received a great ovation. During the morning he flew to Brighton for lunch, giving on the way a fine

exhibition of vertical banking. Everyone seemed to be highly pleased with the afternoon's flying, but it was discouraging to see many people who could well afford to pay outside the ground standing on cars and other vantage points. -"ORNIS."

Aviation in Court.

On December 16th in the King's Bench Division, before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury, Messrs. C. L. Pashley and E. C. Pashley sued the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (Ltd.), for damages as a result of a collision between plaintiff's Sommer biplane and a Bristol biplane, caused by the negligence of the defendant company's servants. The defendants counter-claimed for damages, pleading that the plaintiffs were guilty of contributory negligence. It is interesting to note that Mr. Cecil Pashley appeared on crutches, as the result of a motor-cycle accident, and Mr. Crawford Kehrmaun leant on sticks, owing to a football accident. The following report of the case is taken from the "Times" Law Report for that day :

Mr. Thorn Drury, K.C., and Mr. C. Doughty appeared for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Hollis Walker, K.C., and Mr. Shakespeare for the defendants.

Mr. Thorn Drury, in opening the plaintiffs' case, said that so far as he knew it was the first time that an action involving a collision between two aeroplanes had been tried in the High Court. There was at Brooklands a flying ground for aeroplanes surrounded by a motor track, and certain persons, among whom were the plaintiffs and defendants, were allowed to hire certain sheds for storing their aeroplanes, and were afforded facilities for flying about the grounds. On Jan. 18th, 1913, one of the plaintiffs took out an aeroplane for testing, and having made several circuits of the track, found it quite satisfactory. He decided to come down, and alighted with his machine heading in a northerly direction. He then saw the defendants' aeroplane heading in his direction. He heard the engine of the other aeroplane shut off and then come on again. He expected the other aeroplane to turn to the right, but instead of that it came on and struck the plaintiffs' machine. The effect of the blow was to turn the machine right round, so that it was facing due south. At the time of the collision the aeroplane was being manoeuvred by a pupil under the direction of one of the defendants' instructors.

Evidence was then given on behalf of the plaintiffs. Mr. Hollis Walker opened the case for the defendants, on whose behalf evidence was called, and in the result the jury returned a verdict in favour of the plaintiffs. The damages having been previously agreed at £123, judgment was given for the plaintiffs, with costs.

Solicitors.-Messrs. Clifford, Turner, and Hopton; Messrs. William Hurd and Sons.

Public Benefaction.

It is an undisputed fact that the flying meetings at the London Aerodrome at Hendon have assisted very largely to create and extend the interest of the British public as a whole is now taking in aviation in general, for it has been evident that practically every Saturday and Sunday during the past year on which the weather has been at all good, there has been a crowd of at least 10,000 people at Hendon, and that on the big days such as the Aerial Derby, the gate has swelled to something over 50,000. Consequently it is decidedly of interest to have it on the authority of Mr. Gates that during 1913 nearly 750,000 people visited the aerodrome.

A good many thousands of these were doubtless the same people going week after week, but it will be quite fair to assume that something close on half a million people have seen flying at Hendon practically for the first time, and so one may assess the influence the aerodrome has exerted. It is only to be hoped that by educating public opinion in this way, the people of this country will be brought to realise the importance to the nation of the new science and industry of aviation. Even recognising the fact that the London Aerodrome is primarily a commercial undertaking, the proprietors and directors thereof deserve public thanks for the good work they have done.

Incidentally, it is worth while noting that when some years ago a prospectus was issued inviting the public to come into the concern, it was modestly estimated that the gate of the aerorome would reach 200,000 per annum.

The Vickers Armed Biplane.

Some figures relating to the all-steel arm-carrying Vickers biplane now flying so well at Brooklands will be found interesting, for, not only does the machine fly uncommonly well, but it is of a type which is likely to meet with considerable favour here and abroad for military purposes. The span of the upper plane is 42 feet and of the lower plane 38 feet. The chord is 5 feet 6 inches and the gap 6 feet. The area of the planes is 370 square feet, and the over-all length 25 feet. When empty the machine weighs 1,100 lbs. and it carries a useful load of 840, bringing the total weight to 1,940 lbs, or roughly 5 lbs. per square foot, by no means an excessive loading. The fixed tail plane has an area of 40 square feet, the rudder has 17 square feet, and the elevator 16 square feet. With the 9-cylinder 100-h.p. Gnome at present fitted the speed is something over 70 miles an hour.

The control is by warping the outer sections of the wings, the wires operating through link gear, instead of over pulleys. The machine-gun, a Maxim of a new type, is fitted with specially designed sights which allow the marksman to depress the muzzle and aim downwards without having to stand over the butt of the gun to do so.

A special feature of the machine is the streamline section of the steel tubular uprights between the planes and in the chassis. These are exceedingly strong for their weight, and are made specially for the firm out of very high grade steel

Last year the catalogue issued by the Farman firm was quite the finest thing of its kind produced up to that date, but the new one which has just been issued far exceeds it both in the beauty of its production and in its utility. The first half of the catalogue is devoted to aerial touring, and was written by M. G. de Pawlowski. It is illustrated by over thirty of the finest photographs taken from the air that have yet appeared in print. A tour over some of the most beautiful of the chateau country is described and illustrated, and, undoubtedly, many of those who have been so fortunate as to obtain a copy of the catalogue will be seized with a desire to take up aerial touring as a sport. It occurs to one that a regular co-operative campaign on the part of aeroplane constructors on such lines might go far to popularise this side of the sport. The rest of the catalogue is devoted to beautifully illustrated descriptions of the various types of machines built by the firm and their extensive and excellently equipped workshops.

Some idea of the extent of the Farman activities is gathered by the fact that at the end of the catalogue is a simple statement that 1,500 aviators have taken their certificates on Farmans, that 500 officers are flying Farmans, and that 200 officers have taken their military brevets on Farmans.

So costly a production can scarcely be distributed broadcast to small boys and habitual catalogue hunters, but one presumes that a copy will be sent to anyone really in a position to assist in the development of aviation, such as naval and military officers, or people with obviously good addresses in town or country. Requests should be sent to Farman Frères, Rue de Silly, Billancourt, Paris, or to their British representatives, The Aircraft Mfg. Co., Ltd., 47, Victoria Street, S.W.

Flying at Hendon.

The Christmas festivities at Hendon extended over no less than four consecutive days, and the weather provided a very fine variety of conditions. On Christmas Day M. Chanteloup made his British debut in his Caudron biplane (60 h.p. Le Rhone,) looping the loop and banking up vertically in his own characteristic fashion. The Boxing Day show, however, is historic; it is said to have provided the finest exhibition of flying ever seen in England. In the first place the wind at times exceeded 60 m.p.h., and in the second place, both M. Chanteloup and Mr. Hamel performed feats which were unthinkable six months ago, and that in an atmosphere which, twelve months ago would have kept all aeroplanes very securely housed. Unfortunately in landing Mr. Hamel stood his Morane-Saulnier on its nose; he was prevented from overturning by the high cabane, and came to no bodily grief, but he broke up his propeller and damaged the engine sufficiently to put the machine out of action for some days.

M. Marty and M. Noel also went up, the latter with a passenger in the M. Farman, a very boisterous voyage to a height of 3,400 ft. M. Marty's first flight terminated with a high dive, his engine switched off until he touched ground. All this in a wind whose gusts were strong enough, even on the ground, to turn over a whole row of chairs.

Saturday was a splendid all-round day. The wind was not severe, and several machines were up in the morning. M. Marty had the misfortune to overturn the MoraneSaulnier (80 Le Rhone) on the ground. He emerged

unhurt, and as in similar cases, the machine suffered very little damage. The ideal landing-ground for a Morane is, of course, an asphalt tennis-court much magnified, and it is likely that this penchant for overturning will become a habit when the ground gets really heavy. M. Marty was neither hurt or disturbed, but flew again in the afternoon on the 60 Morane in his usual excellent form.

Mr. Hamel also flew this machine during the afternoon, having spent the last twenty-four hours searching vainly for a new nose plate to his Gnome.

M. Chanteloup, in the absence of wind (the breeze aloft could not have been much more than 30-35 m.p.h.), did precisely what he liked with his little Caudron. He turned over sideways, he turned over up-ways, and he turned over lown-ways. He did not loop the loop-as the daily Press

46

appears to think-"backwards, instead of the usual forward method," he looped it backwards according to the prevailing mode, with this difference: he does not dive to it, he flies along horizontally, then suddenly up goes his nose, and he is over. On one occasion in the upside-down position he glided for nearly the length of the aerodrome, descending steeply. His get-off" is also picturesque, for he leaves the machine entirely to itself, and ascends waving both arms, and merely directing its course with the rudder bar. The machine must be beautifully balanced. He uses only an ordinary belt and no shoulder-straps, and the machine is a standard Caudron in every way except for a stronger upper cable to the warp.

M. Chanteloup, like M. Verrier, can stand still in the air, apparently in any wind above 20 m.p.h., but his most appalling and spectacular feat is the vertical dive. He cuts off his engine and descends, not "nearly" vertically, but in an absolute plumb-line descent, his wings thrashing round under full warp (the Caudron tail warps as well as the wings) like an impossible propeller, and his struts and wires shrieking through the air like a gargantuan wind-harp. It is no sight for a nervous man.

On alighting he was mounted in Mr. Hamel's car, and bumped triumphantly past the enclosures to the waving of kerchiefs and the loud acclamations of a considerable multitude.

M. Noel flew also during the afternoon, as did Mr. Grahame-White, and Mr. Carr, the latter in a G.-W. box

kite.

On Sunday there was also a very fine attendance. The day was clear and frosty, and the flying-although M. Chanteloup had departed for France-was excellent. Mr. Hamel was in the air with Miss Trehawke Davies, in the latter's Blériot. Mr. Grahame-White took several passengers in his M. Farman biplane. Messrs. Carr, Noel, and Marty also were out, and M. Baumann in his Caudron (60 Anzani), went to a height of 6,000 feet.

Nomenclature.

Mr. E. L. Gunston writes :-"Since boucling the boucle is a feat which has come to stay, and which apparently is as common as sane flying, these feats performed by Pégoud, Chevillard, and certain other scientific gentlemen, will have to be called by a distinguishing name. Why not 'aerobatics'?"

Few engineering problems have brought such a variety of solutions as that of aero engine design; for instance, the number of cylinders varies from one to twenty-3, 5, 7, 9, 14, 16 and 20 cylinders are not unusual in present-day engines; these cylinders can also be set in many different ways. Watercooling and air-cooling (natural and forced) are still fighting for supremacy without any one gaining ground.

Now let us try and find what solution will be used in the near future (say in five years' time). We shall not discuss any new revolutionary design. The explosion turbine has yet to show its possibilities. The question is: Will the light or the heavy engine win? Different nations are now inclined towards different solutions. Germany is using mostly motor-car type engines (vertical and water-cooled cylinders), France favours the rotary engine, i.e., Gnome, Le Rhone, Clergêt, Verdêt, etc., and the fixed radial and semi-radial engines, while the automobile type engine is very little used. England builds fixed water-cooled engines, but uses a large number of French light air-cooled engines. Italy, Russia and Belgium use foreign engines-mostly French. The U.S.A. use water-cooled engines, although air-cooled and rotary engines are also built. The problem remains thus: Will Germany be converted to the light engine or will France abandon it?

For races, cross-country competitions, and record breaking (speed and height) an ultra-light engine is necessary, but for touring, travelling, scouting and other practical purposes, will not a heavier but more reliable engine be better? An engine which can be fitted with starting handle, clutch and silencer will be required. An engine reasonably cheap to buy and maintain will have a larger demand than a more extraordinary engine, remarkable in constructoin and price. Some very ingenious ideas and clever inventions have been tried but will not a common sense engine be that of the future? An engine which can be put in anybody's hands, which will run with little or no attention, which will use a reasonable quantity of fuel, and ordinary engine oil, not castor oil like rotaries.

We have seen that for cheapness and reliability we may favour an engine of orthodox design; but what will be its construction?

Number of Cylinders.—Owing to excessive vibrations and to the high h.p. used, four cylinders will not be sufficient. Six, eight and twelve cylinders are very likely numbers-the bigger h.p. engines having the larger number of cylinders, although the lightness and more even torque of, say, a 12-cylinder engine, may balance the cheaper cost and greater simplicity of, say, the 6-cylinder engine, even for smaller powers.

Horse-power will never come low again as it used to be (25 h.p.). We shall have low power motors (50 to 100 h.p.), high power motors (100 to 200 h.p.), and extra high power motors (200 to 400 h.p.). Perhaps even 500 h.p. for speeds of 200 m.p.h. on average sized aeroplanes, or 150 m.p.h. on very large ones.

Cooling. Will the simplicity of air-cooling or the reliability of water-cooling conquer the supremacy for one type? Owing

to the tendency to enclose engines in a streamline body, to the low lubricant consumption and the probability of the use of rotary valves of some kind (which would not be satisfactory with air-cooling), it seems that the water-cooled engines will be in the majority, but without driving the air-cooled engine out of existence. The water-boiling and condensing system (Antoinette) is not likely to come again.

Two-stroke motors will be tried again and probably abandoned again. In two-cycle engines we get either: A simple one giving 20 to 40 per cent. more power than a four-cycle one of the same size, but wasting a lot of fuel. A perfected one giving 50 to 60 per cent. more power than the four-cycle one, and having a low consumption, but only obtaining this by means of pumps, double stepped pistons, valves, etc., the whole being heavier and more complicated than a four-cycle one of the same power. Hence the good old "Otto" cycle should have a good many years to live yet.

Speed of Engine.-High-speed engines (2,000 revs.) will be used owing to their light weight and fuel efficiency. A reduction gear will be necessary. Ultra-high-speed engines (3,000 to 5,000 revs.) will be used in small quantities, but the slowspeed motor will disappear as soon as the reduction gear problem will be completely solved.

The cylinders will probably be of cast iron, but not with cast water jackets. Sheet metal jackets (copper, nickel, etc.), held on the cylinder by pressure (like the Cadillac motor-car engine) or a soft water-tight joint (like on the Green engine) will be used. Electrolitically deposited jackets are not reliable, but welded sheet steel jackets may sweep the board. Engines built up of steel parts welded together will have to give more satisfaction than they do at the present time to be a success.

Valves. Owing to the fact that aero engines are always running at full power, a large valve area is necessary. A very large valve, or a double set of valves being both objected to, a slide or rotary valve will be used. All breakdowns due to valve or valve spring breaking will thus be eliminated.

Carburettors and Fuel.-Petrol or other light carburant like benzol will be used, but the fuel consumption will have to be lowered to that of present-day motor-car engines. Carburettors Paraffin will have to give better flexibility than they do now. and heavy oils will never be tried on aero motors for reasons of weight and difficult starting.

A fly-wheel means weight, but if the propeller flutter can be diminished, and hence the efficiency increased, it pays to put one of reasonable size and weight.

A clutch, a silencer, two magnetos and a double set of carburettors, pumps, plugs, etc., will ensure perfect reliability and more comfort to the flyer.

Variable stroke, variable compression, double acting engines, are not likely to have any success; and absolutely new designs are not likely to be heard of-except when some "inventors" will bring out marvellous ideas which have been tried and abandoned long ago.

"Vaporole" Tincture of Iodine is held in a small hermetically-sealed glass container, the point of which is swathed in absorbent material. On breaking the point by tapping it smartly with a knife or anything hard, the material becomes saturated with the iodine, and is thus converted into an antiseptic swab, which can at once be applied to the injury. "Vaporole" Tincture of Iodine is compact and portable. The contents cannot escape and soil surrounding articles. It is available for use the moment it is required. Two sizes are issued and may be obtained of all chemists; the 20-drop size, which is suitable for personal use, in boxes of six, price 1s. 6d. ; and the ounce size, each enclosed in a wooden protecting tube, price 8d.

In use it is, of course, advisable to wash the wound thoroughly with water to remove the surface dirt, then apply the iodine swab to the clean raw surface. This new method is the invention of Messrs. Burroughs and Wellcome, who have already done much for aviation.