40 YEARS OF AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH — HUNSAKER 253 



In 1921, the Committee noted in a special report to the President 

 that— 



There are several causes which are delaying the development of civil aviation, 

 such as the lack of airways, landing fields, aerological service, and aircraft 

 properly designed for commercial uses. The Air Mail Service stands out as a 

 pioneer agency, overcoming these handicaps and blazing the way, so to speak, 

 for the practical development of commercial aviation. As a permanent proposi- 

 tion, however, the Post Office Department, as its functions are now conceived, 

 should no more operate directly a special air mail service than it should operate 

 a special railroad mail service; but until such time as the necessary aids to 

 commercial aviation have been established it will be next to impossible for any 

 private corporation to operate under contract an air mail service in competition 

 with the railroads. 



In January 1917, the War and Navy Departments complained to the 

 NACA about prohibitive prices for aircraft, said to be due to "the 

 extra item of royalty added by each firm in anticipation of infringe- 

 ment suits by owners of alleged basic aeronautic patents who were 

 then threatening all other airplane and seaplane manufacturei-s with 

 such suits, and causing thereby a general demoralization of the entire 

 industry." 



The Committee held meetings with Government officials, owners of 

 patents, and aircraft manufacturers. It then recommended organiza- 

 tion of a Manufacturers Aircraft Association to effect the cross licens- 

 ing of aeronautic patents and to make the use of all such patents avail- 

 able to any member firm at the relatively small cost of $200 per 

 airplane. This happy solution was adopted, and resulted, in the 

 Committee's opinion, in "the prevention of the virtual deadlock with 

 danger of monopoly existing under the patent situation." 



In many other ways the Committee gave advisory service on such 

 varied matters as provision of insurance for aviators, naming of flying 

 fields "in commemoration of individuals who had rendered conspicu- 

 ous service," aerial mapping techniques, and selection of a site near 

 Washington for a "landing field" to provide "accommodation of 

 transient aviators." 



A special subcommittee during World War I examined some 7,000 

 inventions and suggestions in the field of aeronautics. Of this work 

 the NACA later said, "The great majority of the suggestions received 

 are obviously of an impractical nature. Several, however, have seemed 

 worthy of further consideration and have been referred to military 

 or naval experts." In addition to this arduous task, the Committee 

 served as arbitrator in the settlement of disputes involving technical 

 questions between private parties and the military services. 



Perhaps the most important of NACA's advisory services was the 

 leadership which the Committee gave to the efforts for legislation 

 necessary to the orderly development of civil aviation. With cessation 

 of hostilities in 1918, the Committee promptly took up the basic ques- 



