AVIATION IN FRANCE JOURDAIN. 155 



selves upon our attention : That of M. Robert Esnault-Pelterie, well 

 known for his monoplane with warpable wings, and for his excellent 

 R. E. P. motor, and also the names of the untiring Bleriot, of Gastam- 

 bide, of Pischoff, and of Zens. 



Among those experimenting with biplanes I may mention Dela- 

 grange, Farman, Ferber, who with a 1904 machine nevertheless in 

 1908 won the third prize for the 200-meters contest at Issy-les-Moli- 

 neaux, Goupy with his triplane, and finally Moor-Brabazon, in whom 

 should be placed the greatest confidence. 



The balance sheet for the year 1908 shows great advancement. It 

 was only on January 13 that the record for a kilometer was established 

 by Farman at Issy-les-Moulineaux, in one minute and twenty-eight 

 seconds. On March 21 he beat his record for 2,004 meters in three 

 minutes and thirty-nine seconds. Delagrange, on April 11, at Issy, 

 covered 3,925 meters in six minutes and thirty seconds. Then he went 

 to Italy and twice in succession — on May 30 and June 22 — flew for a 

 quarter of an hour. He returned to France, and after a w^ell-earned 

 period of rest, during which Farman in his turn broke the record for 

 a quarter of an hour (prix Armengaud, in July), he covered — on Sep- 

 tember 6, at Issy — 24,125 meters in twenty-nine minutes, fifty-three 

 and three-fifths seconds. How barely he missed a half hour ! 



Delagrange is a veteran aviator. He had his machine built in 1906. 

 On three occasions he has made flights of a quarter of an hour, even 

 before Farman, a half an hour at Issy, and since then he has on three 

 occasions flown for half an hour, twice breaking Wright's record, 

 when Wright lengthened the time of his flights. 



Wilbur AVright, as is well known, began his flights in France in 

 the middle of the summer of 1908, and in his first trials proved 

 himself a master. It is true that he has experimented a long time, 

 but we should bow before the commendable spirit he has shown and 

 admire his perseverance and courage. More recently Wright flew for 

 two hours, covering more than 100 kilometers. 



The greatest honors at the end of the year 1908 will probably not 

 go to French machines, but they have accomplished so much, and 

 have made such rapid progress that we can well have confidence in 

 them. Delagrange covered 24,125 meters and Farman 27,000. We 

 may say, in general, especially since the two admirable flights of 

 Farman and Bleriot, that aviation has now become a practical 

 science.* 



" Since the first publication of tliis paper our prophecies have been amply 

 fulfilled. Although the Voisin biplanes have not succeeded in beating the 

 Wright records, they have at least proved their worth in daily flights varying 

 from 15 to 50 kilometers. The trials of Santos Dumont in his new small mono- 

 plane, La Libellule, should also be mentioned, as well as the remarkable flights 



