152 ANNUAL KEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, l9i6. 



selle" (Dragon Fly). This is the smallest of all the existing aero- 

 planes. Its supporting surface is only 97 square feet; its weight, 260 

 pounds. When that is compared with the Wright machine, which 

 has 500 square feet of supporting surface and a weight of 950 pounds 

 (the empty machine), we can appreciate the enormous difference and 

 the necessity, therefore, of driving this Dragon Fly very much faster 

 in order to obtain support from the air, with so very small a surface. 

 On the 13th of September of this year, near Paris, Mr. Dumont was 

 able to drive that machine 5 miles in five minutes, going down the 

 wind, or at the rate of 60 miles an hour over the ground. The speed 

 through the air was probably about 50 miles an hour. Plate 8, figure 

 2, is from a photograph taken during that flight, which was from 

 St. Cyr to Buc. I think the general idea is sound, for the smaller the 

 flying machine can be made, within limits, the faster it must be made 

 to go, and the more uesful it is likely to prove for varying wind 

 conditions. Commercially I have no clear opinion as to its uses, but 

 as a mode of rapid transportation for very light loads, I think the 

 smaller the aerial plane the better. 



As regards the question which has latety been debated extensively, 

 of the relative merits of the biplane and monoplane, I do not think 

 Ave are yet in position to decide which is the better design. Both 

 have their good points. The monoplane offers less resistance, but 

 the biplane is steadier, stiffer, and stronger in every way. So it is 

 only experience that will determine which one is the most efficient. 



Other experimenters have come into the field, and among the first 

 was a clever young sculptor by the name of Leon Delagrange. He 

 went to Voisin Bros, and asked them to build him an aeroplane. This 

 was called the Delagrange machine, but as a matter of fact the design- 

 ing and construction was done by the Voisin Bros., who are a leading 

 authority on the subject of building flying machines, and who, in two 

 years, have had to enlarge their shop three times to keep up with their 

 orders. 



In plate 9, figure 1, is shown the machine the Voisin Bros, built 

 for Delagrange. At first he did not trust himself to fly the machine, 

 but got Voisin to ride in it and show him how. Subsequently he 

 flew in it himself and all the later feats he has accomplished by him- 

 self. On the 11th of April, 1908, he flew 2.5 miles at Issy ; on the 27th 

 of May, at Rome, 7.9 miles in 15 minutes and 26 seconds; at Milan, 

 June 22, 10.5 miles in 16 minutes and 30 seconds. Then he went to 

 Turin and for the first time in history took a lady on board, who was 

 very proud of the honor. The picture (pi. 9, fig. 2) is from the 

 meet at Rheims in August, 1909, where Delagrange flew 31 miles on 

 a monoplane. It may be remarked incidentally that there have been 

 lately quite a number of these tournaments in Europe, which have 

 attracted great crowds, have proved very satisfactory, and where all 



