REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 119 



instrument and model rooms. Adjacent to this, or forming a part 

 of it, may well be the headquarters of the committee, with the col- 

 lections of aeronautic publications and exhibits, and with designing 

 rooms where plans for air craft may be matured by fabricators in 

 consultation with the technical staff. This new building, if placed 

 on the Smithsonian grounds, should be of good architecture and cost 

 not less than $100,000. 



Of immediate importance is an air-craft field laboratory, adjacent 

 to ample flying space of land and water, and adapted to assembling, 

 adjusting, and repairing several full-scale land and water aeroplanes, 

 and subjecting them to indoor tests and measurements, as of stress, 

 strain, factor of safety, center of gravity, moment of inertia, work- 

 ing condition, etc. One such plant suitably located would serve all 

 governmental and civilian requirements for the present. A suitable 

 site is the public land in Potomac Park in the vicinity of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. Here might be held air-craft competitions under 

 the auspices of the Government. 



Prizes and awards. — As a stimulus to the highest aeronautic 

 achievement, or as an honorable recognition thereof, suitable prizes 

 or awards might advantageously be offered. Provision should be 

 made for liberal cash prizes for competitive tests of motors, pro- 

 jDellers, etc., in a purely scientific way not trenching upon the prov- 

 ince of aero clubs. 



Fellowshijjs. — For the prosecution of special aeronautic investiga- 

 tions in cooperation with the advisory committee, educational insti- 

 tutions and scientific or engineering organizations should be pro- 

 vided with research fellowships whose incumbents may have the 

 counsel of the committee and the advantage of its equipments. 



Until adequate appropriations have been made by the Government 

 the activities of the organization and committee will have to be 

 sustained largely by private resources. 



