Popular Science Montlih/ 



525 



This British military aeroplane is of the latest type. And yet how similar it is to the crude, 

 early machines of 1908. There are only two striking outward signs of improvement: the 

 streamline boat-body enclosing everything and minimizing head-resistance, and the solid 

 inflexible appearance of the wings, due to the invention of enamels which strengthen and 

 shrink the cloth covering and make it as smooth on both sides as Japanese lacquer 



Daily encounters in the sky prove 

 conclusively enough that flying has been 

 as thoroughly mastered as horseback 

 riding. In neither can any attention be 

 paid to handling the machine. There 

 are too many other very important 

 matters to think about. The machine 

 must respond to an\' suliconscious action 

 of its rider as obediently as a cavalry 

 horse, so that its guidance becomes as 

 much a matter of subconscious action 

 as that of a warhorse. Accounts of air- 

 duels read, in fact, as though fighting 

 aeroplanes were under better control 

 than ca\'alry horses. To place a shot at 

 close range in these wild swoops, with- 

 out being hit, can he comiiared only 

 with fighting a saber-duel while juniping 

 hurdles. The fastest French and British 

 machines were found to be the most 

 formidable fighters. Hence they were 

 imitated (and fatally bettered) by the 

 (■ermans and Austrians. 



And Yet, the Aeroplane Is 

 Unchanged 



It is surprising how little the general 

 appearance of the aeroplane has changed 

 during its entire history, in spite of its 

 mar\-elous development. ()nl\- the 

 automatically stable t\pes, distinguished 

 b\- their backwardh-turned wings and 

 upturned tips are an exception. But the 

 aeroplane is such a simple de\'ice (and 

 has been found best in its simplest forms) 

 that the phenomenon is easih' explained. 

 There are onl\- two striking outward 

 signs of improxement ; the streamline 

 l)oat-l)ody, enclosing e\'erything and 

 minimizing head-resistance, and the 

 solid, inflexible appearance of the wings, 

 due to the invention of enamels which 

 strengthen and shrink the cloth co\'ering 

 and make it as smooth on both sides as 

 Japanese lacquer. 



Maximum strength, minimum weight 

 and least head-resistance are best 



