6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6q 



sarily puts a heavy strain upon the organising and manufacturing 

 ability of the country. The growing realisation of the increasing 

 importance of aviation as an artificer of victory has recently been 

 reflected by the concession of first priority to labour and materials 

 required for aircraft production. 



The nature of the duties performed by the Royal Naval Air Service, 

 both in conjunction with the fleet and from naval bases, makes secrecy 

 essential to success. It is, unfortunately, inevitable, therefore, that 

 the public should remain in the dark on this subject; but the Ger- 

 mans, who in this matter are perhaps the best judges, have good 

 reason to know and to regret the great and growing activities of the 

 Royal Naval Air Service. All that has been said regarding the diffi- 

 culties of supplying the requirements of the Air Forces operating over 

 the land applies equally to the supply of those which operate over the 

 sea. In both cases difficulties are being overcome and the outlook is 

 improving. 



The science of aeronautics is in a state of constant and rapid devel- 

 opment ; improvements in engines, aeroplanes and their numerous 

 accessories are constantly being worked out. But the interval be- 

 tween the discovery of an improvement and its introduction into the 

 service is, owing to technical considerations, very much longer than 

 is commonly supposed. Experience shows that, as a rule, from the 

 date of the conception and design of an aero-engine to the delivery of 

 the first engine in series by the manufacturer, more than a year 

 elapses ; the corresponding period for an aeroplane is about one half 

 as long. Consequently, plans have to be laid for a long period ahead, 

 and these plans are liable to be upset by many uncertain factors. The 

 hopes based upon the promising results given by the first experi- 

 mental engines of a new design are frequently disappointed owing to 

 difficulties of bulk manufacture or to defects only developed after 

 long trial in the air ; new types of aeroplanes favourably reported on 

 when first tried are found on longer experience not to give complete 

 satisfaction, and yet it is impossible, if we are to keep ahead in the 

 keen struggle for aerial superiority, to wait for full experience before 

 placing orders. Risks must be run, and new types must be adopted 

 at the earliest moment consistent with reasonable assurance that they 

 will constitute a substantial improvement on what is already in use. 

 Orders must be placed, moreover, for considerable numbers and for 

 delivery over many months, as the large output required for our pres- 

 ent flying services can only be obtained by bulk orders permitting a 

 high degree of sub-division of work. 



