44 
Another experimental establishment of 
wider scope has recently been created in 
France through the generosity of a 
patron of aeronautics, M. Deutsch de 
la Meurthe. This is the Aerotechnical 
Institute of the University of Paris, lo- 
eated at Saint Cyr, near the Bue aero- 
drome and the Satory camp, the center of 
military aeronautics in France. It is 
planned to study all theoretical and prac- 
tical problems of aviation and aerostation 
relative to the support of bodies in the air, 
both at rest and in motion. The institute 
is primarily a testing establishment where 
constructors and experimenters may bring 
aeroplanes, or their parts, to be tested by 
the best devices at actual cost; and secon- 
darily it is an institution where aerody- 
namics is studied in theory and in practise 
by experts for the government and some of 
the results are published as an aid to the 
science. The invested capital is $100,000 
and an additional annual income of $3,000 
is provided by M. Deutsch. The director 
of the institute is Professor Maurain, who 
has an advisory committee composed of 
eminent French scientific and aeronautical 
experts, including representatives of the 
University of Paris and the Aero-Club of 
France and government officials. 
An earlier laboratory of the same nature 
in Russia was the Aerodynamic Institute 
of Koutchino, founded in 1904 by M. Ria- 
boutchinski in connection with the Univer- 
sity of Moscow. Its object is to investigate 
problems of pure and applied aerodynam- 
ics, general aeronautics and meteorology 
and three volumes containing results 
of the valuable investigations have been 
published. The initial cost of the plant 
was about $77,000 and the proprietor 
further donates some $27,000 a year for 
the researches. 
An aerodynamical laboratory was es- 
tablished at Gottingen, Germany, in 1908, 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 889 
through the initiative of the Society for the 
Study of Motor Air-ships, aided by the 
Gottingen Technical Association, the gov- 
ernment and the Krupp gun-firm, the lab- 
oratory receiving in the aggregate more 
than $7,000 a year. Professor Prandtl, 
who also holds the chair of aeronautics in 
the University of Gottingen, is director of 
the laboratory, and has as advisers Ger- 
mans prominent in physics and engineer- 
ing. In Austria there are at least two pri- 
vate experimental laboratories. 
The National Physical Laboratory at 
Bushy Park, near London, now has an 
aerodynamical department with an ad- 
visory board composed of men eminent in 
different branches of science, Lord Ray- 
leigh being the chairman, who are ap- 
pointed by the prime minister. The ex- 
perimental apparatus for investigating 
general questions in aerodynamics includes 
a wind-tunnel, a whirling-table, two wind- 
towers for experiments in the natural 
wind, a motor-plant and arrangements for 
testing the permeability of balloon and 
aeroplane fabrics and the strength of 
light alloys for construction. A report of 
the advisory committee for 1909-10 has 
been published as a government blue book. 
There is a well-equipped laboratory in 
Italy for the military aeronauts and in 
other European countries similar estab- 
lishments exist, the work of which is not 
disclosed. 
From this rapid survey of the principal 
scientific establishments for the study of 
aeronautics in Europe, it will be seen that 
they may be divided into two classes: first, 
those privately endowed laboratories, 
which are either personal or connected 
with some institution but whose object is 
the advancement of the science and prac- 
tise of aeronautics; and second, those sup- 
ported by the government for military 
