Evening star., 1914-07-12
FRENCH TYPE OF DrR1G1BLE.

FRENCH TYPE OF DIR1Cs1BLE.
tions which have been held in foreign
countries where this phase of aviation
has received special attention. In the
British competitions. for example.
quirements are male that the machines
he delivered at the grounds where the
tests are made in a packing case suit
able for transport by rail and not ex-
ceeding thirty-two by nine by nine feet
in size.
In the competition held in Great
Britain. contestants from all over the
world are invited. though special prizes
are offered for British manufacturers,
with a view of stimulating interest for
the benefit of the army.
The right is also reserved to purchase
any machine that is entered for the
submitted to the flying tests which was
not awarded a prize. of which there
were ten was allowed award of $4S6,
to help cover the expenses incurred.
The backward place which the United
States has taken in aviation is not con-
fined to military work alone as is shown
by the following excerpt from report
of the American consul general at
London:
.At the beginning of the year 1913
there were in the world probably about
24OO persons who could fy successfully.
The total number of certificates issued in
the several countries were about as fol-
lows: France. LOO; England. :'S2; Ger
many 30: Italy. 2tD: Austria. 50;
United States. ~; Belgium. 80; Holland,
%: Spain. IS
From this it can be seen. although the
real start in flying came from the United
states that France had twenty-four
times as many practical aviators a few
years later While the United States
Army purchased its first aeroplane from
in which Wilbur Wright was successful,
after his brother Orville Wright's ma
chine had come to the ground in an
earlier trial. injuring the aviator and
killing his companion Lieut.. Selfridge.
in 1905 it was not until two years later
French army and a corps of air pilots
was formed. while Gen. Brun was min
lister of war.
Shortly after that. great aerial maneu-
vers we're held in Picardie, being the first
conclusive trial of the employment of
aeroplanes under conditions similar to
those of actual war. Both army officers
and civilians took part, with the result
that the minister of war asked for a sup
Elemental appropriation of 100000 francs
for the expansion of this work, which
was allowed.
More maneuvers were held in France,
the results being uniformly successful.
and from them much was learned OF the
actual value of the aeroplane as scout.
1t was at one of these maneuvers that
Gen Bonneau declared that with the
aeroplane everything is seen by the eye
nothing is left to guess
Germany. with little doubt, comes sec
ond to France in its progress in aviation.
though the types of machine used d1fer
considerably. The monoplane has always
been more popular with the Germans
by the army administration that the BIZ
plane does not offer sufficient advantages
to offset it's higher cost of construction.
The German machines are somewhat
heavier than the French, but more du-
rable. the prices averaging for a good
power Mercedes motor, about 5000
marks tS535O). or equipped with an So
horsepower motor, about 210O0 marks
,S4.99). The prices for biplanes run
II is however. in the dirigible that Ger
MANY has made the greatest reputation.
and the Zeppelin Company has, with little
doubt. achieved great success In this line,
having been rewarded by the German
government with subsidy. without
to the accidents. which have resulted in
the loss of an airship each year. The
price of one of these great air vessels is
much larger than that of an aeroplane
and the Zeppelin Company charges from
s,3S 600 to S42S NDO. according to the size
Of the ship The average life of such a
vessel is only calculated at four years.
Subsidized flying is something in which
the German government has taken great
or interest than any other nation. The