The author describes in a general way the three classes of battleplanes-the fighting, the reconnaisance and the bombing machines-and outlines the service for which each type is best fitted.
The tests of engines and airplanes, prior to acceptance for the French Army, are cited. Among the difficulties of construction, those relating to the plane itself are relatively less serious than those relating to the engine. The greatest difficulty is to secure a reliable engine weighing only about 2 lb. per hp. The qualities of rotary and fixed-type engines are compared.
The paper is concluded with a few remarks about aviators and mechanics and the relation of one to the other. The author has reserved some of his most interesting observations for the discussion, in which he describes vividly some actual airplane attacks and refers to night flying and night landing, concluding with suggestions as to “what America must do.”