THE MAURICE FARMAN.--First, 1909, the 50-60 h.p. Renault and coil-spring chassis. 1910, the same chassis with beginning of the characteristic bent-up skids. 1911 appeared the huge French Military Trials 3-seater; also the round-ended planes and tails and "Henry" type wheels. This developed, 1912, into the square-ended planes and upper tail, and long double-acting ailerons of the British Military Trials. The 1913 type had two rectangular tail-planes and better seating arrangements, known affectionately as the "mechanical cow"; the same year came the first "shorthorn," with two tail-planes and a low nacelle. This finally developed into the carefully streamlined "shorthorn" with the raised nacelle and a single tail-plane.
[Illustration: Plate VI.]
THE SHORT "PUSHERS."--In 1909 came the semi-Wright biplane, with 35 h.p.
Green, on which Mr. Moore-Brabazon won the "Daily Mail's" 1000 prize for the first mile flight on a circuit on a British aeroplane. Then the first box-kite flown by Mr. Grace at Wolverhampton. Later the famous "extension" type on which the first Naval officers learned to fly. Then the "38" type with elevator on the nacelle, on which dozens of R.N.A.S.
pilots were taught.
[Illustration: Plate VII.]
SHORT TRACTORS, 1911-1912.--They were all co-existent, but the first was the "tractor-pusher" (bottom of picture). Then came the "twin-tractor plus propeller" (at top). A development was the "triple-tractor" (on the right), with two 50 h.p. Gnomes, one immediately behind the other under the cowl, one driving the two chains, the other coupled direct. Later came the single-engined 80 h.p. tractor (on the left), the original of the famous Short seaplanes.
[Illustration: Plate VIII.]
THE VICKERS MACHINES: First the Vickers-R.E.P. of 1911, which developed into the full-bodied No. V. with R.E.P. engine, then the Military Trials "sociable" with Viale engine, and so to the big No. VII with a 100 h.p.
Gnome. Contemporary with the No. V and No. VI were a number of school box-kites of ordinary Farman type, which developed into the curious "pumpkin" sociable, and the early "gun 'bus" of 1913. Thence arrived the gun-carrier with 100 h.p. monosoupape Gnome.
[Illustration: Plate IX.]
THE BRISTOL AEROPLANES.--First, 1910, Farman type box-kites familiar to all early pupils. Then the miniature Maurice-Farman type biplane of the "Circuit of Britain." Contemporaneous was the "floating tail" monoplane designed by Pierre Prier, and after it a similar machine with fixed tail. Then came the handsome but unfortunate monoplane designed by M. Coanda for the Military Trials, 1912.
[Illustration: Plate X.]
THE BRISTOL TRACTORS.--Late 1912 came the round fuselaged tractor, with Gnome engine, designed by Mr. Gordon England for Turkey. 1912-13 came the biplane built onto the Military Trials monoplane type fuselage, also with a Gnome, designed by M. Coanda for Roumania. Then the Renault-engined Coanda tractor 1913, followed by 80 h.p. Gnome-engined scout, designed by Messrs. Barnwell and Busteed, which with Gnomes, le Rhones and Clergets, has been one of the great successes. Almost contemporary was the two-seater Bristol.
[Illustration: Plate XI.]
THE MARTINSYDES.--1909, first experimental monoplane built with small 4-cylinder engine. J.A.P.-engined machine, 1910, followed by the Gnome-engined machine, 1911. 1912, first big monoplane with Antoinette engine was built, followed by powerful Austro-Daimler monoplane, 1913.
Then came the little Gnome-engined scout biplanes, 1914, some with, some without, skids.
[Illustration: Plate XII.]
THE CURTISS BIPLANES.--In 1909 came the "June-bug," the united product of Glen Curtiss, Dr. Graham Bell, and J. A. D. McCurdy. Then the box-kite type, 1909, on which Mr. Curtiss won the Gordon-Bennett Race at Reims. Next the "rear-elevator" pusher, 1912, followed by first tractor, 1913, with an outside flywheel. All purely Curtiss machines to that date had independent ailerons intended to get away from Wright patents.
Following these came tractors with engines varying from 70 to 160 h.p., fitted with varying types of chassis. All these have ordinary ailerons.
[Illustration: Plate XIII.]
THE BLERIOT (1).--The first engine-driven machine was a "canard"
monoplane. Then came the curious tractor monoplanes 1908-1909, in order shown. Famous "Type XI" was prototype of all Bleriot successes.
"Type XII" was never a great success, though the ancestor of the popular "parasol" type. The big passenger carrier was a descendant of this type.
[Illustration: Plate XIV.]
THE BLERIOT (2):--1910, "Type XI," on which Mr. Grahame-White won Gordon-Bennett Race, with a 14-cylinder 100 h.p. Gnome. 1911 came the improved "Type XI," with large and effective elevator flaps. On this type, with a 50 h.p. Gnome, Lieut. de Conneau (M. Beaumont) won Paris-Rome Race and "Circuit of Britain." Same year saw experimental "Limousine" flown by M. Legagneux, and fast but dangerous "clipped-wing"
Gordon-Bennett racer with the fish-tail, flown by Mr. Hamel. About the same time came the fish-tailed side-by-side two-seater, flown by Mr.
Hamel at Hendon and by M. Perreyon in 1912 Military Trials. 1911, M.
Bleriot produced the 100 h.p. three-seater which killed M. Desparmets in French Military Trials. 1912-13, M. Bleriot produced a quite promising experimental biplane, and a "monocoque" monoplane in which the passenger faced rearward.
[Illustration: Plate XV.]
THE BLERIOT (3)--1912 tandem two-seater proved one of the best machines of its day. 1913 "canard" lived up to its name. A "pusher" monoplane was built in which the propeller revolved on the top tail boom. This machine came to an untimely end, with the famous pilot, M. Perreyon. 1912 "tandem" was developed in 1914 into the type shown in centre; almost simultaneously "parasol" tandem appeared. 1914, M. Bleriot built a monoplane embodying a most valuable idea never fully developed. The engine tanks and pilot were all inside an armoured casing. Behind them the fuselage was a "monocoque" of three-ply wood bolted onto the armour.
And behind this all the tail surfaces were bolted on as a separate unit.
[Illustration: Plate XVI.]
THE CAUDRON.--1910, came the machine with ailerons and a 28 h.p. Anzani.
1911 this was altered to warp control and a "star" Anzani was fitted.
From this came the 35 h.p. type of 1912, one of the most successful of school machines. Small fast monoplane, 1912, was never further developed. 1913 appeared the familiar biplanes with 80 h.p. Gnomes, and 5-seater with 100 h.p. Anzani for French "Circuit of Anjou." 1914 produced the "scout" biplane which won at Vienna. 1915 appeared the twin-engined type, the first successful "battle-plane."
[Illustration: Plate XVII.]
THE DEPERDUSSIN.--In 1911 the little monoplane with a Gyp. engine.
Then the Gnome-engined machine of the "Circuit of Europe." In 1912 came the Navy's machine with 70 h.p. Gnome, and Prevost's Gordon-Bennett "Bullet," 135 miles in the hour. The last was the British-built "Thunder-Bug," familiar at Hendon.
[Illustration: Plate XVIII.]
THE BREGUET.--First to fly was the complicated but business-like machine of 1909. Then came the record passenger carrier, 1910 (which lifted 8 passengers). 1911 the French Military Trials machine with geared-down 100 h.p. Gnome appeared. 1912 produced the machine with 130 h.p. Salmson engine on which the late Mr. Moorhouse flew the Channel with Mrs.
Moorhouse and Mr. Ledeboer as passengers; also the machine with 130 h.p.
horizontal Salmson, known as the "Whitebait." The last before the war was the rigid wing machine with 200 h.p. Salmson.
[Illustration: Plate XIX.]
THE CODY.--First the Military Experiment of 1908, with an Antoinette engine, then improved type 1909 with a Green engine. Next the "Cathedral," 1910, with a Green engine, which won Michelin Prize. In 1911 "Daily Mail" Circuit machine, also with a Green, won the Michelin.
This was modified into 1912 type which won Military Competition and 5,000 in prizes, with an Austro-Daimler engine, and later the Michelin Circuit Prize, again with a Green. 1912 the only Cody Monoplane was built. 1913 a modified biplane on which the great pioneer was killed.
[Illustration: Plate XX.]
THE NIEUPORT.--The first Nieuport of 1909 was curiously like a monoplane version of a Caudron. In 1910 came the little two-cylinder machine with fixed tail-plane and universally jointed tail. In 1911 the French Trials machine was built with 100 h.p. 14 cylinder Gnome, and is typical of this make. Also the little two-cylinder record breaker. A modification of 1913 was the height record machine of the late M. Legagneux.
[Illustration: Plate XXI.]
THE R.E.P. MONOPLANES.--First came the curious and highly interesting experiments of 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910. 1910-1911, the World's Distance Record breaker was produced; after it, the "European Circuit,"
all with R.E.P. engines. In 1913-14 came the French military type with Gnome engine and finally the "parasol," 1915.