I have been asked to give my opinion in regard to the value of the experiments of Count Zeppelin. I have made a close study of balloons for many years, and have followed very closely the experiments of Gaston Tissandier and Commandant Renard. In the experiments of Gaston Tissandier, the balloon was made cigar-shape, both ends being practically alike. The propelling force was a screw driven by an electrical engine. The machine was very carefully made, and was probably as beautiful a piece of workmanship as ever has been turned out. It was inflated with pure hydrogen. When it was tried, it rose in the air to perfection, and moved at a low velocity by means of its own screw and motive power, but the velocity through’ the air was considerably less than the velocity of the air itself, consequently it moved along with the wind very much like any other balloon. Other experiments were made, and it was found that the cigar–shape was not so favourable as a fishshape balloon.

The aeronaut can scarcely turn his camera to better account than in the pursuit of cloud photography. Snap–shots of objects on the earth taken from short range overhead are generally more curious than interesting, and extended views from greater heights, however impressive to the observer, seldom make satisfactory photographs, not only through lack of detail, but owing also to the haze that too often veils the landscape at the height— say of 1,000 ft. and upwards. Speaking generally, through the greater part of any balloon voyage worthy of the name, successful views of the country are out of the question. On the other hand, on days that are not altogether cloudless, there is often opportunity at nearly all heights for interesting and valuable work in photographing all features of the cloudscape, from the mere withering cloudlet that wanders by to the piles and masses of dense cloud that make up the scenery of a full sky.

Thirteen years ago, shortly after I had been privileged to supply the British Government with my Electric Signalling Balloon Apparatus, I showed upon the screen of the London Institution the same picture that is now before you. It represents the signallers of two friendly military forces shut in by high mountains. It shows how limited is the usefulness of the ordinary methods of visual signalling, which depend upon some vantage point for altitude; it shows how valuable in such a casa is the electric signalling balloon. In the picture, the signallers on this side of the mountain are filling the balloon with gas for the ascent. On the other side, the balloon has already ascended. In the next picture both balloons have ascended to a considerable elevation, and the signallers are independent of the configuration of the country. I will now ask whether this picture does not partly represent the conditions realised so often during the South African Campaign, when our brave soldiers have been imprisoned so long amidst the rugged mountains of Natal, and where failure of communication has been the cause of disaster.

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Aeronautical Society:—The flying machine—a working model of which I have now the honour to submit to your critical inspection— is the invention of M. Anton Weczera, a Hungarian architect, who has devoted many years to the study of a question which has such a special interest for your Honourable Society.

I, too, have devoted considerable attention to this subject; but whilst studying the construction of the many flying machines that dispense with the use of an air–bag, I have invariably failed to find in any of them an adequate and reliable lifting capacity, which, in my opinion, is the most essential element in all of them, and without which there can be no practical success.

These experiments were carried out during the latter part of 1899, with the expert and financial assistance of Mr. Patrick Y. Alexandsr, of Experimental Works, Bath.

Experimental Apparatus. Five propellers 30 feet in diameter were tried, lettered A., B., C, D., E., the skeleton structure of the blades was also tested, the different propellers were formed by altering the canvas stretched on the skeleton blades. The skeleton propeller was made as light as possible, and for reasons of strength and lightness, a Mangin type of propeller was used of four blades, the blades b3- ing fixed one behind the other, and connected together by diagonal struts and ties; the blades were 3 feet 1½ inches apart. A pair of blades are thus, from a structural point of view, similar to a “warren” or lattice girder supported at one end, the respective blades cf one pair constituting the upper and lower flanges of the girder; therefore, when the propeller is exerting a thrust, the members of one blade will be in compression, and the other in tension.