s found possible to
receive messages from the ground. In the roar of the engine nothing
could be heard.

In the summer of 1911 Captain Lefroy spent much of his time in designing
a transmitting apparatus for aeroplanes. In January 1912 he went up with
Mr. Geoffrey de Havilland in the first B.E. machine, to test its
suitability for wireless. In May 1912 he set about fitting the same
machine, which was then being flown by Major Burke, with a generator
driven from the engine crank-shaft by bicycle-chain gear. These
experiments prepared the way for later achievement.

In the same year the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps began to
experiment with a light wireless set for aeroplanes. As no machines were
available for fitting, a station was constructed on Burntwick Island,
the conditions being as nearly as possible the conditions in an
aeroplane. Stray signals were received from this station by H.M.S.
_Actaeon_, about one mile distant. In June 1912 Commander Samson, flying
the first Short seaplane, fitted with a practice wireless set such as
used in destroyers, succeeded in sending messages a distance of three,
four, and, on occasions, of ten miles. In August 1912 Lieutenant Raymond
Fitzmaurice, R.N., who had served as a wireless telegraphy officer with
the fleet, was appointed to arrange for the installation of wireless
apparatus in naval aircraft. A few days after his arrival at Eastchurch
he was ordered to go to Farnborough to take charge of the wireless in
the airship _Gamma_ on the defending side in the forthcoming army
manoeuvres. Captain Lefroy was to take charge of the wireless in the
airship _Delta_, which was intended to operate on the attacking side.
Both these airships had been equipped with wireless apparatus by Captain
Lefroy, on instructions from the War Office, to ascertain what could be
done by wireless from aircraft in the manoeuvres. The set of wireless
for the _Gamma_ had to be improvised from odds and ends--an old magneto
and some Moscicki jars. The 'aerial', which does the work of one of the
plates of a condenser, was a double trailer of wire let down from the
bottom of the car off two drums; the 'earth', which does the work of the
other plate, was made of insulated wires triced out to the bow and stern
of the gas-bag. The magneto was run by a belt from one of the ballonet
blowers. Receiving instruments were also installed, but these could only
be used when the engine was stopped.

As soon as the we