y that two forms of flying machines, a sporting type
and an exploration type, will be gradually evolved within one or two
generations, but the evolution will be costly and slow, and must be
carried on by well-equipped and thoroughly informed scientific men; for
the casual inventor, who relies upon one or two happy inspirations, will
have no chance of success whatever.'

Follows Professor John J. Montgomery, who, in the true American spirit,
describes his own experiments so well that nobody can possibly do it
better. His account of his work was given first of all in the American
Journal, Aeronautics, in January, 1909, and thence transcribed in the
English paper of the same name in May, 1910, and that account is here
copied word for word. It may, however, be noted first that as far back
as 1860, when Montgomery was only a boy, he was attracted to the study
of aeronautical problems, and in 1883 he built his first machine,
which was of the flapping-wing ornithopter type, and which showed its
designer, with only one experiment, that he must design some other
form of machine if he wished to attain to a successful flight.
Chanute details how, in 1884 and 1885 Montgomery built three gliders,
demonstrating the value of curved surfaces. With the first of these
gliders Montgomery copied the wing of a seagull; with the second he
proved that a flat surface was virtually useless, and with the third
he pivoted his wings as in the Antoinette type of power-propelled
aeroplane, proving to his own satisfaction that success lay in this
direction. His own account of the gliding flights carried out under his
direction is here set forth, being the best description of his work that
can be obtained:--

'When I commenced practical demonstration in my work with aeroplanes
I had before me three points; first, equilibrium; second, complete
control; and third, long continued or soaring flight. In starting I
constructed and tested three sets of models, each in advance of the
other in regard to the continuance of their soaring powers, but all
equally perfect as to equilibrium and control. These models were tested
by dropping them from a cable stretched between two mountain tops, with
various loads, adjustments and positions. And it made no difference
whether the models were dropped upside down or any other conceivable
position, they always found their equilibrium immediately and glided
safely to earth.

'Then I constructed a large machine patterned