t shown in Fig. 7.

On the other hand, if the aeroplane is travelling slowly, say at 20
miles an hour, the curve of the trajectory will be flatter, and if a
head wind be prevailing it may even be swept backwards somewhat after it
has lost its forward momentum, and describe a trajectory similar to that
in Fig. 8.

A bomb released from an altitude of 1000 feet seldom, if ever, makes
a bee-line for the earth, even if dropped from a stationary airship.
Accordingly, the airman has to release the bomb before he reaches the
target below. The determination of the critical moment for the release
is not easy, inasmuch as the airman has to take into his calculations
the speed of his machine, his altitude, and the direction and velocity
of the air-currents.

The difficulty of aiming has been demonstrated upon several occasions at
aviation meetings and other similar gatherings. Monsieur Michelin,
who has done so much for aviation in France, offered a prize of
L1,00--$5,000--in 1912 for bomb-dropping from an aeroplane. The target
was a rectangular space marked out upon the ground, measuring 170 feet
long by 40 feet broad, and the missiles had to be dropped from a height
of 2,400 feet. The prize was won by the well-known American airman,
Lieutenant Riley E. Scott, formerly of the United States Army. He
dropped his bombs in groups of three. The first round fell clear of the
target, but eight of the remaining missiles fell within the area.

In the German competition which was held at Gotha in September of the
same year the results were somewhat disappointing. Two targets were
provided. The one represented a military bivouac occupying a superficies
of 330 square feet, and the other a captive balloon resembling a
Zeppelin. The prizes offered were L500, L200, and L80--$2,500, $1,000
and $400--respectively, and were awarded to those who made the greatest
number of hits. The conditions were by no means so onerous as those
imposed in the Michelin contest, inasmuch as the altitude limit was set
at 660 feet, while no machine was to descend within 165 feet. The first
competitor completely failed to hit the balloon. The second competitor
flying at 800 feet landed seven bombs within the square, but only one
other competitor succeeded in placing one bomb within the space.

Bomb-dropping under the above conditions, however, is vastly dissimilar
from such work under the grim realities of war. The airman has to act
quickly, take his enemy by surp