ltering the position of the body. With this machine Pilcher
made some twelve glides at Eynsford in Kent in the summer of 1896, and
as he progressed he increased the length of his glides, and also handled
the machine more easily, both in the air and in landing. He was occupied
with plans for fitting an engine and propeller to the 'Hawk,' but, in
these early days of the internal combustion engine, was unable to
get one light enough for his purpose. There were rumours of an engine
weighing 15 lbs. which gave 1 horse-power, and was reported to be in
existence in America, but it could not be traced.

In the spring of 1897 Pilcher took up his gliding experiments again,
obtaining what was probably the best of his glides on June 19th, when he
alighted after a perfectly balanced glide of over 250 yards in length,
having crossed a valley at a considerable height. From his various
experiments he concluded that once the machine was launched in the air
an engine of, at most, 3 horse-power would suffice for the maintenance
of horizontal flight, but he had to allow for the additional weight
of the engine and propeller, and taking into account the comparative
inefficiency of the propeller, he planned for an engine of 4
horse-power. Engine and propeller together were estimated at under 44
lbs. weight, the engine was to be fitted in front of the operator, and
by means of an overhead shaft was to operate the propeller situated
in rear of the wings. 1898 went by while this engine was under
construction. Then in 1899 Pilcher became interested in Lawrence
Hargrave's soaring kites, with which he carried out experiments during
the summer of 1899. It is believed that he intended to incorporate
a number of these kites in a new machine, a triplane, of which the
fragments remaining are hardly sufficient to reconstitute the complete
glider. This new machine was never given a trial. For on September 30th,
1899, at Stamford Hall, Market Harborough, Pilcher agreed to give a
demonstration of gliding flight, but owing to the unfavourable weather
he decided to postpone the trial of the new machine and to experiment
with the 'Hawk,' which was intended to rise from a level field, towed by
a line passing over a tackle drawn by two horses. At the first trial the
machine rose easily, but the tow-line snapped when it was well clear of
the ground, and the glider descended, weighed down through being sodden
with rain. Pilcher resolved on a second trial, in which