he number of seaplanes, although the 'flying boat' type had only
appeared at intervals and the vast majority were of the ordinary
aeroplane type fitted with floats in place of the land undercarriage;
which type was at that time commonly called 'hydro-aeroplane.' The usual
horse power was 50--that of the smallest Gnome engine--although engines
of 100 to 140 horse-power were also fitted occasionally. The average
weight per horse-power varied from 18 to 25 lbs., while the wing-loading
was usually in the neighbourhood of 5 to 6 lbs. per square foot. The
average speed ranged from 65-75 miles per hour.

III. PROGRESS ON STANDARDISED LINES

In the last section an attempt has been made to show how, during what
was from the design standpoint perhaps the most critical period, order
gradually became evident out of chaos, ill-considered ideas dropped out
through failure to make good, and, though there was still plenty of room
for improvement in details, the bulk of the aeroplanes showed a general
similarity in form and conception. There was still a great deal to be
learnt in finding the best form of wing section, and performances were
still low; but it had become definitely possible to say that flying had
emerged from the chrysalis stage and had become a science. The period
which now began was one of scientific development and improvement--in
performance, manoeuvrability, and general airworthiness and stability.

The British Military Aeroplane Competition held in the summer of 1912
had done much to show the requirements in design by giving possibly
the first opportunity for a definite comparison of the performance
of different machines as measured by impartial observers on standard
lines--albeit the methods of measuring were crude. These showed that a
high speed--for those days--of 75 miles an hour or so was attended by
disadvantages in the form of an equally fast low speed, of 50 miles per
hour or more, and generally may be said to have given designers an idea
what to aim for and in what direction improvements were required. In
fact, the most noticeable point perhaps of the machines of this time was
the marked manner in which a machine that was good in one respect
would be found to be wanting in others. It had not yet been possible
to combine several desirable attributes in one machine. The nearest
approach to this was perhaps to be found in the much discussed
Government B.E.2 machine, which was produced from the Royal Airc