y rose from the earth. Before the distinguished inventor spoke of
his own work in aviation he recalled experiments made by his father
in 1856-7, when Sir Hiram was sixteen years of age. The flying machine
designed by the elder Maxim consisted of a small platform, which it
was proposed to lift directly into the air by the action of two
screw-propellers revolving in reverse directions. For a motor the
inventor intended to employ some kind of explosive material, gunpowder
preferred, but the lecturer distinctly remembered that his father said
that if an apparatus could be successfully navigated through the air it
would be of such inevitable value as a military engine that no matter
how much it might cost to run it would be used by Governments.

Of his own claim as an inventor of air-craft it would be well to
quote Sir Hiram's actual words, as given by the Glasgow Herald, which
contained a full report of the lecture.

"Some forty years ago, when I commenced to think of the subject, my
first idea was to lift my machine by vertical propellers, and I actually
commenced drawings and made calculations for a machine on that plan,
using an oil motor, or something like a Brayton engine, for motive
power. However, I was completely unable to work out any system which
would not be too heavy to lift itself directly into the air, and it
was only when I commenced to study the aeroplane system that it became
apparent to me that it would be possible to make a machine light enough
and powerful enough to raise itself without the agency of a balloon.
From the first I was convinced that it would be quite out of the
question to employ a balloon in any form. At that time the light
high-speed petrol motor had no existence. The only power available being
steam-engines, I made all my calculations with a view of using steam as
the motive power. While I was studying the question of the possibility
of making a flying machine that would actually fly, I became convinced
that there was but one system to work on, and that was the aeroplane
system. I made many calculations, and found that an aeroplane machine
driven by a steam-engine ought to lift itself into the air."

Sir Hiram then went on to say that it was the work of making an
automatic gun which was the direct cause of his experiments with flying
machines. To continue the report:

"One day I was approached by three gentlemen who were interested in the
gun, and they asked me if it would be possible