biplanes. Of the twenty-one
monoplanes competing at the International meet at Belmont Park, N. Y.,
in November, 1910, only three makes were handled by Americans. Moissant
and Drexel navigated Bleriot machines, Harkness an Antoinette, and Glenn
Curtiss a single decker of his own construction. On the other hand the
various foreign aviators who took part in the meet unhesitatingly gave
preference to monoplanes.

Whatever may have been the cause of this seeming prejudice against
the monoplane on the part of American air sailors, it is slowly being
overcome. When a man like Curtiss, who has attained great success with
biplanes, gives serious attention to the monoplane form of construction
and goes so far as to build and successfully operate a single surface
machine, it may be taken for granted that the monoplane is a fixture in
this country.

Dimensions of Monoplanes.

The makes, dimensions and equipment of the various monoplanes used at
Belmont Park are as follows:

Bleriot--(Moissant, operator)--plane length 23 feet, extreme breadth 28
feet, surface area 160 square feet, 7-cylinder, 50 h. p. Gnome engine,
Chauviere propeller, 7 feet 6 inches diameter, 1,200 r. p. m.

Bleriot--(Drexel, operator)--exactly the same as Moissant's machine.

Antoinette--(Harkness, operator)--plane length 42 feet, extreme breadth
46 feet, surface area 377 square feet, Emerson 6-cylinder, 50 h. p.
motor, Antoinette propeller, 7 feet 6 inches diameter, 1,200 r. p. m.

Curtiss--(Glenn H. Curtiss, operator)--plane length 25 feet, extreme
breadth 26 feet, surface area 130 square feet, Curtiss 8-cylinder, 60 h.
p. motor, Paragon propeller, 7 feet in diameter, 1,200 r. p. m.

With one exception Curtiss had the smallest machine of any of those
entering into competition. The smallest was La Demoiselle, made by
Santos-Dumont, the proportions of which were: plane length 20 feet,
extreme breadth 18 feet, surface area 100 square feet, Clement-Bayard
2-cylinder, 30 h. p. motor, Chauviere propeller, 6 feet 6 inches in
diameter, 1,100 r. p. m.

Winnings Made with Monoplanes.

Operators of monoplanes won a fair share of the cash prizes. They won
$30,283 out of a total of $63,250, to say nothing about Grahame-White's
winnings. The latter won $13,600, but part of his winning flights were
made in a Bleriot monoplane, and part in a Farman machine. Aside from
Grahame-White the winnings were divided as follows: Moissant (Bleriot)
$13,350; Latham (Antoinette