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INCREASE in the amount of night flying with the advent of airplanes into the commercial field makes more acute the need for proper lighting facilities, not only of airports and airways, but of the airplanes themselves. As only about one-half of the regularly used airways in this Country are lighted for night flying, and few airports are equipped with lighting facilities for night landings, it is necessary for airplanes to be provided with lighting equipment for flying and for emergency landing at night. Besides the high-intensity lighting needed for following unlighted airways and for landing, airplanes need navigation lights and illumination for the instruments and the cabin. Immediate study and direction should be given to the problems of meeting each of these requirements most effectively and economically before it becomes too difficult to standardize methods and equipment.

THE fundamental electrical and mechanical requirements of ignition equipment for aircraft engines are outlined and the special requirements peculiar to this service and that apply, in general, equally to military and commercial aircraft, are described. Brief descriptions are given of various new types of both magneto and battery ignition and the developments in each are pointed out. Characteristics of an ideal ignition system are enumerated as a basis for further development. Among the general requirements reliability is given place of first importance, followed by light weight, compactness, low cost and adaptability of a single model to engines of different types. The chief design-requirements are speed, ruggedness, simple mounting, light rotating-parts, resistance to vibration, ample lubrication, protection against moisture, and fire-proof ventilation. Each of these subjects is dealt with specifically.

The experiences of the author in flying over an air-mail route are graphically portrayed. Although general practices hold for all routes, each route is said to present its own problems; special methods used in flying between any two points are not entirely effective in flying between any other two points. Conditions along the New York City-Cleveland route are therefore described and such topics as lights and beacons, terminal fields, emergency landing-fields, and the various aids in locating the position of the airplane when the beacons are obscured, are discussed. Among these aids are the general appearance of cities and the direction of their main streets, large factories, blast-furnaces, amusement parks, lighted railroad trains, automobile headlights on main highways, railroad roundhouses, mountains, and rivers. In nightflying, much depends on the airplane, which must meet definite requirements.

The equisignal method of airplane signaling consists in receiving signals, sent out by one or more transmitting stations, alternately on two loops the planes of which differ by a certain angle. If the signals obtained on the two loops are equal in intensity, the bisector of the angle between the loops will correspond to the line of sight or of wave propagation. In the development of the apparatus described in this paper, the fundamental idea made use of was that of the old Telefunken compass, which was later used to a considerable extent by the German Navy during the war as an aid to the flight of Zeppelins in their raids on England, and in which the transmitting system consisted of a number of similar directional antennae that could be thrown into the circuit in succession and had directional effects differing in orientation by 10-deg. steps.

The personnel and the ground facilities that have produced such excellent results in the Air Mail Service are discussed apart from the flying equipment and its operation in the air. An airway is on the ground and the performance and safety of the pilots are dependent upon the ground facilities provided and the efficiency of the ground personnel. Pilots perform a highly important part in the operation of airlines and no matter how good the flying equipment may be, the desired results cannot be obtained without thoroughly trained and capable pilots. When selecting new pilots, the Air Mail Service looks for men who handle an airplane in a businesslike way and who are able, without taking unnecessary risks, to fly the ship without letting the ship fly them.

Wide differences of opinion are expressed by automobile builders regarding crankcase-oil dilution. The theories advanced in explanation of dilution fail to elucidate some important facts and must therefore be regarded as unsatisfactory. From a theoretical investigation, the author determines the conditions under which the vapors of various fuels condense during the compression stroke of the engine and, as a result of such analysis, presents the theory that “surface condensation,” or the aggregation of the liquid fuel-particles on the cylinder-walls, is chiefly responsible for crankcase-oil dilution. First, suggested explanations of the dilution are presented, references to previous experiments by several authorities are stated and these are discussed. The effect of jacket-water temperature is analyzed, and whether any condensation of fuel takes place during the compression stroke of a carbureter engine is debated.

The author outlines the history of the Air-Mail Service and states that the recent policy has been to carry out the intent of the Congress, to align the service with the desire of the administration for economy and to discontinue too rapid expansion. After a description of the routes and divisions and a listing of the present landing-fields and radio stations, the present equipment is outlined and commented upon, tabular and statistical data being presented. The discussion covers the organization and performance of the service, the casualties, the cost of operation and the policy governing future plans.

The author outlines recent progress by the Engineering Division in the diversified problem of the development of all heavier-than-air equipment, including the 15 types of airplane at present believed necessary to fill Army-Air-Service requirements. The subject is discussed under the headings of the airplane proper, the powerplant, the armament and the equipment, inclusive of illustrations. The development of existing engines, especially the Liberty 12-cylinder type and the Wright 180 and 300-hp. units, is outlined and engine tests conducted with a view to improving engine performance are commented upon. The problems of armament development are stated and the work of equipment development is reported as having been confined largely to crash and leakproof tanks, parachutes, hangars, take-off mats and cameras. Work has been done also on navigation instruments and the use of radio fox navigation.

This paper is illuminative and affords an opportunity for better comprehension of the remarkable progress and accomplishment made in Europe along the lines of commercial aviation. Reviewing the present European routes now in regular or partial operation, the author stresses the essentialness of the attitude of the press in general being favorable if commercial aviation is to become wholly successful. The airship appears most practical for long-distance service, to the author, and he mentions the possibility of towns and cities growing up around “air ports.” The cost of airship travel is specified, although it is difficult to figure costs and necessary charges because so few data on the depreciation of equipment are available. Regarding successful operation, much depends upon the efficiency of the ground personnel and organization.

The author gives an outline of the fundamentals and divides the subject into a discussion of what aerial transportation facilities we have at present and what should be considered for the future, stating that the inventors must determine how far they can go in providing equipment. The first question regarding new equipment is, “Will it work?” The next, “Is it safe?” Safety is described as being purely relative, the statement being made that there is no such thing as absolute safety. There is no need to expect danger. We must have both speed and safety and making aerial equipment safe is well worthwhile, no matter at what expense of money and effort. As to whether commercial aviation can be made to pay, economically and so far as society as a whole is concerned, this is a relative question depending upon the length of haul and the cost per mile. Charts are shown and methods of obtaining basic costs described, together with formulas and coefficients so obtained.

Aviation has no perfect analogy, for it has no precedent. Two classifications are made. Scheduled service includes the carrying of mail, express or passengers on a definite and regularly maintained schedule, independent of, or supplementary to, other forms of transportation. Special service includes pleasure flights, oil-field survey, selecting industrial land-sites, planning cities, aerial photography, forest-fire patrol, visiting remote points, exploration, aerial advertising, delivery of perishable products, real-estate survey and industrial purposes. Each of these classifications requires different equipment, organization and operating personnel. The equipment requirements and the reliability of aerial transportation are discussed, the necessity for suitable terminals and federal flying regulations are emphasized, the subject of insurance is commented upon and the development of aerial commercial transportation is outlined.

The author describes the Air-Service work at McCook Field, presenting and describing numerous types of airplane, airplane engine and auxiliary aviation apparatus. After reviewing the development and present status of the Air Service, he describes the airplanes developed during the war and comments briefly upon their chief characteristics, referring to the illustrations; airplane engines are treated in a similar manner. Among auxiliaries, mention is made of airplane armament, synchronizing outfits, parachutes and packs, machine-guns, bombs, cameras and photographic equipment, with comment upon their usage and characteristic features. Armored airplanes are considered specifically and the use of variable-pitch propellers exemplified. The relations of military and commercial aviation are stated and the possibilities of airplane transport and airplane hospital ambulance service are mentioned.

Naval aircraft are distinctively American types. Only one foreign seaplane was copied by the United States during the war, and when finally put into production it resembled the British prototype in externals only. While the Navy does a large part of its own designing and building through a corps of naval constructors, its theory of manufacture is to assemble parts procured from separate makers, and private design and construction are encouraged by contracting with builders. Available talent both in and out of the service and the facilities of parts makers, the new materials developed during the war and organized engineering which drove the entire process toward speedy results were appropriated by the Navy. The NC flying boat is typical of U. S. Navy practice. In the same way the dirigible C-5 is a purely American type. The development of really large flying craft before 1917 was held back because no suitable engine had been designed. When the 350-hp.