The Christmas Aeroplane Company showed a biplane. The wings of this biplane were set at a double dihedral angle, with an opening about two feet wide in the centre of the top plane, to take up the blast of air made by the propeller. The edges of the wings were flexible like a bird’s. The controlling-gear consisted of a semicircular wheel, which by rotating worked the ailerons, while a twisting movement of the whole on its axis turned the vertical rudder, and a fore-and-aft movement, operated by warping, the large horizontal rudder in the rear. The motor used was a 7-cylinder 50 horse-power Gyro.
Gressier
The Gressier Aviation Company exhibited a “Canard” type machine which was fitted with a 50 horse-power Gnome. This machine has an elevator in front of the fuselage, while the main planes and motor were in the rear. The seats for pilot and passenger were situated just in front of the main biplane cellule.
The biplane shown was fitted with three skids and six Farman-type shock-absorbing wheels.
Rex
The Rex Monoplane Company exhibited an all-American monoplane. This machine had a long, graceful fuselage, which carried at its front end the motor and gasoline-tank, the wings and the pilot’s seat, and at its rear the flat, non-lifting tail plane and elevator flaps with the vertical rudder immediately behind them. The landing-gear was quite novel, and consisted of a single skid and two shock-absorbing wheels. These wheels were attached to the fuselage through telescopic tubes having springs inside them to absorb shocks. The axle also strapped to the landing-skid by rubber bands, the whole forming the first flexible and efficient shock-absorbing landing-gear.
The main planes had a peculiar reverse curve in them, and were pivoted to a centre upright in the fuselage, thus permitting of warping the whole wing instead of only the tips.
Antoinette
Harry S. Harkness exhibited the Antoinette monoplane with which he carried the first war-despatch in the United States, on February 7, 1911. This machine was fitted with an 8-cylinder 50 horse-power Antoinette motor and Normale propeller.
Baldwin