I)EclMarR Isa, 1906.

THE AI.JTOCAR B Sournal pubtiolreD ttt tbe interests of tbe mecbantcatlu propellcD roaD carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER

No.58o. vor. XVII.I SATURDAY, DECEMBER rsr, 19o6. fpnrcr 3o

TIIE AUTOCAR.

(Published Weekly.)

Registcred as a newspaper for trosmission in the United Kingdom,

Entcred as second-class matter in the New york (N,y.) post Office.

EDITORIAL OFFICE:

COVENTRY.

PUBLISHING OFFICES:

zo, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E,C., ENGLANDT

CONTENTS.

NorEs: .To PRoMorE Frvrxo-Mart FEATURES oF THE SCHEME-

Tsa Sigr Srsru Cen Uterur Hrxrs axp Trps: .I:o prlurNrre :rerr'Lrxp ,*o';rrrrU'791

} GE

Tge Purrrxo-ox TooL-TyRE Ilnusrrs-Exprxprrc Bnrxas-A Roucu lxo READY SuBsrtrurE roR A J cfi-REplrnlrc Cxlcxro _WtrunJtcxrrs .. .. 7g5 Flvtuo: Ax IM?oRTANT AxrouNceutpr ., lrlo Trr N.E.C. CARS (illustiated) . . ZSI-i,;C fcp Vr'uxxerr CN (concluded) .. .. . . 'ijS:8"" THE 26-30 H.p. CADILLAC ENGTNE (illustrated) ,, .. - Eoo Moror Cen Exsrsrrrox Srerrsrrcs. By H. Hrwru Gnrrrru gor.go4 CoNTINENTAL NorEs AND Naws . . .. aoj 'IHE HYDRA HrGH-TENsroN lllecxrro (illustrated) 8oo-8o7 Evousn Aurouosllrsrs rN INDIA .. .. . . ., goi A Rlxlrrrarr Rux Across AMERTCA (illustrated) .. .. gog-go9 THE WHrrE IND PoppE CARBuRETaER (lllustrated) .. .. .. Ero Colnnseorogxcg : IlluutuATroN or Roro SrcNs-NapHTBA As FuEL

-Ntcussrry lor CaRE ru Nuusenruo--€oMpETlrroN Resurrs- lloroR CARS roR DocroRS-MoroR CAR Mlrenrll CoMpETtrroN *Txe Fryrxc PaoBLEM-TrrE Prorosao ABnrer Assocrlrrox- TEx YEARS Aoo rup Now-PRrcE oF CARS rN NEw ZEALAND- Moron Swerrrxc Suors-Dusr AT THE OLyuprA Ssow-Cosr or Upreee-Stx-cyrrNDER CARS-THE CoRsETED TynB--Cayrur roR ALUHTNIUx-MoToR TouRrNc AND HorEL CHARGES-I)a^C- TlcaL ExpERTENcES-A NEw HooD (illustrated)-DEf,AND GREATER

trtx Supprv-BrrsroL CARS-' WIcx CengutetteRs -TyREs rN AND FoREIGN MoToR TRADE SHow Nor8s (illustrated)

LEcIsLATIvE CoNFERENcEE AurocARs oF r907"--BRrrrsH

1Ba AuroroBrLE CLUB E.p. RarrNG A FTENCH VtEw o" OLyuptA AND TrrE ENGLISH MaRKEa FLA3ras .. MoroR CARS m rxr Srexrey SHow (illustratcd) . . Trt Senerprxc Couesrrrlou THp Moroa Uxrox Druxsr.. Moron Crorsrlo AT OLyMprA. By A LADy IN TEB HousE or Coxuoxs ., .. Crug Dorxcs .. .,

8rr-8r6 8rZ-8r9 .. 8?o .. 82o 82r-823 824-825

82s 826 827 827 828

..THE AUTOCAR'' SUBSCRIPTION RATES : Brirish Isles, I6s. Abroad lrhin paper edition), 2Zs. 8d. per annunr..

I

ying.

To P.o,not"*l Notes. On another page we publish the annouuct-nrent about the foundation of a societl which shall steadilv devote itself to the solution of the lrroblem ni mechanical flight. At the moment, all sorts of rviltl statements are being made about mechanicallr'- propelled aeroplanes ancl their u onclerful perfr,rnrnn,:.:s. Persortaily, we are. anrl allvars have been, absolutelt convinceri that flrirrg uoul,l come. anrl tht, ,t.,."i problem certainl,r' apllears to he on the eve of solution. At the same time, it cloes not follorv because a rnarl mat succeed in flying a fe'rv varrls, or even a feu.milt's. that he has achieved mor€ than a passing succt,ss anrl notoriet\. If flying is to be more than a" mere slx)rt in which onl) men who have no ties in this world are justihed in participating, it will not amount to much, and the probabilities are it will be in this period of I)robation that development will be slowest. Here, again, prophecy is unsafe. We can only be guided by rvhat we know at the moment, and it certainly' appears that unless some great discovery is made a very. long experimental time must be passed through while the fl1ing machine is being developed from a ver.r. clangerous one-man affair to a reasonablr safe aerial motor car. The rlelights of fl1 ing ihrough the Emplrean in the attiturle of a spread+agle will soon pall even upon the most enthusiastic, and it appears to us that it is just at this stage the want of a national societv to really actively undertake the development of the flying machine will be most felt.

However, the problem cannot be said to be solved at preselrt, near as it ma1- be to solution. There are no lack of prizes alvaiting the mar-r who succeeds in flving, but he u'ill onlv receive pavment bl performance. and to help forward the impecunious but clever inventor will be one of the aims of the new societv. At the same time, there rvill be no possibility of ttre orsanisation becomins an institution for the assistance of cranks, inasmuch as it will do nothing to assist in the development of an1, invention, unless its members are satisfied that the invention is reallv a promising one on which it is worth while to spend some mone\'. We do not mean it will never make a mistake, but iis halfrearly general moetings. in addition to the frequent mtrtings of the committe,e, will prevent anv unrlue Ioss ()ver an invention rvhir:h mal have appearetl promising at the start, but which turned out poorlv upon frrrther i nvestisati on. Main Features of the Scheme.

.F-rom everv point of vierv. it appears to us a well thought out scheme, which will, we have no rloubt. receive enthusiastic support. For our oln 1tart, we are so satisfied with the sounclness of the irlea as to be willing not onlv to subscribe to the funrl. but also to give it publicitr ancl support in our columns. Ihe fact that it is proposerl trr do bl private enterprist'that rvhich in r:ther countries requires state airl rvill appeal t() everl Englishntan. Iirom a national ltoint of view. the qlestion is most imltortant far morc imlrortant than is at JrresL'nt realiscr'l-that rve shoulrl not lre left behirrrl in the eltrcitlation of this immense rlevelopment. We shall. as soon as a rlefinite announcement calt Irc marle. give fuller informalion. but in the meantime rvt' shall be pleaserl to receive communications from those who take an intt:r<'st in the srrbject. We should lilie aiso to warn possilrle imitators that. havinc obtainerl the co-operation of those tvho from influence. knorvlerlge, anrl asso<'iation u'ith the subject u.ere absolutelv essential to this enrl. it rvould be both rlifFcult anrl also highir rrnrlesirable to divert attention to sntallcr enterprisr's. In this. rve ,lo not mean privatell raiserl frrnrls anr'l experiments, u'hich. of corlrse, this seheme is r1t'signerl to assist. hut merell