In spite of the bad weather the week has seen
an unusual number of exploits in the sphere of aviation. The Govern- ment trials have been progressing satisfactorily on Salisbury Plain from day to day, though we deeply regret that they were marred on Tuesday by the death of Mr. R. C. Fenwick, the inventor of the Mersey monoplane. His machine seems to have been overturned by a sudden gust of wind—a danger to which its exceptionally small spread of wing and low engine power rendered it especially liable. Early on Saturday morning Mr. F. A. McClean on a Short hydro- aeroplane flew up the Thames from Eastchurch to West- minster Bridge. On his return journey later in the day he met with a mishap ; and we may note in this connexion the provisional decision of the Aero Club, announced on Thursday, to forbid further flights along the Thames. We may draw attention at the same time to an article in Mon- day's Times which described the excellent work done in Tripoli by the Italian aeroplanes and airships.
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