26 OCTOBER 1918, Page 22

The £ 8. d. of Flying. By Arthur J. Swinton.

(The Aero- plane. 6e. net.)—In this ingenious little book Captain Swinton discusses in detail the possibilities of the aeroplane as a commercial vehicle when peace returns. He elaborates a scheme for an aerial mail service, and for a passenger service which would be far speedier but also more costly than railways and steamers. He considers the formation of flying clubs, and thinks that by standardized pro- duction an eighty-horse-power machine might be sold for £275. The aeroplane has developed so rapidly during this war that we are prepared to believe almost anything about its future, and Captain Swinton's forecasts have all the fascination of a gold- mining prospectus.