AN EARLY AUSTRALIAN GLIDER.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sut,--In reading the Spectator of October 21st last I was surprised to find that " W.' in his article on "'Gliders : Some Early Experiments," makes no mention of Lawrence Hargrave, an Anglo-Australian, who came to Australia from Greenwich when sixteen years old, and who is regarded in the Commonwealth as the pioneer of the modern aeroplane.
" W." says that " as early as 1895 Jose Weiss was examining the problems of the air." Yet in 1884, eleven years pre- viously, Hargrave read a paper before the Royal Society of N.S.W. called " The Trochoided Plane." This paper, which was accompanied by models, is claimed by Australians as the first recorded scientific contribution to modern aeronautics. From that date until his death at Sydney in 1915 Hargrave produced many models, some of the earliest being propelled by flapping wings, some by a screw, while the motive power was compressed air or even steam. He also (in 1898) made and used gliders based on the box-kite principle, from which it is said Colonel Cody developed his kites. Hargrave was also the inventor of the revolving cylinder engine. All these discoveries were demonstrated before the Royal Society of New South Wales and are reported in its journals. Most of the models are now in the Technicological Museum, Harris Street, Sydney, but some are housed in the Deutsche Museum at Munich.
Surely the discoveries of this Anglo-Australian should be better known and British writers less generous in awarding to foreigners the laurels due to one of their own race.—I am, Capt., Australian Staff Carpe, retired.
Leura, N.S.W., January 30th.
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