2 JANUARY 1942, Page 13

SIR,—Sir William Marris may shed two-thirds of his qualms about

the terminology of the Royal Air Force. The " ugly hybrid ' aero- plane" has long been officuuly displaced, not indeed by his " air- plane," but by the somewhat tidier " aircraft." The " unaesthetic Aerocobra '" is more correctly and, I think, more aesthetically known as the " Airacobra." It is not yet possible to offer him anything in place of " aerodrome," though there are parts of Great Britain where, under Dominion influences, the word is in process of being sup- planted by " airport " and " airfield." But if Sir William had ever got near the slipstream of aircraft taking off, he might be less inclined to quarrel with the literal meaning of the word, " a place where air runs."—Yours, &c., DEREK VERSCHOYLE, Squadron Leader.