6 JUNE 1914, Page 16

LIEUTENANT DUNNE'S AEROPLANE.

[To ins EDITOR. OF MI .'SPECY.o8."] Sin,—In your issue of May 23rd you state that the King when recently at Aldershot watched flights of a new Army aeroplane which is considerably more stable than any previous model, the design being an improvement upon the model of Lieutenant Dunne. While only too glad to see any improvement upon any previous model by any maker in the general interests of aviation, I feel bound, in fairness to Lieutenant Dunne, whose invention I have had an opportunity of closely observing for a number of years, to point out that there is nothing in common between the two machines. Dunne's machine possesses to a very great degree automatic stability, not only fore and aft but laterally as well, and is not dependent for the latter and for balancing the machine upon direction being kept by a rear rudder, as is the case with many other types, which, however, make no claim to automatic lateral stability in con- sequence. I imagine from a reply given me by Mr. Baker in the House of Commons that direction was maintained in the Aldershot machine but not control, and if this is the case while no doubt it is a great advance upon previous machines in inherent stability, it cannot claim automatic stability, which is the claim made by Mr. Dunne.—I am, Sir, &c.,