November 20. L, with B and M, came down again, and waited until 4.20, when, the breeze having fallen to almost a calm, the aerodrome was maintained in place on the launching apparatus with great difficulty, while it was repeatedly set on fire by the scattering liquid fuel. Finally it was let go, and fell close to the house-boat, the tail striking the edge of the platform. The immediate cause of failure was the defective launching apparatus, for the design of which the writer felt himself responsible. November 24. L, with B, M, and R came down again to Quantico, but the very moderate wind proved completely prohibitory to any attempt at launching, and all returned again to Washington. November 27. L, with B and M, came down to try a new launching apparatus, not different in principle from the preceding one, but of better construction. The morning was exceptionally calm, but the engines were found to be out of order, and precious time was spent in slight repairs which should have been made in the shop. At 3.30 p. m., when the engines were at last ready, the exceptional calm gave place to a very gentle and almost imperceptible breeze, [p095] which, nevertheless, again proved prohibitory to the launching, and with extreme disappointment the party returned to Washington, it being at last fully recognized that unless some ways were found of holding down all the extended supporting surfaces upon the launching piece, and at the same time of firmly clamping the body of the aerodrome until it could be dropped, as well as of releasing all this simultaneously at the critical instant, no attempt at launching was likely to succeed except in such an entire and perfect calm as rarely occurs. Independent of this launching difficulty, some way of protecting the fires from the wind had to be found, which was by no means easy, since an efficient protection meant an enclosure of them and a diminished influx of air, of which it was essential that there should be an unlimited supply. December 1. L, with B, R, and M proceeded to Quantico. The same conditions presented themselves and the party returned, without effecting anything. December 7. L, B, R, and M present; day overcast but perfectly calm. Taught by experience, we had everything ready, and a little after one o’clock the launch was made. The aerodrome fell directly into the boat, the rod of the starter having broken. It was little damaged, but in view of the injury and the rising wind, all other attempts were abandoned for the day.