It was not long after the Curtiss hydro-aeroplane had been successfully demonstrated, before all the other leading makers brought out air craft that could sail from and alight on water as well as on land. The Wright hydro-aeroplane, which is equipped with two long air-tight metal floats instead of one, has achieved great success in the United States. In Europe all the leading biplane types are now made with hydro-aeroplane equipment, and flying over water became as popular last year as flying over land did in 1910. The first American monoplane to be equipped with the floats of a hydro-plane was shown by the "Queen" company at the New York Aero show in May, 1912. It was called an aero boat as the front part of the fuselage was enclosed like a boat and the operator sat in it, under the wings. The propeller was at the rear and there was a small pontoon at each end of the wings to keep it on an even keel when stationary in the water. A short time after this the Curtiss company turned out the flying boat which was described on page 90. [Illustration: THE WORLD'S LONGEST GLIDE This photograph shows the new Wright glider, driven by Orville Wright, being held above Kill Devil Hill, N. C., in the face of a high wind, for 10 minutes 1 second.] [Illustration: THE END OF A GLIDE After remaining aloft the new glider was allowed gently to settle to earth.] [Illustration: LANDING ON A WARSHIP Lieutenant Ely is here shown landing in a Curtiss biplane on the platform built on the deck of the cruiser _Birmingham_, at anchor in Hampton Roads.] [Illustration: Courtesy of the _Scientific American_ BOARDING A BATTLESHIP Glenn Curtiss being hoisted aboard the battleship _Pennsylvania_ in San Diego Harbour after alighting alongside in his hydro-aeroplane.] In general outline the aeroplanes in use to-day differ greatly from those seen several years ago, but the difference is in form rather than in principle. There have been many improvements, of course, in construction, control of the fliers, and in the powerful engines that drive them. In fact the tendency of aeroplane builders has been to adopt the successful devices on other machines rather than to work out original ones.