The same tendency to reduce the size of the planes is noticeable in the recent Wright models. The Wright machines (model R), are the smallest yet used on an aeroplane. They have a spread of but twenty-six feet six inches and a chord of only three feet seven inches, giving them an exceedingly high aspect ratio. In the racing machines the spread has been cut down to twenty-one feet six inches. Attention has been called in an earlier chapter to this same tendency to reduce the wing area in model aeroplanes. It is interesting to find our amateur aviators increasing the aspect ratio of their planes although working independently. In many of the large machines the front and rear planes are brought much closer together in the more recent models. It would seem that as the front and rear planes are brought closer together there would be a loss in fore and aft stability, but on the other hand the reduction in weight made possible by shortening the frame is very important. A careful report has been prepared in France recently of all the serious accidents to aeroplanes with the idea of classifying them. The record of fatal accidents shows a total of thirty-one up to the beginning of the present year, resulting in thirty-four deaths. Although these figures taken alone are appalling, they are found on analysis to indicate that aviation is nevertheless growing safer and not more dangerous. In 1910 there were twice as many fatal accidents as in the previous year, but on the other hand there were more than five times as many flights made, so that the percentage of accidents, as a matter of fact, was but forty per cent. as great as for the preceding year. The commonest cause of accidents according to these tables has been faulty construction. Next in turn came the accidents due to the errors of the pilots. Atmospheric conditions rank third in the list and fourth the carelessness of the spectators. There were in all some forty-seven accidents in 1909, and 101 in 1910. An increase is to be noticed last year in the accidents due to atmospheric conditions. This was caused in most cases by the unusual daring, even foolhardiness of the pilots. In their attempts to amaze their audience by performing hazardous dives and volplanes from great heights many machines were wrecked and several aviators met their death. Since the main cause of fatal accidents has not been structural weakness or the carelessness of the pilots, it is clear that the science of aviation itself cannot be blamed. It is of course a comparatively easy matter to build machines sufficiently strong to fly without breaking down. The number of accidents, especially fatal accidents, due to the inherent danger of flying, to dangers which cannot be overcome, has been very trifling, and is steadily diminishing. CHAPTER XIII SELECTED QUESTIONS FOR BEGINNERS