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DURING the past year the increase in performance shown by certain American and Continental aircraft has merited the attention of all aircraft technicians. The performance is, of course, partly due to increase in horse‐power, but this is a small factor compared with the advance shown in the reduction of drag. Now that it has been shown that it is possible to build aeroplanes of low form‐drag and with little interference, the drag due to skin friction is becoming of great importance, and it will probably be of advantage to outline the methods of estimating skin friction, and discuss what information is now available on the effect of surface finish and protuberances.

THE increasing speed of modern aircraft has brought to the forefront the necessity for making a careful drag analysis of all aircraft in order to separate out the essential drag, that is to say the drag that is unavoidable, from the non‐essential drag. Most designers, we believe, now do this in order to see what progress is being made in the streamlining of their products. By this means we are enabled to see the relative importance of the drag terms and to arrive at a figure of merit. The ideally‐streamline aeroplane, though not at present a precise proposition, is like other ideals unattainable. It is the standard to which designers may aspire, but which they cannot achieve.

An expression for the efficiency of a subject catalogue or index is derived from the probability of success when using the catalogue, and the cost of making and using the catalogue, compared with the cost of finding material in the library stock when no subject catalogue is available.

For some time an investigation has been proceeding on the benefits to be gained by mechanization of the report handling procedures of TIL with a view to computer ‘retrieval’. A small working party of representatives of TIL and the Organization and Methods Branch meets regularly to discuss progress and outstanding problems.

IN considering the size of wings, which aero‐plane designers require to lift a given weight, the fact is very apparent that lifting surfaces have become smaller as the art of aeroplane design has advanced. Fig. 1 shows the trend of this development from pre‐war days up to now, expressed by a steady increase in wing loading (lb. per sq. ft.). How is this development likely to go on, and where will it end ?

THERE are many aeronautical engineers whose specialised knowledge does not include that of airscrews, and who nevertheless have occasion to make preliminary estimates in which some understanding of the properties of an airscrew is desirable. To these the most important quantities are frequently the diameter and efficiency appropriate to a given set of working conditions, and the static thrust.

At the April meeting Mr Jack Bird, M.A., F.L.A., Education Officer of Aslib, will speak on ‘Taking stock—a fresh look at education for special librarians in an age of expansion’. The Chair will be taken by Mr L. G. Patrick, F.L.A., Librarian, Aluminium Laboratories Ltd. The meeting will be held on Wednes‐day 22nd April at 3 Belgrave Square at 5.30 p.m. Tea will be served at 5 o'clock.

It is proposed in the near future to add the following sub‐paragraph to paragraph 64 of the Air Navigation Directions, 1936 (A.N.D.13):—

Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Committee, Reports and Technical Notes of the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and publications of other similar research bodies as issued

Under this heading are published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Committee, Reports and Technical Notes of the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and publications of other similar research bodies as issued