The statement that aviation is in its infancy is now the commonest of platitudes and it is possibly not unbecoming in conscientious parents or guardians to take stock of the growth from time to time of the infant they are interested in—to weigh and measure it with a view to ascertaining whether such growth is normal and uniform, and more important still, whether the rate of growth is being maintained, is increasing or diminishing and to try to ascertain what external influences have the most beneficial effect.