A new industry calls for new methods—autrea jours, autres mceurs—and the aeroplane industry is therefore not exceptional in demanding many departures from recognised woodworking practice. In the first place the number of machines required to–day is so large that their construction should be described as a manufacturing rather than a building operation. That is to say, they should preferably be almost entirely put together by the aid of accurate machinery instead of being dependent to such an extent upon the skill of the individual workman, in trying and fitting one part to another until the whole is built up. In this connection it may be remarked that the design of the metal fittings for aeroplanes is not such as to call for any radical departure from previous high class small metal working practice. It is the woodworking side of the business which presents the new scope for initiative. It is this latter aspect, therefore, which will be considered here.