§ 56. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the UnderSecretary for War whether the aviator who was killed in an accident at Shoreham on the 22nd June was flying a Bleriot monoplane; whether any other fatal accidents have occurred in England to mono planes in the last six months; whether the Order issued in 1912 forbidding Army pilots to fly Bleriot monoplanes on account of the proved danger of that type of machine has been cancelled; and why, in view of the fact that Bleriot monoplanes are not fighting machines and are regarded by experts as the most dangerous type of 1649 aeroplane, they are now being used for the purposes of instruction in preference to the later types of biplane?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part that there has been one other accident to a monoplane in the period mentioned. Neither of these accidents were due to the machines. The Order issued in 1912 forbade pilots to fly any type of monoplane. On the advice of the Committee on Monoplane Accidents, which considered the whole question of safety, the Bleriot monoplane was again taken into use, being the only one at the time which complied with the conditions laid down by the Committee. The Bleriot monoplane has been largely used during the War both by French and British. It is one of the safest machines ever designed, and is an excellent training machine.