§ 86. Major Sir CHARLES HUNTERasked the Under-Secretary for War if M. Fokker, the Dutch inventor of the present German battleplane, offered his invention to our air authorities?
§ Mr. TENNANTM. Fokker offered to the War Office in 1913 a type of aeroplane invented by him. As the machine was inefficient and dangerous it was not adopted. Subsequently to the outbreak of the War, M. Fokker produced a new design which was an imitation of the 232 Morane-Saulnier monoplane, this being a French design. This design was not offered to the British Government, but was used in small numbers by the Ger mans, and a machine of this type was amongst those lately on view on the Horse Guards Parade. M. Fokker afterwards produced another modification of the Morane Saulnier monoplane with an engine of much greater horse power, but this design, like M. Fokker's second design, was not offered to the British Government.
§ Major Sir C. HUNTERCan the right hon. Gentleman say which design the Ger mans are using now? Is it the last design?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes.
§ Mr. LYNCHWhen a design is offered to the War Office, even if it be not perfectly satisfactory in all its parts, would it not be better to study it and adopt it?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question on the Paper.