Beryllium, though of increasing application in the metallurgical and electrical industries, must still be classed as a relatively uncommon element. This would appear to be chiefly because no large scale application of the metal has yet been made; most commercial applications involve the addition of small amounts of beryllium to other metals, notably copper.

If a large scale use for beryllium were to be discovered, there would be little difficulty in the production of sufficient metal to fulfil a reasonable .demand. Its ores are widespread, but unfortunately are seldom found in heavy local concentrations. The processing of these ores is somewhat difficult on a commercial scale, but not prohibitively so. Extensive researches have been made on these problems, because of the incentive given by the exceptional “lightness” of beryllium, its high melting point and particularly, by its high modulus of elasticity.

The so-called Preferred or Standard Number Series is neither well-known nor often used in the British Aircraft Industry, perhaps because the series has not been published by the British Standards Institution or any other official body. Its use has much to commend it on the grounds of convenience and standardisation. Just as it is necessary for the international comprehension of science to standardise on basic symbols and terminology, so is it sometimes beneficial that numbers themselves should be widely used in the same manner.

The Series is published in France as the Renard Series, and also by the International Standards Association, using rounded off numbers to suit the metric system. The American Standards Association has published an American Standard differing from the I.S.A. table only in so far as certain values are rounded off to reasonable inch figures; included also is a table of more approximate fractional sizes.

It was with the greatest pleasure that I accepted the invitation of the Council to deliver the Wilbur Wright Lecture this year. Not that I count myself worthy to follow in the footsteps of the many illustrious men, British and American, who have delivered it in the past, but rather that I feel we are on the verge of discoveries and advances almost as spectacular as that flight of Orville Wright's, forty-three years ago, and that my peculiar experience may enable me to present to you some of the results of recent researches which have led me to the above somewhat prophetic conclusion.

A large number of individuals took part in the development and application of the methods of accident investigation and prevention outlined in the following paper. Commodore G. d'Erlanger, C.B.E., O.C. Air Transport Auxiliary, took a major part in the general evolution of the procedure; Air Vice-Marshal Sir Lawrence A. Pattinson, C.B., D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C., with his great knowledge of R.A.F. procedure, was responsible for the production of the A.T.A. manual “Instructions for Reporting Flying Accidents, Forced Landings, Aircraft Defects and Casualties”; and starting from scratch, a very competent Secretariat, consisting of Flt/Capt. G. Merton, F/O D. G. Brinjes and F/O J. W. Gibbs, were responsible for the great amount of work involved in working the machine and in the eventual production of the data and information summarised herein. The Chief Medical Officer, A.T.A., Cmdr. A. Buchanan Barbour, is in general responsible for those paragraphs of this paper covering the field of aviation medicine.