LANE monoplane

   This single-seat monoplane was built on the lines of a Bleriot XI, but with a tailplane below the bottom longeron, and divided elevators mounted separately above and slightly behind. The castering undercarriage was sprung by rubber cords, connected by wires horizontally to a point midway down the fuselage, and served the purpose of realigning the wheels, as well as providing sprung suspension. Construction was of wood with a tubular steel undercarriage.
   The first report was of trials conducted by Charles Lane on 13 January 1910. Wilfred Foulis, who was to become Lane's agent in Scotland, received a machine in February, which he was reported to be flying near Edinburgh in the spring. A monoplane with the fuselage uncovered was shown at Olympia in March 1910. This machine, and the Foulis aircraft, were certainly fitted with NEC engines. In May, The Aero reported two machines in hangar No.l at Brooklands, by then fitted with non-castering undercarriage with twin skids and four wheels, with which Lane and Astley continued flying throughout the summer.
   It appears that the first Lane monoplane was originally fitted with a three-cylinder Anzani engine, which was replaced with the four-cylinder two-stroke NEC. This was an unsatisfactory engine, which did not produce the claimed power, and was finally replaced by a 35hp ENV, with which it was flown on 26 May 1910, receiving a complimentary Press report.
   An early Lane monoplane fitted with an Anzani engine was wrecked at Brooklands on 25 July 1911 when flown by Pashley.

   Power:
   25hp Anzani three-cylinder air-cooled fan-type semiradial
   25-30hp NEC four-cylinder inline water-cooled two-stroke driving a 7ft diameter propeller
   35hp ENV type D eight-cylinder water-cooled vee.
   Data
   Span 30ft
   Chord 6ft 6in
   Length 24ft
   Area 160 sq ft (201 sq ft)*
   Area tailplane 21 sq ft (26 sq ft)*
   Area elevators 18 sq ft (24 sq ft)*
   Area rudder 5 1/2 sq ft (8 sq ft)*
   Weight 425 lb (450 lb)*
   Weight allup 650 lb
   Speed 30mph
   Price with ENV ?500
   * Alternative data from The Aero


LANE monoplane

   In addition to the single-seater, Lane also exhibited at Olympia an incomplete side-by-side two-seater, similar in layout to the Bleriot XII, but with Lane's own type of tail unit and undercarriage. In this case the elevator was in one piece and the rudder was divided, the lower portion serving as a skid.
   The engine was mounted low down in the airframe, with the propeller level with the leading edge, chain driven at about a reduction of two to one. The pilot and passenger sat on a bench seat behind the engine, just below the wing trailing edge.
   The Bleriot XII was not a great success and the similar Lane machine followed it into obscurity. There are no reports of testing and the machine may not have been completed after the Aero Show.
   Two Lane monoplanes, a single-seater and a two-seater, were offered for sale by L.N. Palmer of Tooting, London SW at bankrupt prices.

   Power: 60hp NEC six-cylinder inline water-cooled two-stroke driving by chain an 8ft 6in (8ft 8in)* diameter propeller at 2 to 1 reduction
   Data
   Span 36ft 6in
   Chord 7ft 10in (8ft)*
   Length 24ft
   Area 250 sq ft (320 sq ft)*
   Area tailplane 30 sq ft
   Area elevators 25 sq ft (26 sq ft)*
   Area rudder 7 sq ft (8 sq ft)*
   Weight 770 lb (675 lb)*
   Weight allup 970 lb
   Speed 30mph
   Price ?800
   *Alternative contemporary data