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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0485.PDF
AUGUST 14, 1909. flyer belongs to the biplane class, and in this respect is similar to the Wright machine, with which it has another point in common, in the presence of an elevator. The elevator consists of a pivoted plane mounted about six feet in front of the main decks. Apart from the presence of the tail, the greatest contrast between the Voisin and " Flight' Copyright Photo. General view of the central part of the Voisinbiplane, showing its suspension on the chassis. Wright types lies in the absence of any wing warping or other special method of maintaining lateral stability in the Voisin flyer, beyond what is available from the effects of steering by the rudder. Unlike the Wright flyer, which is supported upon runners or " ski," the Voisin machine, when on the ground, rests upon a wheeled chassis, and it is a leading characteristic in the construction of the machine that this chassis is attached to a kind of girder which supports the engine, contains the driver's seat, and carries an extension on which the elevator is mounted. This chassis-frame is one of the elements into which the machine can be dis- mantled for transport. The last, but by no means the least important, characteristic of the Voisin flyer is its use of a single high-speed propeller mounted direct on the crank-shaft of a 50-h.p. engine. V , " Flight" Copyright. Diagram showing the camber of the decks on the Voisin biplane. The Main Decks. The main decks have a total span from tip to tip of approximately 33 ft., and a fore and aft chord of 6 ft. 9 ins. They are single-surfaced with fabric which is stretched over a foundation consisting of ash ribs lying across two transverse main spars. Two spars are placed about 5 ft. apart, and the ribs, which end up flush with the front spar, overlap the rear member a matter of 21 ins., whereby the trailing edge of the decks becomes flexible to a limited extent. This flexible trailing edge is a feature of Voisin construction, as also is the single- surfacing of the decks. The " Continental " surface fabric is so attached that it lies beneath the ribs, but these members are enclosed in pockets of the same material; it is this feature of the construction which gives the uneven appearance to the upper surface of the deck. In order to avoid sharp angles, the main transverse spars are also covered by strips of fabric so fastened that they give the spars a virtual triangular section. The BIRD OF PASSAGE " Flight" Copyright Pkoto. Detailed view of the tail on the Voisin biplane, showingmethod of mounting the rudder, and also the small wheels which support it on the ground. All the ribs which lie between the two main spars are not alike, for at intervals coinciding with the vertical struts which separate the decks the ribs are considerably larger, and are built up to form an inverted T section. Before being mounted, the ribs are permanently set to the required shape, so that the decks when surfaced shall have the proper camber. The Tail. The tail, which is also of biplane form, is constructed " Flight " Copyright Photo. Detailed view of the elevator on the Voisin biplane, showinghow it is mounted and stayed. on exactly similar lines to the main decks, and although it has a smaller gap, and a much shorter span, the chord is the same dimension. The area of the two decks of the tail is nearly one-quarter of the area of the main decks, and it is necessary to bear its value in mind when considering the effective supporting area of the whole 487
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