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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0504.PDF
AUGUST 21, 1909. the elevator for temporary ascents. The purpose of the elevator is to produce temporary ascents or jumps by altering the angle of incidence of the main planes to the relative wind, and also to check any longitudinal oscillations which Themay occur, elevator, although a means of "Flight" Copyright. In the Voisin biplane the engine, the pilot's seat, and the elevatorare earned in a girder frame of semi-elliptic form, which is attached .direct to a twO'wheeled chassis, and forms a unit with the machine.lLa the above drawing the relative position of the main decks, 'which are attached to the girder, is also indicated. "beginning an ascent, is not itself endowed with any capacity for causing ascent to be maintained, that alone can result from an increase in the engine power beyond what is necessary to sustain horizontal flight. Lateral stability is maintained by suitably steering the machine, so as to give the depressed wing tip such an increased relative velocity to the air as will cause it to have a greater lift. The Chassis. i The weight of the machine, with the exception of that part represented by the tail, which is independently supported by a pair of small wheels, rests upon two bicycle wheels shod with 650 by 65 mm. tyres. These wheels are mounted upon a tubular framework, and have a. track of 4 ft. 8£ ins. They are so arranged that they "Flight" Copyright Photo. Detailed view of the chassis on the Voisin biplane, showinghow the wheel axle is anchored to the chassis frame by springs. can swing, together, to one side or the other of their normal position, like the castors of a chair, a feature which is essential in order to preserve the equilibrium of the machine when it runs along the ground. In order to restrain these movements on the part of the wheels, their hubs, which are joined by a hinged axle, are anchored to the chassis frame by tension springs, which always tend to draw the wheels back again to their normal positions. Suspension. The suspension of the flyer upon the chassis : is effected by a pair of long helical springs. Each spring is mounted about a steel column which extends upwards from the chassis and passes through a bracket attached to the girder frame which carries the engine. This bracket serves as an abutment to the upper end of the spring, and it also carries a rubber pad to cushion the effect of the recoil. This point forms one of the attachments of the chassis to the frame, the other attachment being formed by a radius-rod which is hinged directly to the frame at a point further in front. When the springs compress, the effect of these radius-rods is to cant the uprights about which the springs are mounted, a point which should be borne in mind when considering the stresses to which the sup- porting brackets are liable to be subjected. Pilot's Seat. The pilot's seat in theVoisin flyer is situated about a third of the chord behind the leading edge of the main plane, and is contained within the girder frame which carries the engine and the elevator. On Mr. Moore- Brabazon's machine the seat consists of a simple board, hinged so that it can be raised for access to the starting- handle of the engine, which lies almost immediately beneath it. The relative position of the seat to the other principal members is clearly shown by an accompanying sketch. Girder Work. From a constructional point of view a flyer presents a series of special problems in girder work, and it is there- fore always instructive to- co nsider the design on this basis. The main planes of the Voisin machine constitute to- gether a kind of lattice girder, in which vertical wood struts alternate with diagonal piano-wire ties. Here and there extra struts and tie-wires have been introduced in the manner illustrated by an accompanying diagram which shows the staying of the main spars form- ing the leading edges of the decks. A point which is always of considerable import- ance to observe in this connection, is the con- tinuity or otherwise of RU6&ER " Flight' Copyright. The entire weight of themain decks, engine and pilot oa the Voisin biplane,carried on a pair of helical springs abutting againstmanganese steel brackets, arranged as shown in theabove sketch. 506
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