FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0588.PDF
1/5 GHT JULY 23, 1910.. CORRESPONDENCE,. The name and address of the writer (not necessarily for publication) MOST in all cases accompany letters intended for insertion, or containing queries. Correspondents asking questions relating to articles which they have read in FLIGHT, would much facilitate our work of reference by giving the number of the letter. NOTE.—Owing to the great mass of valuable and interesting corre spondence which we receive, immediate publication is impossible, but each letter will appear practically in sequence and at the earliest possible moment. TO COMMEMORATE THE LATE HON. C. S. ROLLS. [634] The sad and lamentable loss of the life of the Hon. C. S. Rolls, I think, all the more emphasises the suggestion I lately put forward by your kind permission, for a memorial of the great record he made in his double cross-Channel flight. We now have to mourn in his loss a leading pioneer of new means of locomotion and aviation, and thus beyond the record of a great event, to record the loss of one who has done much for his country's advancement in these directions. His brilliant career deserves indeed (and I hope the public will think it demands) a personal memorial which shall show that we are not unmindful of those who lead the van for the progress of know ledge and risk to lose their lives in these brave efforts. WALTER EMDEN, Mayor of Dover. 2, Lancaster Place, Strand, W.C. YORK RACECOURSE AS AN AERODROME. [635J I should like to say a few words concerning the race course at York as a flying ground. The flying space would be approximately two miles long by three-quarters of a mile broad ; it is absolutely without trees except at the outskirts, it is flat and without ditches or bushes of any kind except at the edge. York is not far from any of the great towns, as it is an important railway centre, and is connected with all the important European ports by an excellent train and boat service. The race committee have recently enlarged the stands and accommodation for the visitors. York is by no means a windy place, so taking it all round I think it is one of the very best aviation grounds in England or on the Con tinent. 1 think it is many times superior to the ground at Doncaster, Blackpool, or Brooklands. It has been a surprise to many that an aero club has not been formed at York. I know of many who would readily join one. Hoping to hear of one being formed. York. A. MASON. THE GNOME ENGINE. [636] In your issue of July 16th the makers of the Dreadnought rotary engine are loudly decrying the Gnome engine for " this old- fashioned and unmechanical system of passing the petrol mixture into the cylinders through hollow piston-rods." Evidently their experience of Gnome motors is very limited, or they would know that this engine never has, and probably never will have, hollow piston-rods. The rods in question are of H section just the same as those of automobile engines. Hampstead, N.W. B. G. BENSON. AND THE DREADNOUGHT ENGINE. [637] The " full particulars" of the Dreadnought engine are at once, "interesting, amusing, and instructive," and we suppose it is now assumed that the existing makers of flight engines will be " absolutely annihilated," and forthwith close shop. The poor old Gnome engine evidently has to take a rear seat after this onslaught of the Dreadnought, and all because the designers of the Gnome never thought of using motor car fat for lubrication, and mechanical inlet-valves to admit the charge. It is a pity that the inventor will so frequently persist in assuming that his ground has never been previously trodden. Moreover, this attitude insinuates a lamentable lack of grey matter where such is by no means merited. A moment's consideration should reveal the apparently obvious truth that, as the designers of the Gnome engine are not fools, they have given the matter of valve gear exhaustive thought and experiment, and the resultant design of inlet-valve in piston (and not " piston-rod" as the Dreadnought would inform us) is a beautiful and direct method of admitting the charge, and a better solution to this portion of the rotary motor problem would be difficult to conceive. Personally, however, we do not consider that the rotating cylinder presents any tangible advantage over the stationary type, except in the matter of cooling, and the inherent disadvantages are very obvious to those who are conversant with the pros and cons of the respective types. Reverting to our friend the Dreadnought, we are pleased to note- that each engine is to be subjected to 100 hours non-stop bench test in the presence of the purchaser. The humour here again appeals irresistibly to us, and we are of opinion that after this- fusillade in the ear of the poor man, he'would be too dazed to raise any question as to which side should pay for the 500 galls, of petrol which had necessarily vanished during the test, not to- mention the motor car fat expended during the infliction. In conclusion we must confess to a lack of conviction, and also to a feeling of equanimity regarding the continued prosperity of our friends the Green engine, the Wolseley, the N.E.C., and others, not omitting ourselves. ALVASTON MOTORS, per A. B. [638] EXPERIMENTAL MONOPLANE. I am making a monoplane, 17 ft. span and 13 ft. long. Not knowing very much about the subject, I should be much obliged for a little advice from yourself or your readers. I am in doubt as to the best size for the timber and the probable horse-power required, also the best material to surface the planes. I have taken your excellent paper in from the beginning, and have learned so much from it already that I feel I may be excused for asking these questions. C. A. BONE. [The accompanying sketch illustrates our correspondent's design,, and we should imagine that a cross-section if in. by I in. for the main spars with ribs of \ in. by T% in. would make a substantial 17- fa- construction for the main planes, while the main girder members might taper from a section of I in. sq. in front to f in. sq. at the tail. An engine actually developing about 20-h.p. would probably be required for flight.—ED.] HELICOPTERS. [639] Can you kindly inform me through the medium of your excellent paper, which I read every week, whether a flying machine of the helicopter type has ever raised itself, engine and pilot (or a weight equal to that of a pilot) from the ground ? If so, what machine, and when and where did it take place ? Thetford. W. A. HARVEY. [The experiments with helicopters which have so far been brought within our own notice have unfortunately been of a very inconclusive character, although various references have at different times been made in FLIGHT, and previously in the Automotor Journal, to the claims of inventors. If any of our readers have authentic information of a definite character on this subject, we shall be pleased to hear from them.—ED.] 586
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
