FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0589.PDF
JULY 23, 1910. AUTOMATIC STABILITY DEVICE. [640] _ Having been a reader of your valuable paper from its beginning, I beg to ask you whether in your opinion the diagram enclosed would give perfect automatic stability, and whether it is original. I should be glad too if any readers of FLIGHT could help me to improve upon it, if they can see any imperfections in it. Fig. 1.—The monoplane on even keel. B and B1 are hinged flaps affixed to the rear extremities of the main planes. C and C are pulley wheels through which a flexible wire, E and E1, passes from the swinging portion, D, to the hinged flaps. A is the pilot's seat affixed to D. Fig I Fin:. 2.—The machine cants, and the swinging part takes up a posiUon at right angles to the horizon, causing the flexible wire on the side which is dropping to pull down hinged flap, B, thus causing that side to rise, and the monoplane regains its ordinary position. Fig. 3.—Side view of monoplane. The swinging portion is hinged to the main frame of monoplane, and can only move sideways, not fore and aft. Camb-idge. H. LAURENCE NUNN. [The general principle involved in the above idea, that of utilising the pendulum action of a suspended weight, is not original, and is open to many objections. Although a pendulum may solve many difficulties in theory, its practical working as a method of control is often disappointing, as the pendulum itself is apt to be the cause of disturbances that are worse than those it seeks to abate.—ED.] MONOPLANE GLIDER. [641] We are making a glider similar to a Bleriot monoplane. Will the following dimensions be suitable for carrying a boy of 7 stone ? Main plane : Span, 15 ft. ; chord, 6 ft. ; area, 90 sq. ft. Tail: 6 ft. by 3 ft. ; area, 18 sq. ft. Length overall, 15 ft. Also is it necessary to use special aero fabric, or will fine canvas do? Ilkeston. W. F. AND L. FLETCHER. [The area of the monoplane is hardly sufficient; even neglecting the weight of the machine itself the loading is very nearly I lb. per sq. ft., and it is preferable not to exceed § lb. per sq. ft., after taking every weight into consideration. If a higher loading than this is attempted in the first instance, it means gliding at higher velocities, which are difficult to acquire in still air, or to commence gliding in a high wind, which is a source of danger until experience has been gained. Satisfactory results in experimental gliding are much more likely to result from copying the Wright glider, which is known to have been successful, than from copying a machine that has never been- used except under power. Special aero fabric is desirable because it is less affected by the weather, but it is not essential. The Wright Brothers used unproofed fabric on their machine.—ED.] [/JJGHT MODELS. ELASTIC MOTORS. [642] Having noticed that it seems to be rather a difficult matter to obtain a successful elastic motor, geared down, I enclose the following directions with sketch, which I thought may be of some use to readers of FLIGHT. AS you see, the gear is tor use on a biplane, and it may be pretty well seen from the sketch how it is constructed. The bearing for the pro peller-shaft is fastened to one of the canes that support the upper plane. To keep the shaft from slipping about, get two rings of metal and place them one at each end of the bearing as illus trated, and then solder them down to the shaft. The bearing for the lower shaft is screwed down to one of the cross members of the plane. The power is transmitted from the large cog wheel to the small one by means of a strong thin leather belt, with holes punched in to suit the cogs, and it must be kept very well oiled to keep it flexible. Hoping you will find room for this in your valuable paper. Chapeltown. G. C. HOLT. TRACING LINEN AS FABRIC. [643] I am now using tracing linen, which I find very good as fabric for models. It can be bought at stationers' for about bd. a square yard. It is very light, will not tear, and is quite air-tight. Wishing your valuable paper every success. Oxford. M. SAVAGE. SILVER-PLATED ALUMINIUM. [644] May I suggest through the medium of FLIGHT that aluminium, sheet, wire, &c, for making models should be sold lightly copper- or silver-plated so that it can be soldered. This should not add greatly to either the cost or the weight. Earl's Court. W. LANGDON-DAVIES. ' CAMBER IN MODEL PLANES. [645] I enclose a sketch of light single-surfaced planes showing two methods of cambering them. Possibly they may interest readers of FLIGHT. The size of block, also the curve, can be made to suit size of plane and camber required, pine for construction throughout, every success. Harringay. I might add that I use good Wishing your helpful journal F. H. STIRLING. LAUNCHING GEAR FOR MODELS. [646] I follow with great interest the correspondence pages of your valuable paper, but up to the present have seen nothing of what may be described as a shooting apparatus for models, the flights of which are very limited owing to the short run of the motors. Do you think it possible that models could be successfully launched into the air by means of a rubber or spring shooting-rail as roughly sketched, enclosed ? It is in fact a form of catapult, but so made as to ensure the model leaving the rails in a smooth and 587
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
