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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0734.PDF
JHI3 Phillips cross-section, as they have not the slightest difficulty in lifting this machine, in which the cutting down of weight has been ignored in favour of solid strength. The way in which the wmg trusses are fastened to the main booms and also to the fuselage is interesting, and it is refreshing to find another constructor who is not content to trust the life of the aviator "Flight" Copyright. Diagrammatic sketch of the Vickers landing carriage. to a 4 mm. bolt. The wing truss, which is formed of two strips ot high tension steel wrapped together by tape, is butted into a conical ferrule, which is attached to the steel lugs of the boom clip in the manner illustrated. The tail surface is purely directional and supports no weight, thus the longitudinal stability of the machine is rendered more automatic and the pilot, by being placed further forward, has a better view of his surroundings than he otherwise would have. Two approximately semi-circular planes rock on ball-bearings at the rear edge of the horizontal tail, and serve as elevators. The ® ® SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AN editorial in the current issue of our contemporary, the Contract Journal, presented under the title of " The Scientific Fetish," aims at throwing cold water on the suggestion that is frequently put forward to the effect that the science of flight naturally suffers somewhat from an apparent absence of sound theory and laboratory research. We do not think our contemporary means quite what it seems to say, the effect of which is to give the impression that theory is comparatively of no account in the matter. It is perfectly true, as is, of course, obvious to everyone, that the real work in this as in other pioneer fields of development is now being done by the practical man who takes his life in his hands and flies up to see what the air is made of. All honour to such as these, we say ; but greater honour still if, when they come to earth again safe and sound, they use their minds awhile to reason out as far as may be the why and wherefore of the difficulties they have been contending with, and will listen also to others who are trying to see daylight through the same problem from a different point of view. When a man is flying, his first and last thought is to keep his machine in equilibrium. Those of great experience, flying on occasions of ex ceptional simplicity, may have some leisure to think of Other things ; but the seat of an aeroplane is not necessarily the best sort of pro fessor's chair, nor one that is altogether conducive to the ease of mind that is necessary to logical and prolonged thought. ® ® Bristol Biplanes at Russian Manoeuvres. AN incident of very vast importance to those who have the interests of the British aviation industry at heart took place on the 15th inst. In connection with the Russian Army manoeuvres two officers left Gatchina and made a reconnoitring flight round Krasnoe Selo, their mount being one of the nine Bristol biplanes ordered by AUGUST 26, 1911. rudder, too, is swung on ball-bearings, and the whole of the tail is protected from contact with the ground by a small wooden skid. Elevation and depression is effected by a backward and forward motion of a lever situated between the pilot's knees, and balance is- maintained by rocking it laterally. The lateral motion of the lever is transmitted to the warping-crank " Flight" Copyright. The Vickers Monoplane.—Double-bell crank operating warping. under the body framework by means of a crank and tubular steel connecting-rod. The rudder control is by the customary pivoted foot-lever. The motor is a 5-cyl. 60-h.p. R.E.P. of the latest type, and a direct coupled Regy Freres tractor-screw transforms the rotary motion of the crank-shaft into effective thrust. Petrol is carried in a large tank under the passenger's seat, whence it is fed by pressure to a smaller tank placed above and behind the engine; the final feed to the carburettor is thus by gravity. ® ® AND PRACTICAL WORK. It is, of course, neither from one side nor from the other side alone that the good work must come ; everyone who is interested in. the subject is capable of contributing something towards progress, and he who neglects to do so, or neglects to give consideration to the contributions of others, is only standing in the light of the development that he pretends to assist. There is, however, one aspect of the "scientific fetisri," as seen by our contemporary, that we would like to emphasise. Speaking of Hopkinson, one of the greatest of electrical engineers, the article says, " some of those who did the real work, of whom perhaps the greatest was Hopkinson, were as good mathematicians as any of them, but these made mathematics their servant, not their master. There was very little mathematics in Hopkinson's great paper that gave us the character istic curve of the dynamo, and profoundly modified and improved) all subsequent dynamo design." There you have the true and proper relationship in a nutshell— theory appreciated by the practical man, stripped of its encum brances, and presented to the profession in the clear light of simplicity. It is the theory that is difficult to understand that the practical man jibs at, and until the pure scientist re-descends from the far lemoved mental plane of his abstract work in order that he may propagate his learning with child-like directness, there will always be that unfortunate discord between the two branches of science that should ever go hand in hand. ® ® the Russian Government. They returned after a flight of sixty miles- in an hour and a quarter, and in spite of heavy showers and gusty winds had a valuable detailed report to present to their superior officer. Meanwhile other military aviators had flown over Gatchina. keeping their comrades in sight. Similar flights were made on the following day.
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