FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0681.PDF
JULY 27, 1912. has an extra compression due to head resistance of the planes, and the rear spar bracing wires are very often inclined to a much smaller angle than are the bracings wires of the front spar. The Flanders rear spar is about as good as any, being practically a solid square sectioned piece of ash with quite a large sectional area of material. The wire fastening side plates on a spar have a great deal of room for improvement in design. A very usual type is that shown in Fig. 7- When the machine is in the air, the whole of the load is, of course, on the under wires and these, instead of pulling directly on the spar bolts, are trying to lever over the two side-plates and probably putting about four times as much stress on the bolts as a \fuGm FROM THE ® ® BRITISH straight pull would apply ; worse than this, the already weak compression side of the spar has to withstand the extra and unnecessary bending moment caused by this leverage. A better designed fastening would be one in which a straight line passing along the axis of the wire would strike a point midway between the two spar bolts as shown in sketch, Fig. 8. The writer is very much of the opinion that steel spars have got to come to the fore, and he is also convinced that it is possible to design light enough spars with an entire absence of bracing wires. Whether he is right or wrong the future alone will show. GRANVILLE E. BRADSHAW. ® ® FLYING GROUNDS. Royal Aero Club.—Eastcburch Flying Ground. MONDAY, Tuesday and Wednesday last week proved very quiet on account of the most unseasonable weather. Thursday Lieut. Grey took out the Birdling monoplane which has for some time past been having a holiday. After one or two straights and taxying over the hard ground the fuselage gently settled down in the middle, finally breaking off short close to the skid anchorage. Lieut. Brygs took out school machine for some practice circuits, followed afterwards by Private Edmunds. On Friday Private Edmunds went for his brevet, but was unable to land within the specified distance of the landing spot. He again tried on Saturday, but had to come down owing to engine trouble, which was apparently due to castor oil having found its way into the petrol feed through a leak in the tank. This was rectified, and on Monday he successfully accomplished the test. On Rriday Capt. Gordon was also out on the Henry Farman, which he again took out on Saturday, climbing quickly to a height of 2,400 ft., with Lieut. Brygs as passenger. The gliding angle of the machine is very good, and when flying is a source of pleasure to its pilot. The 70 Gnome engine has, however, given a great deal of trouble lately, chiefly due to inlet valve springs breaking. Mr. Ogilvie was flying his N.E.C.-engined Wright, and took Miss G. Brown and Mr. Fowler as passengers during the evening. Sunday was a glorious day, the wind never stopping the 10-m.p.h. mark, although in the early morning up-currents were very strong. Mr. Ogilvie and Mr. McClean were out on their N.E.C.-Wright and 70 Short tractor respectively, taking in turn as passenger Mr. Marshall. On Monday evening Commander Samson took out the Henry Farman, followed by Capt. Gordon afterwards on the same machine. Lieut. Malone was out on Mr. Mortimer Singer's Farman. Mr. McClean was on the 70 Tractor, Mr. Ogilvie on the N.E.C. Wright, whilst Commander Samson, after landing on the Henry Farman, took up the Short monoplane. During the evening, while the machines were flying, a bunch of seven wild ducks came close to one of the machines which was about 300 ft. up. The pilot followed them and was ^^^^^ able to get within 35 yds., when they started sharp turning, elevating and diving tactics, all of which the machine was equally competent in, except the very rapid elevating, where they scored a point, although the machine is capable of well ^over 200 ft. a minute. Brooklands Aerodrome. THE Bristol School, owing to the military trials on Salisbury Plain drawing near, has sent up their pupils from Salisbury to join their school at Brooklands, and the joint school at Brooklands now presents one of the busiest sights imaginable. There can be seen some 20 pupils hard at work upon four biplanes and three monoplanes, all machines kept going every available minute. With them now the week starts about 3.30 to 4.17 on Monday mornings, and finishes at dark on Sunday night. Every morning when the conditions seem favour, able, either Mr. Hotchkiss, the chief of the school, or Mr. Merriam, his able assistant, fly round just after daybreak, for a short circuit, to ascertain if the conditions are favourable for school work, then all the machines are brought out and pupils can be seen flying in all directions. Every day, either morning or evening, and in most cases both Mr. Hotchkiss and Mr. Merriam were giving tuition flights to Messrs. Cheesman, Summerfield, Major Higgins, Lieuts. Atkinson, Waldron, Play- fair, Wanklyn, Duberly, Hope, and Bettington, while Mr. Holyoake, Lieut. Wilmer, Capt. Mac- donell, Lieut. Arthur, Mr. Pickles, and Mr. Campbell were flying solos. Later in the week Mr. Summerfield, Major Higgins, and Lieut. Waldron all joined the ranks of solo flyers, each shaping quite well. On Friday morning, in quite a nasty wind, Lieut. Wilmer went off about 4.30 to fly for his brevet, each five figures of 8 taking about the average time of 17 mins., keeping a good course, though rather on the low side, making two perfect landings. At the Avro School, Lieut. Parke was seen on most days on the school machine ; also was Mr. Sims, who on Saturday morning flew the first half of his brevet test in quite good form considering his short tuition. On Friday morning Lieut. Parke started off to Farnborough on one of the Avro military machines with Mr. Gordon Bell as passenger, but before they got to Woking they had received such a tossing that they very wisely decided to return to Brooklands, coming back and landing perfectly in a very nasty wind, which showed up the excellence of the Avro machine. Scspwith's School, with Mr. Perry as chief, have been busy all the week, starting work each morning at cock crow, and all their pupils received much instruction either as passengers on the Burgess-Wright or Farman biplanes, or solo flying. On Friday morning Capt. Alston flew for his brevet upon the Farman biplane in the rotten weather described, doing exceptionally well, keeping good altitude, and making splendid landings. Martin Ilandasyde monoplanes have been out nearly every day in the hands of Mr. Bell. It is very tantalising to the schools at Brooklands to see Mr. Bell bring out these machines and fly about in winds that keep in all school machines. Vickers School very busy with all machines, getting in a lot of work nearly every day. Capt. Darbyshire, who has been flying straights for some time, does much better, and now flies circuits, right and left hand turn?, quite well on No. V. On Friday morning the new Vickers came over from Farnborough, piloted by Mr. MacDonald, who, upon reaching Brooklands, gave the few spectators at that early hour an exhibition of the capabilities and speed of his machine. This machine is Mr. "Flight" Copyright Richard T. Gates flying; at Hendon on the school Farman. 681
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
