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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0182.PDF
[/OGHT the feet. Before him, on a dashboard, is mounted a complete set of instruments useful in cross-sea work. Lower down in the cockpit there is a starting handle by which the pilot may put the motor In operation without exterior help. Behind the pilot are seats for two observers arranged side by side. The alighting gear, designed by Lieut. Delage of the French Navy, consists of two main floats below and slightly forward of the centre of gravity and a small elongated egg-shaped float which supports the tail. Cypress is the wood used for the construction of the main floats, the tops of them being covered in with Willesden canvas, On either side of the nose of each main float, a curiously-shaped tin projects. They are designed to prevent the float burying in a P'lBRUARY 15, I913. heavy sea and also to assist in keeping spray clear of the propeller. The main floats have a single step which occurs about half way along their length. They support the body through a structure of steel tubing of streamline section. The tail of the machine is of the usual Nieuport type, with the exception that, presumably to counterbalance the extra resistance to a side wind offered by the floats, two small vertical tail fins have been added, one above the stabilizer and the other below. There is no need to describe the wings in detail for, except that they span 40 ft., they are standard in every respect. The machine, without fuel or passengers weighs 1,230 lbs., travels at 65 miles an hour, and can be bought for ^2,000. A. V. ROE AND CO., LTD. They are exhibiting a 50-h.p. Avro biplane, fitted with a Gnome engine, and arranged to carry a passenger. Similar machines to the one shown have been supplied in numbers to the Royal Flying Corps, and we have heard • Flight" Copyright. The 50-h.p, Avro tractor biplane. that they are extremely popular mounts with those pilots who fly them. Back in last October, too, one of these machines was delivered to the Portuguese Republic, it having been bought by public sub scription. Perhaps our readers, or at any rate those of them who follow the progress of things fairly closely, will recall that the first machine of this type to leave the Avro works was supplied to " Flight" Copyright. The front section of the Avro biplane, showing the mounting of the 50-h.p. Gnome motor and the inspection doors, Mr. J. Duigan as far back as in the September of 1911. It is thus quite an old design, but that is not to say that it is old-fashioned— it is as much up-to-date to-day as any machine we could mention. The body of the biplane is an ordinary form of built-up box girder covered with fabric to preserve its lines, and to permit of it travelling through the air with as little disturbance as possible. In front, under a metal cowl, is mounted the 50-h.p. Gnome motor, swung between double bearings and turning a 10 ft. Avro propeller at the rate of 1,200 r.p.m. As our sketch shows, inspection doors are fitted in the side of the body so that the motor may be readily accessible when it requires adjustment. The passenger is seated some distance behind the motor, and his seat is so low down in the body that only the upper part of his head projects through the well- padded cockpit well. Thus he is protected to a great extent from the propeller draught. The pilot is equally as comfortably installed in his cockpit behind and what he is not able to see over the side of the machine, he can obtain a sight of by looking through a window let into the floor between his feet. The landing gear resembles, to a great extent, that originated by Nieuport, used on Nieuport monoplanes. There are a few im provements, however, among them being that the laminated cross- springs are assembled to the wheel hubs in a rather more satisfactory way than is employed on the Nieuport. Mr. A. V. Roe, too, has introduced, on this machine, a clever form of skid toe, which, instead of being rigid, can adapt itself to any shock caused by striking "Flight" Copyright. The cleverly sprung skid tip of the Avro biplane. an obstacle. Its general details can be seen from the sketch wc publish. 7he planes.—Span 36 ft., and have a chord measurement or 4 ft. 9 ins. Having a high aspect ratio, they are, as may be sup posed, very efficient. Their cross-section has a Phillip-type entry, while it has the peculiarity that the under-surface of that part of the "Flight" Copyright The tail of the Avro biplane. section to the rear of the rear-spar is level in normal horizontal flight. Twelve spruce struts separate the planes, and the bracing is entrusted to stranded-steel cable of generous cross section. The planes warp for the correction of lateral balance. The tail is formed by a flat surface rectangular in plan, at the back of which are hinged two elevator flaps of a total area of 12 square feet. The rudder is novel, in that it is arranged to slide vertically up the rudder bar, against the compression of a coil spring. It is armoured on the underside by a steel shoe, and this is made to serve the double purpose of rudder and tail skid. The average speed of this Avro biplane may be taken as being 65 m.p.h. SOPWITH AVIATION CO. Two biplanes, one a hydro-biplane and the other constructed for of, Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith and his works manager, Mr. F. Segrits, land work, represent the Sopwith Co. on Stand 22. Both were designed by, and the construction carried out under the supervision at the Company's works at Kingston-on-Thames. They are no freak machines, these two biplanes of Sopwith's, a rough glance over 186
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