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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0216.PDF
|/ygHT] MARTIN-HANDASYDE (T. On the stand of Messrs. T. B. Andre and Co. is exhibited an excellent specimen of a Martin-Handasyde monoplane, equipped with an 8-cyl. Laviator motor of 8oh.p. Its lines, a matter, we ihould think, of general knowledge, greatly resemble those of the Antoinette monoplane. Scarcely two months since, we published FEBRUARY 22, 1913. B. ANDRE AND CO., LTD.). An equally strong stay proceeds obliquely backwards from the sale point to a fitting on the landing wheel mast, which ableTpmvMed, not only to take a share of the f, tat tc.prevent the wing-which, by the way, weighs something like 110 lte.-from straining forward owing to its own inertia when a landing is being "Flight" Copyright. The 80-h.p. Laviator-Martln-Handasyde monoplane. a complete description, with several sketches, of a " Martinsyde " monoplane, which was practically identical with the one shown, excepting that it was driven by an engine of lower horse-power, a 60-h.p. Antoinette to wit. Let us, therefore, recall some of the remarks we printed then. The body is boat-shaped, and has a cross-section which may be represented by a triangle standing upon its clipped apex. It is built up with four ash longerons, which are, in the process of con struction, clamped down to a former. Held in their correct positions by this ormer or mould, sheets of three-ply wood are bolted to either side. The sheets aft of the pas senger's seat are then lightened by cutting away a diamond shaped piece from the centre of each. Those forward of that seat are left untouched, for at that part of the bedy much greater strains have to be borne. In front the motor is bolted to the top two longitudinal members of the body, and it is almost completely One of the M.H. main lift cable fastenings. covered in by an aluminium shield which lends to the fuselage more of a streamline form than it would otherwise possess. The lines of this shield are continued rearwards to a point behind the pilot's seat, by a superstructure of spruce and three-ply wood, which, covered with fabric and sloped, assists in keeping the occupants sheltered. The pilot sits behind the passenger, and his hands rest on a wheel, mounted at the head of a vertical column, by which he controls the monoplane in flight. His feet operate the steering of the machine in the homontal plane. The wings are most carefully and strongly built, as may be seen from a specimen uncovered wing that is on exhibition on the stand. Its spars are of box section, with ash top and bottom strips and three-ply sides. Where they emerge from the sides of the body the front spars are 7 ins. in depth, tapering to 3 ins. at the tips. The rear spars are also 3 ins. deep at the tips, but are slightly smaller than the front spars at the roots. Both spars are braced by stranded cable stays passing over spruce king-costs erected approximately half way along their length. From the base of the front spar king-post an especially stout cable stay is run obliquely forward to a fitting on the front skid. This stay is designed to take the lift and drift of the wing. SHORT MACHINES As the agent for Short machines, Mr. Grace is showing on his stand a new 80-h.p. Short tractor hydro-biplane. Going back a few months, it will be remembered that the first machine of this type that Messrs. Short Brothers built, was a 100-h.p. hydro- biplane, which was supplied to the Admiralty, and which was flown by Commander Samson at the Naval Manoeuvres at Wey mouth during the past year. Previous to that, however, he had completed a flight on this machine, which, although it did not receive a great deal of publicity in the general Press, was neverthe less a very fine achievement. The flight to which we refer was a non-stop run that Commander Samson made, taking with him a passenger from Eastchurch to Portsmouth, following the coast line. That same machine has, on many occasions, carried two passengers, beside the pilot, and a complete charge of fuel. The 80-h.p. Short tractor hydro-biplane.—In general " Flight " Copyright. The Martin-Handasyde landing gear and wing-warplng mechanism. made. Similar braces attached to the roots of the rear spar king-posts proceed to the main chassis mast, and these both take lift and operate the wing warping. The landing chassis is similar to the Antoinette in appearance, and very similar to it in action, with the exception that, in the Martin syde, the shocks of landing are absorbed by rubber springs in tension, whereas the Antoinette machine made use of a rather more elaborate system of pneu matic springing. From the point where the central chassis mast leaves the body on the underside, a long, curved hickory skid projects forward under the propeller, in which position it is stayed by a stout compression strut running downwards from the nose of the body. The relatively small landing wheels, shod with wide diameter pneumatic tyres, are mounted on a single axle, to the centre of which is mounted the massive steel tube which supports the main weight of the machine. The structure is made rigid laterally by two streamlined spruce struts. The tail is purely a flat directive organ, taking no share of the lift. Two flap elevators are hinged to its rear edge. There is a vertical unbalanced rudder preceded by a fin, and the whole is pro tected by a neat tail skid. The machine has been designed for a maximum speed of 7° miles per hour. Without passengers or fuel aboard, she turns the scale at 1,100 lbs., and, in flight, can carry a useful load of 660 lbs. Thz M.H. wing spar construction. (MR PERCY GRACE). appearance, both that machine and the one shown on Mr. Grace's stand differ but slightly. Naturally there are detail improvements, and among these we might mention that instead of the wings having squared tips they are rounded off, and that Messrs. Short Brothers have used steel tubular stanchions of stream-line section in place of wooden struts to separate the planes. The body is a simple girder of rectangular section totally enclosed by fabric to reduce head resistance. In front, under an aluminium cowl, rotates the 80-h.p. Gnome motor that drives a large diameter Integral propeller. The engine is carefully shielded in, both on top and below, so that it may not become splashed by any spray that may be thrown up by the floats passing through rough water. In the body are, normally, seats for two, the passenger sitting in front. His seat however, is arranged to slide to the right so that another seat may be placed to his left and so provision made for the 222
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