FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0990.PDF
AEROPLANE TYPES. THE PONNIER-PAGNY BIPLANE. SPECIAL interest is attached to this biplane owing to the fact that last week, in France, Bielovucic carried out some successful tests with an 80 h.p. two-seater model built for the War Office. Although in general appearance similar to the Henry Farman biplane, this machine has several very distinctive features, viz. :—tubular steel construction, Constantin wing section with blunt entering edge, and the arrangement of the plane-struts, of which there are six pairs. The two central pairs are arranged in the form of a V and extend below the front and rear spars of the lower plane. The apex of the front V joins the axle, and that of the rear V joins the lower tail outrigger ; both are connected by a central strut. The outer plane-struts slope outwards from the lower to the upper spars. Pilot and power plant are carried in a nacelle situated between the main planes and extending well forward. The tail plane, to which are hinged two elevator flaps, is non-lifting and set at a nega tive angle of incidence, and is mounted on two upper out riggers secured to the rear spar of the top plane. Lateral control is obtained by warping the main planes ailerons have also been employed), by means of a wheel mounted on a rocking column, a to-and-fro movement of which operates the rear elevators for longitudinal control. The directional rudder is operated by a horizontal foot-bar. The principal dimensions of the two-seater model are as follows .•—Span—(Upper plane) 12,500 m.; (lower plane) 5.5°° m. Length—7,200 m. Chord—1,700 m. Gap— 1,600 m. Supporting area—30 sq.m. Weight— (Empty) (useful load) 300 kilogs. Speed— 115 kiloms. Engine— 80 h.p. Gnome. VEE JAY. ® ® SOME THAT the Alexander Gross " Anti-Drift " aero compass, shown in the accompanying illustration, has several points in its favour as a compass for aircraft can be judged from the fact that it has been adopted by several Governments for use on military aeroplanes and h-'gff ha? als° mel witn great success in this country. Its chief feature, as its name implies, is that it provides a means of indicating to the pilot whether or no the aircraft is drifting from its set course—a point of considerable importance in cross-country work. This end is attained by enabling the pilot to look right through the compass at the passing ground below, the compass 350 kilogs. per hour. AlEXANPER QROSS. p-"-;—sag* • - having a glass bottom for this purpose, whilst the "card" is also transparent. Across the top glass are engraved parallel lines which can be set lying in the direction of flight. Thus it will be seen that should the aircraft be drifting rideways, objects on the ground (such ® ® ACCESSORIES. as trees, &c.) will pass more or less across the lines on the glass instead of parallel to them. Other features of this compass are the exceedingly clear markings, simple course setting arrangement, and the extreme sensitiveness and steadiness of the card. Messrs. Geographia, Ltd., of 33, Strand, London, W.C., supply these compasses, in addition to a large selection of other instruments, maps, &c. SEVERAL instruments for aeronautical purposes are supplied by Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, of 38, Holborn Viaduct, London, E.C.— the old-established firm of scientific instrument makers who supply instruments to the principal observatories, the Admiralty, War Office, &c. The most important aeronautical instruments are. perhaps, the aneroid barometers for attaching to aircraft. One of these is contained in an aluminium case 6 ins. in diameter, having a leather back ; it has a bold and legible altitude scale, and a clamp for fixing the scale before ascent. The hand can be set to zero, and may be fitted with a maximum attachment to indicate the greatest height attained. Similar and smaller sizea, 4I and 3 ins. (the latter for attaching to the arm) are also made. Other instru ments consist of recording barometers, including a pocket type in a mahogany case; recording annemo- meters (invented by Mr. W. H. Dines, F.R.S.), similar to those seen at many aerodromes ; and flight speed indicators. One of the latter is illustrated by the accompanying sketch, from which its extreme simplicity is at once apparent. It consists of a metal cup, which is set with the mouth towards the direction of flight. The wind pressure on this cup transmits a proportional movement to a pointer (through the system of levers shown), thus indicating on the graduated scale the flight- speed of the machine. /YEQRETTI *K- IOl6
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
