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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0049.PDF
JANUARY IO, 1914. A NEW MILITARY ONE of the Voisin machines recently turned out by this historic aeroplane factory possesses several very interesting features, as the accompanying sketch will show. Like most of the "Voisin machines of recent years, it is con structed for the greater part of steel. It is a biplane of the " headless " type, and differs from previous models in the method of carrying the tail. Instead of the usual two pairs of triangular outriggers from the main planes, two single outriggers or tail booms are employed. Each of these is attached to the centre of one of the rear plane struts on either side of the nacelle, and extends rearwards horizontally, or parallel to the line of flight. These tail booms, therefore, offer considerably less resistance than the triangular arrangement. Both tail booms are strongly braced to the main planes, whilst the struts carry ing the former are also strengthened by a pair of diagonal cross-struts to the corresponding fore-struts. The rear extremities of the tail booms carry a single elevator tail- plane, which in turn carries two pairs of vertical rudders that move bodily with the elevator. Each pair of rudders is divided into two and arranged above and below the elevator. Mounted in the centre of the lower main plane is the nacelle, which extends well in front of the main planes. The pilot and passenger are seated in separate ® ® A NEW l/llGHTj VOISIN BIPLANE. cockpits in front of the nacelle—the pilot being behind— whilst in the rear is mounted the engine, a 200 h.p. Clerget, which drives the propeller by means of chain gear. The nacelle is supported by a very simple sprung chassis, similar to those on other Voisin machines, and there is also a pair of wheels mounted on the nose of the nacelle. Ailerons are employed for lateral balance, and the main planes are set at a slight dihedral angle. The span of the machine is 15 m., and the weight of the machine ready for the air is 1,300 kilos. "VKE JAY." ® ® AMERICAN STABILIZER. FROM America comes some details of a new device for securing automatic stability that has just been tried and found to work satisfactorily. Briefly, it consists of a disc of fabric stretched over a light framework of wood, and mounted some distance above the main planes. The two transverse edges are turned upwards about which the device is mounted begins to side-slip to the left. The upturned left side of the stabilizer then offers a certain amount of side area to the current of air which is travelling across the path of the machine. As the point of application of this transverse air current is a considerable distance above the centre of gravity, the THE CURTISS HYDRO-AEROPLANE FITTED WITH DISC STABILIZER.—On the fight the machine In flight. 10 ins., thus presenting a slight side area to a cross-current of air. Mr. William S. Luckey, the Curtiss pilot, has just been testing the device for its inventor, Mr. H. C. Fiske, and found that it increased very materially the lateral stability of his Curtiss biplane. The action of the stabilizer is as follows : Suppose the aeroplane on ® ® The First Pilots under New Rules. IT will be seen from the official notices of the Royal Aero Club on p. 39, that three pilots succeeded on New Year's Day in qualifying for their certificates under the new and more stringent rules. Their names in the order in which their certificates were granted were:—720 R. J. Lillywhite (Grahame-White School), 721 Sub-Lieut. F. G. Saunders, R.N.V.R. (Bristol School), and 722 H. B. Martindale (Vickers School). Flying at Shoreham. ON Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of last week a considerable amount of flying was done by the pupils and by Instructor W. H. Elliott on the Avro machines belonging to the school. Lieut. Clemson has succeeded in doing really excellent straights in a good wind, and Mr. Purnell shows marked improvement. Mr. Hayland- machine naturally tends to return to its normal position. It is not evident wherein this device differs in effect from the usual dihedral angle of the main planes, and we should be inclined to think that while it may possess the advantages of the dihedral angle it would also suffer from the same drawbacks. ® ® Wilson, a new pupil, was out for the first time on Saturday, and was certainly very enterprising, insomuch that he accomplished a banked turn very low down. Mr. Cecil Pashley's machine has been rendered hors de combat, having had the front elevator smashed. A New Grade of Emaillite. A NEW grade of British-made Emaillite—to be known as No. 7—is being placed on the market by the British Emaillite Co., Ltd., of 30, Regent Street, W. It is a liquid dope, and a very special point is that it is non-inflammable both before and after being applied to the fabric ; it will extinguish flame if poured upon it. Three coats are said to efficiently dope any fabric, tightening and strengthening it, and rendering it both water and rainproof; besides giving a very pronounced glossy finish. 49
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