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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0120.PDF
„ ,. Handicap Handicap. Time-Speed Handicap. Final Heat (6 laps). m. S. I. W. L. Brock (8oh.p. Bleriot monoplane)... o 20 3. Philippe Marty (80 h.p. Morane-Saulmer monoplane) scratch II 4°i 3. Marcus D. Manton (5oh.p. G.-W. biplane) 3 42 4. K. H. Carr (50 h.p. G.-W. biplane) ... 3 '5 m. s. 11 40 11 42 As previously mentioned, Sunday was very gusty, but several exhibition and passenger flights were put up by the Hendon pilots, including Claude Grahame- White and Louis Noel on the Maurice Farman, W. L. Brock on the 80 p.h. Bleriot, Marcus D Manton, L. Strange and A. Lillywhite on G.-W. 'buses, and J. L. Hall on his new Avro biplane. The fatal accident to G. L. Temple occurred at about 4 o'clock, Temple being the last to ascend. At the time of the accident Grahame-White was up in the Maurice Farman. ® ® ® ® "THE STABILITY DISCUSSION ON DURING the discussion on Mr. Leonard Bairstow's paper on " The Stability of Aeroplanes," which was read before the Aeronautical Society on the 21st inst., Mr. Harris Booth said he considered that the propeller effect was negligible except so far as side winds were concerned, but the torque of reaction from the engine when switched on and off was a more serious matter. He had made experiments with two of the models given in Professor Bryan's work on stability in aviation, and had found the two-fin model to be unstable, the flight ending in a spiral nose dive, but with the model given in Fig- 34 of that book, having one fin and a tail rudder, he had obtained consistent flights. He thought that if equations could be obtained for stability in curvilinear flight, they would do much to advance the science of aeronautics. Mr. Booth then indicated a method he had employed in launching models by the use of a box kite. The kite was sent up attached to an endless string running on two pulley?, one of which was connected to the bridal on the kite, and the other fixed to the ground. The model was attached to the string by a piece of cotton, so that when it reached the upper pulley a jerk was sufficient to break the cotton and launch the model. Mr. T. W. K. Clarke suggested that stability might be gained by the use of devices operated by inertia, such as a bar bell set up on the axis of a machine, or by the use of the gyroscope. Mr. Handley Page gave a demonstration with a stable model, which he made to " loop the |oop " when he imparted the necessary velocity to the machine : and observed that when the speed is too slow the model rites to its topmost position and then performs a tail slide. Major Brooke Popham observed that he did not think we should ever dispense with pilot controls even with aeroplanes possessing natural stability, because of the possibility of accident should a machine be struck by a gust when near to the ground. Mr. A. R. Low said he was very pleased to note the author's remarks on the possibilities of mathematics in the solution of stability problems, especially because of the attitude taken up by many people in regard to the paper which Professor Bryan read on stability before the British Association, and he considered that it would amply repay the Government to employ a mathematician of Professor Bryan s eminence to investigate the cause of accidents to their machines. Mr. Busk said that he believed it was unlikely that, in the near future, we should be able to fly near to the ground without human control, and he therefore considered it as essential that all controls should be powerful enough to overcome all natural couples, since the manoeuvres of landing and starting often necessitate the presence or absence of angular motions contrary to those which occur in uncontrolled flight. The opposition evinced by some pilots to natural stability was, he thought, due to the fact that unstable machines are more difficult to fly, and human nature lends one to like doing more difficult things; or else, that they lack experience of stable aeroplanes. Experiments in longitudinal stability have ® ® THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS. THE following promotion was announced by the Admiralty on the 22nd inst. !— Lieut. J. W. Seddon has been advanced to Squadron Commander, Isle of Grain Air Station, with seniority of January 22nd. The following was notified in the London Gazette of the 23rd inst.: R.F.C—Military Wing.—Inspection Department.—Gapt. Ralph K. Bagnall-Wild, retired pay, to be Inspector of Engines. Dated January 6th, 1914. The following was announced by the Admiralty on the 23rd inst. : Lieut. R. A. Wilson, graded as Flight Commander, to date October 1st, 1913. ,,, R£YAL FLYING CORPS (MILITARY WING). WAR OFFICE summary of work for week ending January 17th :— Flying Depot. S. Farnborough.— Repair and experimental work was carried on as usual. No. 2 Squadron. Montrose.—Three machines were taken to the new aerodrome and the work of transferring the sheds was continued by the squadron. No. 3 Squadron. Netheravon.—Officer and N.C.O. pilots were out frequently during the week. OF AEROPLANES." shown that a slightly stable aeroplane is not only more comfortable to fly but easier to land than one which is unstable. He drew attention to an aspect of this problem of stability which, he said, had not yet been seriously considered—namely, the loss of power involved in the side-slip necessary to right a roll. He also stated that as all stability arrangements, whether inherent or mechanical, depend on gravity for a sense of direction, side-slip was as necessary for mechanical as for inherent lateral stability. Mr. Mervyn O'Gorman commented upon the number of patentees of various stabilising devices, and suggested that in dealing with such inventions it would be well to get the inventor to explain step by step in what manner he had been able to solve the problems of stability. It was generally thought, he said, that the machine which was the least tossed about in the air was the most stable, whereas the reverse was really the case. He pointed out that many of the difficulties arose from the fact that an aeroplane had to land, not only head to wind, but also in side winds, which placed a vertical fin system and the large dihedral angle machines at a disadvantage. Mr. Jones observed that he had discussed this matter with a pilot friend, who strongly objected to inherent stability, and on getting at his reasons found that it was due to the fact that such machines are more uncomfortable, because they are more pushed out of their course by gusty winds. The question to be settled, he considered, was how much stability should be allowed in the machine, and he thought that this should be decided by pilots, who would bring their require ments to the aeroplane constructors. It would, he considered, be desirable to have a machine with variable stability—one that would be reasonably stable when high up. The author, in his reply, said that it was possible to put on as much as 2,000 ft. lbs. by warping the wings, and as the steady torque of the engine generally only amounted to 200 ft. lbs. he saw no difficulty in neutralising the back torque. In regard to Bryan's equations, he mentioned that any alteration in the shape or size of the fins involved five differem quantities. Mr. Booth's method of launching models from kites was good, but the study of stability was much complicated by experiments in the open, and he thought that they should first examine the conditions in still air. He said that it was very necessary to give sufficient velqcity to a stable machine in order to make it perform the evolutions gone through by Mr. Handley Page's model. In reply to Major Brooke Popham, he remarked that if a machine was inherently stable it required constant attention to prevent it from being pushed off its course. When landing a pilot had many things to do. The verticle fin system was very uncomfortable, as it was too stable, and he considered that inherent and automatic stability should be complementary, while it should be possible for the pilot to cut out the automatic gear before he lands. The author pointed out that the rudder would require to be four times the size, if they did not warp the wings. ® ® No. 4 Squadron. Netheravon.—The squadron pilots of all three flights were out daily, and some reconnaissance work was carried out. No. 5 Squadron. S. Farnborough.—The pilots of A and B flights carried out a number of instructional flights. During the week repair work and overhauling were continued. Week ending January 24th :— Flying Depot. S. Farnborough.—Experimental and repair work was carried on as usual. No. 2 Squadron. Montrose,*--The move to the new aero drome was completed during the week—many instructional flights were carried out by the latest joined officers. Observation of sub marines was also carried out on one day. No. 3 Squadron. Netheravon.—The officer and non-com- missioned officer pilots were out every day of the week. No. 4 Squadron. Netheravon.—The officer pilots of the squadron made numerous short reconnaissance flights on B.E.'s and M.F. machines. Two B.E.'s were flown from Farnborough for use with this squadron. No. 5 Squadron. S. Farnborough. — Many instructional flights were made by the pilots of " A " and " B " flights. 120
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