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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0375.PDF
APRIL 4, 1914- IfLlGHT Edited by V. E. Aero Models at Olympia. (Continued from page 352). REFERRING back for a moment to the question of model and prototype, more than one aeromodellist with whom we had the pleasure of talking at the Show, clearly held the opinion that whereas in other model work one could build practical working scale models of full-sized work, in aeronautical matters this was not so, and that therefore to carry the matter to a real logical conclusion, no such thing as a really practical working model aeroplane exists. There undoubtedly exists a line here on which an argument can be hung ; but in the end, either in aeronautical models or others the question is this : How far must one machine resemble another, and how much detail must be put into it before one can be called the model of the other ? Logically speaking, they ought, no doubt, to be exactly alike and to scale. But the term model haj always been used in a more or less elastic sense, when one machine in its general broad outlines, dimensions, and principles did resemble another. We think no greater harm could be done to model aero- planing than to set up a claim that it is an art to itself—apart from other model work. More than one attempt has, however, been made to do this. You will never impress the public (on whom, in the end, you depend for your support), you will never raise the status of model work in this country, nor will you get the full-sized worker to regard it as anything else than a sport and a plaything, whilst at public exhibitions the predominant feature is a machine, which to an ordinary person bears but a very slight resemblance to the full-sized article by its side. In a word, you will never be taken seriously. The question is such a vital one from the model move ment point of view, that we trust readers of P'LIGHT will forgive this break in the more detailed account proper of the exhibits at Olympia, which contain many points of interest, which will be dealt with in due course, and will be, we trust, especially valuable to aeromodellists and others interested who were unable, owing to distance, &c, to visit the Show. JOHNSON, M.A. wire frame. Diameter of propeller, 16 ins., driven by 4"5 oz*. of rubber, ten strands, i in. thick being used on either gear. The main plane is constructed of bamboo. Chord, 10 ins., covered with Bragg-Smith silk. Elevator also of bamboo, 22 in. span and 4'5 chord. Weights: Frame and chassis, 11 ozs. ; plane and elevator, 4-5 ozs. ; rubber, 4'5 ozs. ; total, 20 ozs. Dead weight carried by machine, 5 ozi., making a total weight of 25 ozs. Surface about 4^5 sq. ft., and flies about 18 to 20 m.p.h. Best duration (to date) 41 sees. There are several points of special interest about the above paiticulars, viz., the relation between the span and the length, the latter being only 3 ins. more than the former, and the fact that a machine with such dimensions and of such a size when carrying a dead weight of no less than 5 ozs. can make a duration of no less than 41 sees, and very possibly more. It only serves to show that perfectly adequate result can be obtained with machines built on rational lines, the fact of the matter being that when you come to models of a certain size and above a certain weight, you have got to build them on such lines to achieve any success. We shall be glad to receive particulars of other " weight lifters " exhibited at Olympia. (To be continued.) Littlestone Mcdel Aero Club. Extraordinary Moonlight Flights. We have received the following communication from Mr. Bruce Herd of the above club :—" I am just writing a few lines to see if you can throw any light on the curious flying of some of our members' models. Four of us went out this evening (March 12th) to do some model flying by moonlight, about 9 o'clock till 930. All the machines had been flying very well during the past week, when some good all-round flights were made. But to-night one of our members sent off a twin-screw monoplane, and it comrrenced cutting some extraordinary figures for a few yards, and then dived straight down and broke its back. A second member sent up a fimilar machine to the first, and it rose to about 50 ft., and dived " Flight" Copyright. Mr. L. H. Slatter's weight-carrying model. Mr. L. H. Slatter's Weight Lifter. In Class VI, the weight-carrying models, capable of rising from the ground under their own power, the minimum weight of the machine unloaded had to be one pound, and each model had to carry a dead weight of one quarter its own weight, this weight not to be any part or parcel of the machine proper, the weight or weights to be detachable for the purpose of weighing. In order to qualify, the model must show itself capable of making a flight of at least 15 sees, in duration. In Mr. Slatter's case, the length is 5 ft. 3 ins., the span 5 ft. The frame—double spars of spruce tapering fore and aft, solid spruce 1 in. by f in. section. Distance pieces or spreaders, bamboo. Chassis of umbrella ribbing with sprung wheels—Morane design. Wheels, aluminium, 2-5 ins. in diameter. Twin gears, 1 in. in diameter. Bonn's geared wheels mounted in a well-designed steel straight down at a great speed, and suffered the Fame fate as the first. A machine built from Mr. W. E. Evans' drawings, recently published in FLIGHT, was next sent up by myself. The machine flew about 20 yards, cutting all kinds of capers, and then"rose high up, and finished exactly the same as the others, viz., smashed to pieces. At last a machine which had flown well for weeks was launched, and was soon flying upside-down, and this, too, finished with a sudden rise and straight dive, and behold, yet another broken model. Now what do you make of this? Four models smashed in one night and all of them in the fame way. We should be very much obliged to you if you could possibly tell us what was the cause of the smashes. I would like to thank you for the benefits I have received from your most excellent column, which I and my club-mates look forward to each week." We should think the above quite easily creates another record. 375
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