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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0909.PDF
Ai'Gtjsr 28, 19I4, K. Wilson's power-driven model from the front, and as seen from behind- 6. A special fitting must be fixed to the model so that an attach ment can be made, from the underside of the model, to the balance arm of the wind tunnel apparatus. The design of this fitting to be published later. [Does the model fly with this fitting attached ?] 7. No responsibility as to damage, &c. 8. Prizes: 1st £3, awarded to the model giving the best lift/drag ratio at a wind speed of 18 m.p.h. in the tunnel ; 2nd prize 30*. ; 3rd prize I dr., for next best result. The prizes are given by the Aeronautical Society. The Lanchester Trophy for Model Gliders. The same journal also contains the following: "Mr. F. W. Lanchester haa asked the Society to undertake the awarding of an annual trophy given by him for the purpose of encouraging research into the best shape of aerofoils. Full details will be announced later." Mr. K. Wilson's Model Experiments. "Some time ago," writes Mr. Wilson (Durham), " you mentioned in your columns that you would like to hear from your readers their experiences with model aeroplanes, whether successful or not. I am now about to take advantage of the same. First of all, I may say I have had more failures than anything else. I commenced in the summer of 1909 with small models of the Wright type, with a span of 2 to 3 ft. ; by the end of that year I had succeeded in making one fly 100 yards. I then turned my attention to power - driven models, and constructed a biplane Farman type, with a span of 8 ft. and double-surfaced planes, having an area of 24 sq. ft. The weight complete with power plant, which consisted of a 075 h.p. petrol engine driving a 22 in. diam. propeller (Cochrane), was 22'5 lbs. The engine was a single-cylinder one and weighed, complete with coil, accumulator, &c, 11 lbs. The static thrust of the propeller was 5 to 5*25 lbs. After several trials, I came to the conclusion that it was too heavy ; so I made another model, with a span of 10 ft., chord I ft. 6 ins., gap 1 ft. 6 ins., and 34 sq. ft. of surface ; the total weight being 20'5 lbs. After several trials, which were failures owing to engine troubles, bad weather, &c, I managed one evening to get the model to rise after a run of about 30 yds. ; when it was about 18 ft. high I brought it down by means of a string, which was fastened to the back skid. At that time I had no other means of bringing the machine down, and the engine would run for 15 mins. The model landed flat on the ground and the model collapsed, the propeller being smashed in two. " I afterwaids strengthened the chassis, which increased the weight of the model to 22-25 lbs., thereby again making it too heavy. I made several other models, including a 16 ft. span monoplane, but met with no success owing to the weight. Las' year I purchased a twin cylinder engine which is supposed to be 1 h.p., but I think it is not more than -6 h.p. ; the weight complete with ignition, &c, was 10-5 lbs., with a 26 in. diameter propeller which gave 3 to 375 thrust. I made a biplane 8 ft. span and 15 in. chord, the weight being 19-5 lbs., the weight again being too much. I then made a few propellers, each having a diameter of 30 ins. and various pitches. The best result was obtained from one having a 17 in. pitch, the thrust being 4'5 lbs. I then made another model [see photo.), span of top plane 10 ft. 6 ins., bottom plane 9 ft., chord 18 ins., and gap 20 ins., weight complete 19*5 lbs., which was too heavy, so I took the flywheel off the engine, thus reducing the weight to 17 lbs. I then made several trials. The models seemed to jump 3 ft. off the ground after a run of about 40 yds., and then land with the back skids touching the ground first. The next time I tried it with less angle of incidence ; this gave better results, the flight being 30 to 60 yds. in length and the height 5 to 8 ft., the model still landing flat. " The speed of the model whilst running on the ground was 16 to 17 m.p.h., but after rising the speed was greatly reduced. I found this out one day when the model was running towards a sharp incline about 14 ft. high, and I ran as fast as I could to catch it before reaching the incline ; but the machine was gaining on me at every stride until it rose from the ground, then I began to gain upon the machine." (To be continued.) Mr. P. G. Cox's Olympla Model. The fuselage is constructed of two pieces of poplar 4" 5 ft. in length, and -5 inch square section, set 475 ins. apart near the leading edge of the main plane, tapering back to 4 ins. near the propeller and to a point at the front. The cross spars are 4 in number of streamline section, and are placed 12 ins. apart, starting from the rear of the two longitudinals. An extra strong piece being put in at this end to take the bearing bracket of the propeller. The landing chassis is built up of 18 gauge piano wire, with an a*>h skid £ in. by |, running 3 ft. 6 ins. from the rear of the fuselage, and bent up at the front as shown in the photograph. The wheel axle is made of 14 gauge steel spring wire, and is firmly fixed to the ash skid, but the wire and rubber in the vicinity of the wheels are constructed so as to take all the shock when landing, as Mr. P. G. Cox's weight-lifting Olympla model. 909
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