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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0227.PDF
APRIL 2, 1915. pilot's seat in a tapering shape somewhat similar to that found on the Deperdussin racing monoplanes, and evidently intended to form a streamline continuation of the pilot's head. Immediately behind the engine is placed the observer's seal, and between him and the pilot are mounted the fuel tanks. The radiators, which are of the usual type, are mounted one on each side of the body. Carried on a structure of steel tubes are the two main floats, which are of large size and placed fairly close together. In front the floats are of the V-bottom type, flattening out gradually towards the step, which occurs approximately under the centre of gravity of the machine. Immediately behind the step the float bottom is perfectly flat, gradually running into a slight V-bottom at the stern. View from below of one of the main floats of the B.F.W. seaplane. The main planes, which are of large span, are of the usual plan form, that is to say, rectangular with rounded corners. They are connected by three pairs of spruce struts on each side of the fuselage, and the upper main plane is attached, in the centre, to a steel tube cabanc resting on the upper longitudinals of the body. The attachment of the struts to the spars is very reminiscent of that employed in the Albatros biplanes, and consists of a bell-shaped piece of steel, secured by means of a bolt passing down through the spar, as shown in the accompanying illustration. The bracing cables are attached to this bell-shaped steel piece by passing the lower end of the wire strainer, which is fitted with an ® ® Aerial Attacks on Steamers. IT is reported from Washington that the United States Government has, through its Minister at the Hague, Mr. Van Dyke, sent a strong protest to Germany against the dropping of bombs near relief ships bound for Belgium. The Norwegian steamer " Uiana " reported having had a shower of darts dropped on her decks from a German aeroplane while lying in Calais Docks. Another Air Raid on Calais. THE following account of the bomb-dropping on Calais on Saturday was sent by the Daily Mail correspondent in the North of France :— " The inhabitants of Calais were awakened this morning at probably an earlier hour than usual by a small shower of bombs and the booming of guns from the forts. A Taube managed to get right over Calais at a great height, before being observed and fired on, at six o'clock this morning. Before disappearing the pilot managed to drop seven bombs on the town. Three fell round the Central Station and one near the gas works. The damage done, however, was slight. Nobody was injured." Air Raid Precautions in Germany. A Morning Post correspondent at Amsterdam, writing on March 20th, said that he had had a conversation with a'Dutchman recently returned from Germany, who said, among other things, that trains running through the Rhineland during night time have lights extinguished on approaching bridges as a precaution against aircraft attack. If LIGHT I anchor-piece as shown in the sketch, through openings in the sides of the bell. This fitting does not impress us as being such a good piece of work as that of the Albatros machines, in which, if we remember rightly, the strainers were attached to a ring resting inside the steel bell. Another of our sketches shows the trolley used for transporting the machine short distances overland. The two wooden cross-members, it will be seen, are partly channelled out to receive the two transverse steel tubes Sketch showing cable attachment to inter-plane struts. of the chassis, and for starting off from a shallow beach all that is necessary is to run the machine out until sufficiently deep water has been reached, when the trolley will automatically be left behind, and the machine free to proceed on its floats. The subject of another of our sketches is the tail float and planes. The stabilising plane is semi circular, and to it are hinged the two elevator flaps. The rudder, which is partly balanced, is covered at the lower end with a copper skin to protect it against the action of sea water, and is used for steering on the water at low speeds. A small tail float of the form shown in the sketch takes the weight of the tail planes. ® ® Prizes for Zeppelin Fighters. A PRIZE of ^1,000 has been offered by the Matin to the first aviator who compels a Zeppelin to descend within the zone of the fortress of Paris, and £4°° to the gunner who may succeed in bringing down a Zeppelin. German Aeroplanes in S.W. Africa. REUTER'S correspondent at Garub (east of Luderitz- bucht), reported the following on March 24th) :— " An enemy aeroplane made an attack at 7.30 this morning. It approached by way of the boreholes, which were, no doubt, the air man's objective, but was unable to get in any effective shots owing to the well-directed fire of our heavy guns." This was supplemented three days later by the fol lowing message:— "An enemy aeroplane again attacked our camp. It approached at sunrise flying extremely high, and after a wide detour northwards entered from the rear. The airman manoeuvred as near as possible to our guns, and dropped a couple of shells and a few dart bombs or hand grenades. Only one native was slightly injured." Invention and Aeronautics. IN the report of the Comptroller of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks for the year 1914 it is noted that a marked falling-off was observed in the field of Aero nautics, in which invention has been very active during the last few years. Bombs and apparatus for their projection from aircraft claimed considerable attention from inventors. 227
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