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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0476.PDF
[/ycHf] JULY 2, 1915. EDDIES. IN a recent copy of Flugsport I came across an appreciation of the M. Farmans, which, emanating as it does from the camp of the arch enemy, is highly flattering to the makers, although one has to remem ber the Germans are stated to be largely pinning their faith now to craft of the Farman type. After pointing out that nobody in France has influenced biplane design to a greater extent than have the Farman brothers, and giving a short resume of the history of the two firms, follows a very detailed description of the M. Farman biplane, the excellent workmanship of which is highly praised. It is stated that in the present war the Farman biplanes are Germany's most dangerous opponents in the air, and those which most nearly equal the German fuselage machines. (One could not, of course, expect a German journal like Flugsport to acknowledge that the Farmans were quite equal to their own tractors.) The article closes with a sentence which is worth translating and quoting in full: " Since already several Farman biplanes have been captured in the western theatre of war our own officer-pilots have learned to fly these machines, and are using them in the service of the German Army." There is evidently not much to find fault with in the old " mechanical cow." It is quite curious to see how the attitude ot the German journal referred to above changes when talking about American-built aeroplanes. In a short par. in the same issue of Flugsport as that giving the Farman article, the American aircraft manufacturer is hauled over the coals for supplying aeroplanes to Germany's enemies. The American machines described in the American aero nautical press, our esteemed contemporary foeman says, are the work of amateurs compared with German pro ducts, and with the exception of Curtiss there can, it continues, be no talk of an American aircraft industry. The Thomas Brothers firm seems to be blooming, and it is somewhat curious, the journal continues, to read an advertisement like the following:—Thomas Brothers Build Aeroplanes for Foreign Power. (The last sentence is printed in English.) Seems to be a case of sour grapes. xxx There has been quite a lot of talk lately in certain quarters about a German firm building a copy of the Bristol scout, the machine in question being the Rex biplane. From the accompanying illustration it will be seen that there is very little resemblance between the Rex and the Bristol. About the only similarity is the staggering of the planes and the fact that only one pair of struts on each side of the fuselage separates the main planes. The fuselage is entirely different, being if anything more reminiscent of the Morane than of the Bristol scout. The inner pairs of int T-plane struts are placed outside the body, and the elevator is of the balanced type, whilst no tail plane is fitted. If the Rex firm have been building this machine under the impres sion that they were making a copy of the Bristol scout, they are likely to meet with a few disagreeable surprises as regards performances, for the five-cylinder R.A.W. engine with which it is fitted looks capable of about 40 h.p. at the most. XXX Some time ago reference was made in " Eddies" to- the new 100 h.p. 6-cyl. two-stroke Roberts motor that was awaiting trials in the Beatty sheds. The pressure of work in other directions has now been reduced sufficiently to get the time to construct a stand for this engine, and a preliminary bench test run or two have been given. It is too early as yet to express an opinion of the merits- of the Roberts motor, since the tests that have been made have not been searching enough to detect any weak nesses that longer runs may disclose, but so far as it is- possible to judge from the preliminary runs, one thing at least seems to be fairly well established, there is a marked absence of vibration. This was, perhaps, only to be expected from a 6-cyl. two-stroke engine, although I am- told that 4-cyl. two-strokes of a similar type were rather bad in this respect. Further trials will now be made to determine the power output and fuel consumption, and if these two important factors are found to substantiate the claims of the makers as well as did the smooth running, and if severe trials fail to bring to light any Two views of the 100 h.p. Roberts engine on the test bench rigged up for it in front of the Beatty shed. 476
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