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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0726.PDF
reliability of the wires, when properly heat treated, has been assured by vibration tests at the Laboratory. " Great attention has been paid to the thorough testing of all metals used in aircraft construction, and a specimen from every bar is individually tested. Owing to the high demand for mild steel of less good quality for shells, the difficulty found in obtaining the better class of material required for much of the work on aeroplanes has been overcome by micro- graphic and temperature studies of the metal at the Factory, and the treating of the steel as delivered till the better quality is secured. Advice and assistance has been given to con structors with regard to their heat treatment plant. " Design and construction of aeroplanes.—New machines and new wing sections have been designed to take advantage of new knowledge, and appreciable improvement for a given engine power and weight has been obtained. Development proceeds by the making of a few trial machines, and four main types have been standardised for contract purposes. In new types guidance has been received from the experience of the Royal Flying Corps in the field, and in all cases it has lieen found possible to secure stability under ordinary flight conditions. Certain aeroplane constructors have taken advantage of a new device for saving weight in design, of a fair-shaped design of tail, a steerable rear skid and other details. Special attention has been given to the provision of suitable landing gear, and in large machines an air and oil recoil mechanism has been successfully introduced. The im provement of air-cooled and of water-cooled engine design and construction has been the subject of continued study, resulting in new designs and their development, with the help of the firms concerned. Two new devices are being tested for improving the performance at heights. " Instruments.—Owing to the greatly increased demand for aeroplane instruments, the work in this connection has been very much augmented, the labour of correction and adjustment of deliveries being considerable, and much in struction and assistance has been given to instrument firms. A new air speed indicator of the metal diaphragm type has been designed and tested. Improvement has been made in the system of electric lighting of instruments. The National Physical Laboratory method of test of instrument dials painted with luminous paint has been<of great assistance, and the test is now specified as standard by the Royal Aircraft Factory. The temperature and lag errors in aneroids are being investigated and their remedy considered. An im proved engine speed indicator is designed and is under con struction. The investigation relative to the aeroplane compass, already referred to, has led to the production of the R.A.F. Mark II Compass, which is now being made by contract in large numbers for the Royal Flying Corps. " Two wireless telegraphy sets of very light weight have been designed and tested, and the investigations relative to finding the true vertical on aeroplanes in flight have progressed satisfactorily, as well as the evolution of optical systems for convenient observation of bomb dropping from aeroplanes. " Whirling arm.—The whirling arm at the Royal Aircraft Factory has been used for tests of full scale air-screws, and modifications made to give speeds up to 70 m.p.h. The results have been valuable in studying the relation between model and full scale observations taken on aeroplanes in flight. Comparative experiments are also in progress at the National Physical Laboratory. " Fabrics and dopes.—Experiments with various types of fabric have been in progress in connection with visibility and with a view to lowering the weight of the fabric covering of wings, and decreasing the amount of the tightening and pro tecting film necessary. It has also been found that a method of abandoning the use of poisonous ingredients can be relied upon. Protracted experiment has led to the conclusion that the greater part of the deterioration of the film on .aeroplane wings is due to the actinic portion of the sun's rays, and it has been found that effective protection can be obtained by the application of a finishing varnish containing pigment, and that advantage is gained by the avoidance of drying oils in contact with fabric. The use of the pigment is also serviceable in certain cases in rendering aeroplanes, when on the ground, less visible from above. " Other matters.—A large number of special tests have been made on oils and petrols, the design of magnetos, in which assistance has been given by experiments at the National Physical Laboratory, the design of spark plugs, the design of shell for special purposes, gun mounts, fire grapnel, &c, on thin tubular struts, on sound detection, on the stability of bombs, on the gas distribution in engines, the use of air- AUOUST 24, 1916, screws of variable pitch, and many other problems. A special speed measuring course has been laid out for deter mining aeroplane speeds at heights. " NAVAL WORK. " The assistance of the Committee has been given to the Air Department of the Admiralty in connection with a number of important problems, in which laboratory experiment was desired in conjunction with investigatory work proceeding on the full scale. Among the questions dedlt with may be mentioned the design of airships, both rigid and non-rigid, the mooring of airships over the sea, points in connection with the design of seaplane-carrying ships, the design of wind screens near airship sheds, and the equilibrium and stability of kite balloons. The National Physical Laboratory has also been working in co-operation with the Air Depart ment in relation to airship fabrics, dopes for aeroplane fabrics, the production of light alloys, and other matters. " As mentioned earlier, a request was made by the Air Department of the Admiralty for an increase in the facilities for tests of seaplane floats and flying boat hulls. The necessary provision has been made for this, and the full scale work on machines of new types is being carried on in con junction with model tests in the William Froude Tank at the National Physical Laboratory. The utility of the model work has been fully demonstrated in the full scale tests. " New types of aeroplanes and seaplanes have also been developed by the Air Department, with the aid of wind channel tests at the National Physical Laboratory, and the co-operation of the Committee has been obtained with reference to a number of special matters, especially in regard to auxiliary apparatus for use on aircraft. " METEOROLOGICAL WORK. " The experimental work of the year has been mainly concerned with arrangements for the automatic recording of lightning flashes and ascertaining by wireless telegraphy the position of distant thunderstorms, with the object of giving warning of their approach to those interested. The Admiralty have arranged for the co-operation of the Naval Wireless Department, and the assistance of observers of weather in various parts of the country has been secured. " The work at South Farn borough is in charge of Tem porary Capt. C. J. P. Cave, of the Meteorological Section R.E., who is now meteorologist in charge of the Office at South Farnborough. " Arrangements are in progress for observations on the relation of various conditions of weather to visibility of near and distant objects. " In connection with the regular work of the Office at South Farnborough, information of various kinds as to the state of the atmosphere has 'been supplied to the Royal Aircraft Factory, information as to the structure of the atmosphere, as obtained by pilot balloons, to the Royal Flying Corps, the Aeronautical Inspection Department, and other centres. " The Office is in regular daily communication with the central Meteorological Office at South Kensington, for the transmission of the observations made locally and for the receipt and distribution of information collected and arranged at the Central Office. It has also been used for training meteorologists for duty with the Meteorological Section R.E. " There have been many changes in the professional staff, which now consists of Capt. Cave and Mr. R. A. Watson Watt, B.Sc, of University College, Dundee. " Arrangements are in progress through Major G. I. Taylor, R.E., who has been appointed Professor of Meteorology, to improve the exchange of information between the air pilots and the Meteorological Service, and to enable the collected records of weather and the experience of airmen, which is at present unrecorded, to be used for the advantage of the Air Services. " Signed on behalf of the Committee, " June, 1916. " RAYLEIGH, President." It may be recalled that the members of the Committee are :—The Rt. Hon. Lord Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S. (President); Dr. R. T. Glazebrobk, C.B., F.R.S. [Chairman) ; Mr. Horace Darwin, F.R.S.; Mr. E. H. Tennyson d'Eyncourt, C.B.; Sir G. Greenhill, F.R.S.; Lieut.-Gen. Sir D. Henderson, K.C.B., D.S.O. ; Mr. F. W. Lanchester, M.Inst.C.E. ; Mr. H. R. A. Mallock, F.R.S.; Lieut.-Col. Mervyn O'Gorman, C.B. ; Professor J, E. Petavel, F.R.S.; Sir Napier Shaw, F.R.S.; Commodore Murray F. Sueter, C.B., R.N. .^Secretary, Mr. F. J. Selby. 722
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