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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0987.PDF
NOVEMBER 9, 1916. structed at Hendon aerodrome, where itTmade several short trips. • . i« Returning to the year 1906, Comte de la Vaulx, in con junction with M. Maurice Mallet, carried out some trials with a medium-sized airship. It had an elongated ellipsoidal shaped envelope attached to a long tubular keel, from the centre of which was suspended a small car containing the engine. Mounted at the forward end of the keel was a tractor screw, which was driven from the engine by telescopic shafting and bevel-gearing. The air-ballonet pump was mounted on the keel in the centre and was driven off the bevel gear at the top of the vertical shaft from the engine. The rudder was mounted at the rear end of the keel. The same year a retired German officer, Major von Parseval, built an experimental airship possessing one or two very interesting features. The envelope, which was cylindrical in shape, with a rounded nose and conical stern, contained two ballonets, one forward and one aft. These ballonets were employed for altering the longitudinal trim of the ship, by pumping air into one and deflating the other. Another feature was the suspension of the car containing the power plant and crew. The suspension lines passed over a system of pulleys which enabled the car to swing a small amount fore and aft, and thus alter its position in relation to the envelope accord ing to the variations of propeller thrust. The trials of No. 1 were apparently satisfactory, for subsequent Parsevals were of practically the same design, differing only in dimensions and minor details—such as a finer shape of envelope, and the employment of two propellers instead of one, &c. Another German officer, Major Gross, also experimented with a small dirigible in 1907. This was of the semi-rigid type, the cigar shaped envelope being attached to a long T-shaped keel or framework of steel and aluminium tubing. Mounted on each side of the keel, in the centre of the ship, was a propeller, the drive from the engine, a 25 h.p. Mercedes, located in the car suspended from the keel, being obtained by means of belts. The Parseval system of ballonets, and horizontal planes, were employed for the longitudinal control, and a rear extension of the keel terminated in a cruciform stabilising tail to which was hinged a rudder. The results obtained from this experimental ship, though poor, resulted in a larger and improved model being built the following year and put into military serivce as Mi. This ship created a record by making an out-and-home trip of 176 miles in 13 hours; it.was re-built in 1909 and again in 1912, being enlarged on each occasion. Numerous other models were turned out from time to time, but the only radical alterations in design made were in mounting the propellers directly on the pep car, and in the case of M4. the employment of two separate cars. America's share in the development of the dirigible in 1006 was the construction of an airship with which it was hoped to reach the North Pole. This ship, the " America," .whiih was built in France by M. Godard for Mr. Walter Wcllman, was practically a combination of the Santos Dumont No. 9 and the " Lebaudy." The stumpy envelope was attached to a rigid keel, from which was suspended a long nacelle, of steel tubing, containing an enclosed central section forming the engine room and sleeping cabin. Two engines of 50 h.p. and 25 h.p. respectively were employed to drive a tractor and a propeller mounted at the ends of the nacelle. A small 5 h.p. motor operated the air-pump for the bollonet, andja specially designed guide rope, or equilibrator, was employed for maintaining vertical equilibrium. The start for the Pole was made on September 2nd, I907,but after a two hours' tussle with a strong wind a descent was made upon a glacier, and certain damage resulting, the expedition was abandoned. Later the " America " was rebuilt for a Trans-Atlantic flight, which also ended in failure. " America II " differed in the arrangement of the keel, or car, and minor details. The keel was built up of steel tubes, and extended nearly the*! full length of the envelope. The lower central portion, carrying the engines, stores, crew, &c, was a long cylindrical tank containing the petrol. There were two engines of 80 h.p., mounted at right angles to the axis of the ship. Both engines drove a port and starboard propeller through bevel gearing, that of the rear pair being of the swivelling type for the purpose of vertical steering. Except for a small opening in the centre, the keel was covered with fabric, and thus provided the crew with more or less protected accommodation. A small donkey engine of 10 h.p. supplied air to the ballonets, of which there were eight. A novel form of equilibrator was employed; this consisted of thirty cylindrical tanks strung together on a steel cable, the entire length being 330 ft. These tanks each contained petrol, and could, when required, be drawn into the car. As the ship lightened with the consumption of fuel, a proportional quantity of gas had to be expelled from the envelope, but instead of allowing it to escape into the air, it was used as fuel for the forward engine, which had been adapted for this purpose. With a view to emergencies, a 27 ft. life-boat, well stocked with provisions, was slung under neath the keel. Horizontal steering was effected by a tri-plane rudder at the rear of the keel. The start for the Trans-Atlantic flight was made on October 15th, 1910, and after three days of misfortune following misfortune, the crew of the "America " were picked up in the Atlantic after abandoning the airship and taking to the life-boat. The year 1907 saw the appearance of the first British Government airship, " Nulli Secundus," and for the sake of convenience, it is proposed to deal with the succeeding ones, at once. " Nulli Secundus" had a cylindrical envelope of goldbeater's skin, with spherical ends. Suspended beneath the envelope, by means of a net and four silk bands, was a triangular steel framework, or keel, from which was suspended a steel nacelle. A 50 h.p. Antoinette engine, mounted in the bows of the latter, drove two propellers, one on each side, by- belting. At the rear of the keel were mounted a rudder and horizontal planes for steering, whilst two pairs of movable horizontal planes were also fitted in front. As the use of goldbeater's skin enabled a higher pressure of gas to be main tained, no ballonets were employed, but, of course, relief valves were provided. " Nulli Secundus " made numerous flights at Farnborough, but after a flight to London, was weather-bound, before the return journey could be made.
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