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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 1141.PDF
NOVEMBER I, 1917. WEIGHT ESTIMATING CHARTS. . .- • . ' By "T. IN the matter of aircraft design the weight factor has become a very important item. It is very essential that the weight of all details of construction and com- ponents should be absolutely reduced to a minimum consistent with the strength, that is in all parts subjected to bending, compression, shearing, tension and torsion. Great care must be taken when lighten- ing the various details of construction that any parts taking any loads should be very carefully stressed, and its sectional area must only be reduced to that re- "quired to take a load, this load being, for example, five or six times the greatest load it is subjected to under normal flying conditions. This is usually termed the factor of safety. The accompanying charts (page 1140) have been prepared to enable the weight estimator to calculate the weights of various super- ficial areas of materials according to its thickness. Chart I shows the curves for weights of metals per square inch and the Standard Wire Gauges (Imperial) range from 4 to 32. The gauge thicknesses are tabulated horizontally /whilst the weights are indicated vertically; for example, 1 square inch of 18 gauge Duralumin weighs about .0051b. avoirdupois. Chart 2 shows the curves for weights of metals per H. C." square foot. This chart is almost identical with the former one. Example :—i square foot of 18 gauge Duralumin weighs about .68 lb. Chart 3.—This chart is prepared to enable the estimator to readily read off the weight of steel tubing knowing its outside diameter and the thickness or gauge of the wall of the tube per foot run of length. Weights are plotted vertically and diameters hori- zontally, the curves indicate the gauges. Example :— 1 inch diameter tube, 17 gauge thickness of wall, by one foot in length, weighs about .65 lb. Chart 4.—This chart is almost identical with Chart 3, but has been prepared for copper tubing, and is read in precisely the same manner. These charts have been found extremely useful in facilitating the methods of finding out the amount of material required for each particular fitting, by running a planimeter over the different views on the drawings, thereby enabling the estimator to eventually formulate the cost of the materials required to make such component fittings. The results are usually for the costing office or buying office departmental uses. The charts have also been found to be of great assist- ance when estimating for tenders for contracts. AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT. Rewards for A.A. Men. MR. BOWERMAN, in the House of Commons on October 24th, asked theUndersecretary of State for War whether any special recognition has been, or is intended to be, given to the- men in charge of the anti-aircraft defencesof London for the manner in which they worked their guns during the recent air raids ?Mr. Macpherson : The question of recommendation for reward rests with the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, Home Forces, and such recommendationsas may be initiated by him will receive due consideration. Colonel Claude Lowther : Is it not the fact that these airmen have done themost gallant acts against enemy aircraf I, and that up to the present time they have received no reward ?Mr. Macpherson : I have no knowledge of that. My knowledge is the con- trary. I think the House knows that in several cases men who have actedgallantly in defence of this country have been rewarded. Air Raid Damage to Live Stock. MAJOR WHELER, on October 25 th, asked whether, when agricultural livestock has been destroyed by the action of hostile aircraft, it is proposed to compensate owners for the losses that they have sustained ?Mr. Bonar Law: I will see that th!6 point is considered in connection with the new Government scheme for insurance against damage by aircraft.Compensation for Air Raid Damage. MR. GILBERT asked the Prime Minister what steps the Government havetaken in order to grant immediate financial relief to people whose homjs and property may be destroyed and ruined by enemy air raids and some existingGovernment Department be authorised to deal with the same, and will he indemnify all local authorities for any urgent grants or expenses that they mayspend on such cases ? The President of the Local Government Board (Mr. Hayes Fisher) : I havebeen asked to answer this question. The local committees which have been established to deal with the prevention and relief of distress due to the warhave been authorised in the case of air raid distress to grant immediate financial relief up to an amount equivalent to the amount of the Army separation allow-ances, and in special cases to make supplementary allowances. Small grants may be given at once pending investigation of the needs of the case. They havealso been authorised to defray the funeral expenses of victims of the raids, to make special grants for medical or surgical treatment, and to replace essentialarticles of furniture and clothing. Grants for these purposes are made out of the National Relief Fund and the Mansion House Fund upon the recommendationof the Government Committee for the Prevention and Relief of Distress, and the local committees are fully aware that any applications made by them forsuch grants will be dealt with promptly. The committees, as a rule, have funds already in hand, and any expenditure properly incurred by them would, ofcourse, be refunded. . • The provision which has been made for the relief of air raid distress was dis-cussed at length at a recent Conference at the Local Government Board with the Mayors and other representatives of the local authorities in the Metropolitan area, and the members of the Conference expressed tbeir satisfaction with themeasures which had been taken. I may add that the question of compensation from public funds for damage to property caused by enemy air raids is underconsideration by the Treasury. Mr. Gilbert: Has the right hofl. gentleman any information from a certaindistrict where a raid took place last week that nothing has been done except what has been done by voluntary effort in that district as regards relief ? Willthe right hon. gentleman take steps to see whether he can get the local com- mittee to which he referred to take action in the matter at once ?Mr. Fisher : If the local committee has done nothing, the local committee has singularly failed in carrying out its duty.Mr. Hogge : Can the right hon. gentleman say, with regard to his answer which deals with the granting of relief up to the amount of separation allowance,whether there is any limit to that in the case of casualties, and does that become a pension ; and, if so, is be aware of the inequality between thepension awarded for casualties in air raids and that for death in the war ? Mr. Fisher: If casualties result in permanent injury, that permanent injurywill be compensated for on the lines of the Workmen's Compensation Act. Mr. Hogge : It is not a question of compensation for injury. Can my righthon. friend say if the husband, for instance, is killed, will the widow get a grant equivalent to the existing separation allowance ; and, if so, has be taken intoconsideration the fact that that is different from the pension given in the case of the death of a man in the war ?Mr. Fisher : I think that is a detailed question of which I ought to have adequate notice. NSpares for Aeroplane Engines. COLONEL SIR NORTON-GRIFFITHS asked the Parliamentary Secretary to theAir Board if he will say what steps are being taken to rectify the shortage of spares for aeroplane engines; and if he will state who is responsible for thissituation ? Sir Worthington Evans (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry ofMunitions): I have been asked to answer this question. There is no general shortage of aero-engine spares. Shortages occur at times in connection withindividual spare parts. Emergencies of this nature are met, when they arise, by making the best use of the resources at the disposal of the Ministry.Delay in Testing Engines. SIR N. GRIFFITHS asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Boardwhether any delays occur to manufacturers in the output of aeroplane engines by or through inspectors responsible for the testing of engines refusing to teston Saturdays and Sundays ; and, if so, whether the Air Board will make the necessary arrangements, either by paying double overtime or putting additionalmen on, to remedy this state of affairs ? Sir W. Evans : I am informed that no delays have occurred in the output ofaeroplane engines through the refusal of inspectors responsible for the testing of engines to test on Saturdays and Sundays. When the conditions of outputare such that additional inspection staff is required, the extra staff is provided, either permanently or temporarily, as may be necessary. Flax Control Board. THE Government has approved the formation of a Flax Control Board, with the following terms of reference : " To supervise and co-ordinate the arrangements for securing supplies of seed, flax, and flax goods for war purposes, and to take such steps as will satisfy the Board that, after meeting requirements for aeroplanes, sufficient flax is, so far as possible, available for other war purposes, and to take any further action that the Board may consider necessary." The Committee will be constituted as follows :— Chairman—Lord Colwyn. Representatives of the War Department—Mr. T. B. Barker, Mr. W. H. Gardner, Mr. J. Beattie. Representatives of the Department of Aeronautical Supplies (Ministry of Munitions)—Col. W. Alexander, Major A. E. J. Reiss, Capt. Stanley Clark. Representative of the Admiralty—Mr. Percy Minter. Representatives of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland—Professor J. R. Campbell, Mr. Frank Barbour. Representative of Scottish Spinners—Mr. W. Norman Boase. Representative of Irish Spinners—Mr. Garsett Campbell. Mr. P. Guedalla will act as Secretary to the Board, to whom all communications should be addressed at War Office (Contracts Department), Imperial House Tothill Street Westminster, S.W. 1. II4I
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