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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0184.PDF
FEBRUARY 14, 1918. thing in scouts is " posh " ; a floury potato is " posh " ; a pretty girl with short skirts and nothing in particular for a blouse, is " posh." (Warning : : A corporal is never " posh.") " Quirk."—A fierce, rakish-looking terror of the air ! A dealer of fire, fury and flame ! I think that is enough to give you an adequate conception of a " Quirk ! " Rigger.—I am not quite sure whether a rigger is a grease merchant, or second man to a fitter. Of course, he knows a thing or two, and his unerring verdicts about " wash in " and " wash out " (particularly " washout ") are quite beyond the ordinary mechanic. Stores.—A mythical haven of rest for N.C.O.'s. If a ser- geant is missing for twenty minutes, he is " at the stores " and the Flight Commander commends him for attention to details ! In addition to its capacity as a " legitimate excuse," it also contains spare parts for " Fords," and lots of mysterious people who issue tin-tacks for split-pins ! points, where it cannot be supported except by great strains on cables and wires. These are increased by the jolting that takes place in taxying and landing, but stops directly any speed is obtained, but others commence near the fuselage caused by the weight of engine, petrol, pilots, &c. Designers overcome this by thicker cables at the inner bays, but this still leaves unnecessary weight and thickness placed where it can exert the greatest drag. It makes the best of a bad job. " 5. It is an extension of the tapered wing tips, places support where it is needed instead of transferring it from distant points along flying wires, attains finality, in strength and efficiency, with its wings massive swelling bases. " 6. The only way to grasp its significance is to reconize that the Agoes designer utilises the supreme constructors experience. He copys the birds wing across the width and along its length. When Germans do this it is wise for Britishers not to ignore it. W7atchfull." THE AGO AND A CRITICISM.—A ftw weeks ago we published an original illustrated description of one of the Hun aeroplanes—to wit, the Ago. Descriptions of this character naturally promote progress and invite criti- cism, whether expressed to us or not. Whenever we find we are unable to improve upon any remarks sent in, or that, like the costermonger whose barrow of eggs being upset was dumb, by reason of " words not being ekal to it," we just pass it along for our readers to digest. The following comes within the latter category, and emanates from an R.N.A.S. flying station. If any " FLIGHT " reader wishes to " counter-attack " with some equally enlightening criti- cism we reserve to ourselves the option of not continuing this correspondence. The following is the communication, received under date January 7th :— " Noticeing in a copy of ' FLIGHT ' Dated Dec. 13th, 1917, illustrations and details of a captured German machine called the Ago, it struck me that your writer missed the dominant points. I suggest a few. " 1. Construction on same principle as propeller, fishing- rod, billiard cue or crane. "2. Longer incidence next to fuselage gives better bearing for greatest weight. "3. Absorbs viabriation which takes place nearest to engine. " 4. Gives greater controll over the material of which the machine is constructed. This means much weight rests where it can be fixed instead of hanging down at distant TEN YEARS AGO. :l Auto." (" FLIGHT'S "precursor and sister FLIGHT "^jwas founded General-Lieutenant von Hoeppner, the Commander General of German aircraft, in consultation with his Chief of Staff, Oberst- Lieutenant Thomsen. 180 Excerpts from the Journal) of February, 1908. at the latter end of 1908. THE CHAMBRE SYNDICALE IS FORMED. As the outcome of the various conferences on the subject which we have chronicled in recent issues, the Automobile Club de France has definitely formed a special section to deal with the aeronautical industry, which section—known as the Chambre Syndicale des Industries Aeronautiques—will work amicably with the Aero Club de France. Its primary object is to encourage the industry as distinct from the sport ; to which end it will hold competitions for engines suitable for aeronautical machines. The Marquis de Dion has been elected President, with MM. Mallet, L. Godard, and L. Bleriot as Vice-Presidents. The General Secretary is M. G. Besancon, and the Treasurer M. Esnault-Pelterie. THE BERTIN HELICOPTER. A helicopter machine has just been completed by M. Bertin, its chief peculiarity being two lifting-screws on separate vertical shafts and a 150 h.p. 8-cyiinder horizontal engine to drive them. The engine is situated in the centre of a tubular steel framework, and drives the vertical shafts through bevel-gearing. A continuation of the crank-shaft is also fitted with a screw tractor for the purpose of obtaining longi- tudinal motion when the machine itself is in the air. The two lifting-screws are situated at a height of about 1.8 metres above the base of the machine, and measure1 2.4 metres diameter. They are designed to run at a speed of 1,200 r.p.m. The complete machine weighs 310 kilogs. THE COLLOMB FLAPPING FLIGHT MACHINE. An extraordinary apparatus has been con- structed by M. Collomb, of Lyons, with the object of achieving flight on the flapping wing principle. The moving planes, of which there are two, rock upon fulcrums and are so hinged together that they can be operated simultaneously by the engine. The engine, which is mounted low down in the main framework, has a chain pulley on each end of its crankshaft, and these drive very long chains, which are supported by corre- sponding pulleys overhead. Anchored to each chain is one end of a long wooden connecting rod, the other ends of which are attached to the hinge between the two planes above. When the chains are in motion they carry the con- necting rods bodily with them, and these impart a reciprocating motion to the flapping planes, which consequently rock about their fulcrum points. The greater portion of the surface of the planes is formed by pivoted louvres arranged after the manner of laths in a Venetian blind. These laths automatically close on the down-strokes and open to let the air freely through them on the up-strokes, and the inventor of the machine confidently antici- pates being able to keep himself aloft in the air by this means. The stretch of the wings "measures 12 metres, the total surface is 24 sq. metres. The engine is rated at 40 h.p.
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