FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0571.PDF
i\i A.\ 23. 1918. HHHHHHHH Front view of the j Fokker triplane. a m H H H H 0 E HIH the remaining sketches of Fig. 11. That on the left shows the attachment to the lower spar, and the sketch on the right indicates how the same method, with slight modifications, is employed for securing the inter-plane struts to the middle spar. A shoe of thin sheet steel is wrapped around the end of the strut, and through it a long tubular bolt is passed, which also runs through the holes in the channel section plates on the sides of the spar. The principle is really the same as that for attaching the body struts to the spar. In the latter, however, the channel plate has its upper end bent over the edge of the spar, presumably to assist in relieving the bolts passing through the spar of the shearing stress. In Fig. 12 are shown some of the details of the lower wing near the tip. On the right will be seen a sketch illustrating the peculiar construction of the extreme wing tip. This is formed by placing an ordinary rib horizontally, attaching it to the last main rib by triangular brackets of wood. The remaining sketches of Fig. 12 show the details of the wing tip skid. From the sketch on the left it will be seen that the skid is so close up against the lower surface of the wing that the machine would have to cant over at an alarming angle before the skid would come into play, and it is difficult to see how the skid could be of any great practical use. Its attachments are shown in the detail sketches, that on the left indicating how the skid is pivoted, while that on the right shows how the free end of the skid is secured. Small bolts pass through these fittings and are locked on the inside of the spar in the manner indicated in the small sketch. The attachment to the body of the lower and middle wing is shown in the sketches of Fig. 13. That on the left, illustrates the bottom plane attachment. It may be remembered that the main lower body rails were passed over the bottom spar, auxiliary rails being provided for maintaining the continuity of the curve underneath the spar. This is indicated in the sketch on the left. The attachment itself is exactly similar in principle to that of the top spar to the body struts. Again provision has been made for adjusting the angle of incidence. The middle spar attachment, shown on the right, is to all intents and purposes the same reversed. In this connection it should be remembered that the spars run right across from side to side in one piece. This has an important bearing on the wing spar stresses, with which we hope to deal next week. , ' i' * (To be continued.) .; 7 "."•.' *•' U.S. Aerial Mails. %THE first aeroplane mail service between Washington and New York was inaugurated on May 15th. The aeroplane conveying the New York mails arrived in schedule time, nineteen letters being delivered at the White House at a quarter past three in the afternoon, having been brought from New York by an aeroplane which left there at noon. The machine from Washington was forced to descend after a short distance had been covered. Inter-Allied Aerial Mails. GENERAL BONGIOVANNI, the chief of the Italian Aviation Department, states that France, Britain, and Italy have come to an understanding as to aerial communication be- tween London, Paris, Nice, Rome, and Brindisi, and that this matter is now being thought out. General Bongiovanni is confident that all difficulties will be overcome and that aerial postal communication between the Allies will be instituted. Anglo-Dutch Aerial Post. . ^.r ^;::::; ^P , 1%*;. THE plan for an aerial post to England was discussed at the meeting of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce on May 15th, and the committee was instructed to impress the urgency of the matter on the authorities. One member declared that the usefulness of such a service was now fully realised. What had been done abroad, he added, proved that an^aerial post was possible. Attempted Raids on Paris. THREE attempts to raid Paris were made on May 15th and 16th, An alarm was given towards midday in the district north-east of Paris. An enemy aeroplane was making for the capital, but the defence batteries immediately came into action and French airmen went in pursuit of the German, who changed his direction and fled without dropping bombs. The " All clear " was sounded 45 minutes later. The second alarm was late in the evening. On the observa- tion posts of the fortified zone of Paris notifying that enemy aircraft were making for Paris, the alarm was sounded at 10.12 p.m. Fire was opened by the artillery posts, and the aircraft assigned to the defence of the city took to the air. No enemy machine succeeded in reaching Paris, but several bombs were dropped in a large suburb. The " All clear " signal was given at 11.55 p.m. A fresh air raid alarm was given in Paris at 1.50 a.m. The " All clear " was given at 2.30. It is unofficially reported that two successive attempts were made by two different groups of German aeroplanes. The first group, having dropped bombs about 19 miles south of the point at which they had crossed the lines, returned at about 11 o'clock. A second group of four aeroplanes, crossing the lines a few minutes later at almost the same point, made for the south-west, but had to return after having gone about 30 miles. They dropped a few bombs in open fields. The following official communique was issued in Paris at 11.15 p.m. on May 17th :— " Enemy aeroplanes crossed our lines and bombarded several districts at the rear of the front. " Some of the machines proceeded in the direction of Paris. The alarm was given at 10.32, and the ' All Clear * at 11.2 p.m. Bombs were dropped at various points in the outer suburbs." * S69
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
