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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0971.PDF
AUGUST 29, 1918. THE A.E.G, ARMOURED AEROPLANE. Issued by the Technical Department [Aircraft Production) Ministry of Munitions. THIS machine was brought down by an R.E.8 of 21st Squadron, near Hinges, on May 16th, 1918. It bears the date February 3rd, 1918, stamped on the main planes, and also on portions of the fuselage, and is the first of its type to have been secured. This aeroplane is designed for the purpose of carrying out offensive patrols against infantry, and is furnished with armour, which affords protection for its personnel. This armour appears, however, to be more or less experimental. In general construction it closely follows the lines of the A.E.G. twin-engined bomber G. 105, reported on in I.C. 607, though the arrangement of the power plant is, of course, entirely different. A steel tubular construction is used practically throughout. The machine was badly crashed, and some details are, therefore, not available ; but the general arrange- ment drawings at the end of this report may be regarded as substantially accurate. The leading particulars of the machine are as follows :— Area of upper wings, 190.4 sq. ft. ; area of lower wings, 168 sq. ft. ; total area of wings, 358.4 sq. ft. ; area of upper aileron, II.2 sq. ft. ; area of lower aileron, 10 sq. ft. ; area of tail plane, 9.4 sq. ft. ; area of fin, 7.6 sq. ft. ; area of rudder, 6 sq. ft. ; horizontal area of body, 48. 6 sq. ft. ; side area of body, 54.8 sq. ft. ; cross sectional area of body, 14.4 sq. ft. ; area of side armour, 33 sq. ft. ; area of bottom armour, 29.4 sq. ft. ; area of armour bulkhead, 10.4 sq. ft. Engine, 200 h.p. " Benz." Crew—pilot and gunner, 360 lbs. ; armament—three guns ; petrol capacity, 38 galls. ; oil capacity, 3 galls. The principal dimensions are shown on the general arrangements drawings. Wings. The manner in which the wings are constructed is exactly as shown in the report of the A.E.G. bomber—i.e., the spars consist of two steel tubes 40 mm. in diameter by .75 mm. thick. At their ends the upper and lower surfaces of the spars are chamfered away, and flat plates welded in position, so as to provide a taper within the washed-out portion of the wing tips. The wings were, unfortunately, so badly damaged that no accurate drawing of their section can be taken, but there is evidence that this very closely follows the section of the bomber, which has already been published. The ribs are of wood, and between each main rib is placed a half-rib joining the front spar to the semicircular section wooden strip which forms the leading edge. The wing construction is strength- Figs. 1 to 12.
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