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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1133.PDF
Service ceiling (height at which climb is ioo ft. per minute), 13,500 ft. ; estimated absolute ceiling, 16,000 ft. ; greatest height reached, 14,800 ft. in 64 min. 40 sec. ; rate of climb at this height, 50 ft. per minute. < , Stability and Controllability. This machine cannot be considered stable. There is a tendency to stall with the engine on, and to dive -with the engine off, Directionally, owing to the propeller swirl, the machine swings to the left, but with the engine off is neutral. Pilots report the machine light and comfortable to fly. The manoeuvrability is good, and this feature, taken in conjunction with the exceptionally fine view of the pilot and "observer and the field of fire of the latter, makes the machine one to be reckoned with as a "two-seater fighter," although the climb and speed performances are poor judged by con- temporary British standards. Principal Points of the Design. Single bay arrangements of wings. ~ . Conspicuous set back of the main planes. Empennage free from wires. Fuselage tapers to a horizontal line at the rear in direct contradistinction to the usual German practice. Pilot's and observer's cockpit constructed as one. ._. . Construction. » • "" ' . y Wings. . , The upper wings are supported by a large centre section, having a span of 6 ft. 3 in. This centre section is at right OCTOBER 10, 1918. manner. This is clearly shown in the drawing. Both at the top and bottom of the spar, thin strips of wood are used to cover the glued joint, and on this is tacked, both above and below, a flat length of ply-wood 7 in. wide which over-/ hangs the main member of the spar an equal distance at each side. This ply-wood web is flanged at each end with strips of wood glued in position, and on these strips are fitted small corner pieces which serve to support the ribs. The latter are also of ply-wood, to which are glued and tacked rails of solid wood, top and bottom. A notable point of the wing construction is the fact that steel tubes are not used as the compression members of the internal bracing, as is the common practice. These members are made of box form ribs which occur at intervals along the spars. Adjacent to the root of the wing a very large reinforced box rib occurs, of which the section is given in Fig. 3. The absence of steel tubes considerably simplifies the attachment of the bracing lugs to the spars, a specimen of which is shown in Fig. 4. It will be noticed that it is of a very simple form, and in this respect it is characteristic of the design of the aeroplane on the whole, which, from this point of view, is far less elaborate than the majority of German designs and appears to be in many ways more practical, especially having regard to quantity production. Wing A llachments. The whole of the centre section, both upper and lower surface, is covered with three-plywood, and the spars used Three-quarter rear view of the Halberstadt fighter. angles to the centre line of machine, but at each side of it; the wings are thrown back with a horizontal dihedral of 4 deg. The lower wings are smaller in chord and very slightly smaller in span than the upper, and are fixed direct to the lower surface of the fuselage, and it is to be noted that where the trailing edge joins on to the fuselage it is shaped so as to avoid a surface of discontinuity at the root of the wing. This is done by smoothly turning upwards the trailing edge. , The actual construction of the wings is of considerable interest, especially on account of the irovel type of spar which is employed. This applies to both the upper and the lower planes. The front spar measures 2§ in. by 1 in. and at the butt is placed about 4 in. from the leading edge. It is of " I " section, but is left full at such points as those at which internal bracing wiffes are fixed. A section of this spar, given in Fig. I, shows how it is connected to the leading edge by means of ply-wood, both top and bottom. It will be seen that on the upper surface the plv-wood is extended rearwards for a distance of some 4J in. from the centre of the spar, and terminates in a small transverse flange about J in. deep. This construction furnishes a leading edge of great rigidity and strength, and at the same time it would also appear to be light in weight. A section of the rear main spar is given in Fig. 2. In this case the main member is of " O " or box section, and is built up of two pieces let into one another in a rather unusual in it are of similar design to those fitted to the wings, and already described. Both the upper and lower wings are provided with attachments which allow of their being very readily taken down. Views -of these fittings are given in Figs. 5 and 6, the former showing the attachment of the upper wing to the centre section, and the latter that of the lower wing to the fuselage. In the former case, the fitting is covered in with a spring operated trap door which also gives access to the joint of the aileron' control shaft. A sliding door is used in the lower plane, and it will be noticed that the spar is at this point protected by an aluminium foot plate. In each case, quick detachable safety bolts are employed. In Fig. 7 are given further details of the type of spar socket in use. This is built up of sheet steel and oxy-acetylene welded, the quality of this work appearing to be very high. The spars of the lower wings engage with a fork-ended tube passing right across the floor of the fuselage, and sup- ported by the longerons of the nacelle by means of the sockets as shown in detail in Fig. 8. Here, again, a high quality of workmanship is evident, and it may be said without exaggeration that in this respect the Halberstadt machine is decidedly superior to the other German aeroplanes which have been reported upon, wfih, perhaps, the single exception of the Fokker. Struts. The struts throughout this aeroplane are of streamline steel tube of light section, but in contradistinction to the
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