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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1319.PDF
NOVEMBER, 21 1918 Figs. 38 and 39.—Two views of the biplane tail and fuselage of the twin-engine Gotha bomber,and a brief description of this tail were published in our issue of October 3rd. Illustrations Electrical thermometers of the usual pattern are fitted.The radiator controls are placed one on each side of the pilot's cockpit, and .are illustrated in Pig. 20.Five different positions of the lever are provided for, and it works the shutters through return cables passing over alarge aluminium pulley. Two different kinds of silencer were found ; the typeillustrated in Fig. 21 is similar to that used on previous Gothas, and also on the Friedrichshafen machines. Itconsists of a sheet steel manifold of very light construction, containing no baffles or other means of restricting the outflowof gas. The other type of exhaust box is shown in Fig. 22, andin this case it would appear that some attempt has been made not only to silence the exhaust, but also to prevent theaeroplane showing its whereabouts through the exhaust flames. This new type of silencer has been reported upon asfollows :— The exhaust manifold has been altered in the spacing of thecommunications in order to fit a B.H.P. engine in a. D.H. 9. The manifold consists of a cylinder 3 ft. 9 ins. long and 6 ins.in diameter ; pointed nose and tail pieces are welded on, and 14 cooling fins running lengthwise are fitted. Between thefins a number of J-in. diameter holes are drilled, forming a means of outlet for the exhaust gases, no baffle plates beingfitted ; the whole is made up of 20-gauge sheet steel, and is very flimsy in appearance. For testing this exhaust as a flame damper, a machine fittedwith the manifold was flown at night with no navigation lights, and another machine was sent up to find it. As a silencerthe manifold reduces the distance at which the machine is audible by a mean of about 4 per cent. No difficulty wasexperienced by the observing pilot in picking up the machine : although the flame usually seen at night was broken up, therewas a stream of small sparks which made the aeroplane just as visible. In addition, it was noticed that the manifoldbecame red hot when the machine was flown at full throttle. Controls All the Gotha machines brought down were fitted with thesame type of control, though certain detail differences are noticed.The ailerons are worked by a large diameter wheel by means of a chain and sprocket as shown in Fig. 23.Limiting cables are fitted and attached to an adjustable clip on the column.The wires are passed over pulleys, and issue through the ends of the transverse rocking shaft, whence they pass throughthe planes between the leading edge and the leading spar of the lower wings.At the extreme outer interplane strut they are taken over pulleys to the levers of the upper ailerons, which are connectedto those of the lower ailerons by a light streamline strut. The horizontal rocking shaft extends through the side of thefuselage, and is there fitted in some cases with the simple form HHH m Fig. 40. — Rear H view of biplane ® tail of the twin- a engiae Gotha. .;-•.•:*•.'.'"• '". m •• ';. • ;, '.•••.". H . ••'••' •' ..'•'. " m ".,.'"'•.' - ^" ' •- H H HHHHHHES .. ,.... .•>.. :•„• /•"••";:.'"'":.;:;'r'-'r. •-•.••i---'
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