FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0530.PDF
APRIL 24, 191^ The port side of the D XII Pfalz carries the cup, and the spar has the ball-headed bolt passing through from top to bottom. Fig. 6 shows the spar fitting, and explains the manner in which the bracing is fixed by a • "dome held down by the bolt. The diameter and width of the struts, both centre section and interplane, are marked on a diagram, Fig. 7. The gauge of the metal has not been measured. The wings are braced with the usual flying and landing cables, and besides these it will be noticed from the scale drawings, that a lift wire is fitted between the lower rear spar and fuselage joint at the lower end, and the upper rear spar and centre section strut at the upper end. The lower front spar root is also joined by a cable to a lug fixed a few inches from the front of the engine bearers. Fuselage It is interesting to note that, although many drastic alterations between the D III Pfalz and the new type have been made, the method of construction employed for the fuselage has not been changed. The body is of oval section, deeper in proportion to its width than before, and has eight lightened longerons, to which are fixed lightened cross bulkheads. Over this framework, two thin 3-ply skins are tacked spirally, as was described in the D III Pfalz report. The body is entirely without internal wire bracing. There is a strong bulkhead immediately behind the engine, and forward of this the 3-ply skin drops almost to the level of the engine bearers, as may be seen in the photographs. The sides of the engine are enclosed by aluminium cowls, and the front is covered by the radiator. An aluminium cowl rounds off the lower part of the nose, and joins the 3-ply of the body. The pilot's seat is missing, but it was supported on a steel tubular framework, which remains, and is illustrated in Fig. 8. It should be noticed from this sketch, that the seat is adjustable both horizontally and vertically, there being three possible positions horizontally, and two vertically. The pilot's backrest is a simple strip of webbing attached to the sides of the fuselage, and the anchorage points for the safety belt are exactly as on the D III machine. The body tapers consistently towards the rear, and finishes in a vertical knife-edge, about 16 in. deep. Tail The body and fin are no longer integral, as in the D III, but the fin is simply a self-contained unit of welded-steel tube and fabric, bolted into its place. The fixed horizontal tail plane, however, is integral with the body, although the joint between fuselage and tail plane is an abrupt angle. The tail plane spars pass right through the body, and are connected by ribs lightened roughly by the boring of many circular holes. Not only is the angle of incidence of the tail plane not adjustable, but the plane is incapable of removal. The cam ber is symmetrical, and its centre line is not only parallel to. but also in line with the crankshaft. The balanced and divided elevators (in the D III the elevator was in one piece) are hinged by means similar to the aileron hinges, and from the sketch, Fig. 10, which shows the manner of removal of the hinge-rod, it will be noticed that the leading edge of the elevator is a steel tube, flattened to a vertical oval in the unbalanced portion, and to a horizontal oval in the balanced piece. The elevators are constructed throughout of welded steel tube, and the balanced rudder has the same construction. The tail skid is a sturdy piece of ash with the usual steel shoe, and is balanced about its middle. The -upper half is encased in the fuselage, and the shock absorber is of double coil steel spring. / > * :-W~~ :'•;"" . . ! * ' '"" ._.>'?> i ^-^^^t^ • £!» • ' "^fV&SU IP - i H 2jipf*L**^wi m^m':^m X,,;. *BHSB££- -"** ~ ' TCPI m » te. l^sasasii \\ \jtf^ .-*** f • •• --»i0f^i^ ' 'S *,"*" - •^ KIT"' ^M ,,'""?**"' —« ,-4*W«»" •* • -*ta»»tfw^S**—- w. -•• ' ,.;•„» *us J.:*'™' wmmmm^m^JL-* aMB&AMfQ, •••>t—^B WLeS if ||gg j ,... J L*. \J£M* X: fH Ultf.." '" tlgfti&jflggUggttb, i • '^tr^frM F .. .- ' ^STM^BA WMs tfwffii Omw' £•£*"' Three-quarter rear view of the D'XII Pfalz 53©,
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
