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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1021.PDF
JULY 31, 1919 THE BRITISH SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS EXHIBITION, 1919 IT has often been said that the war just ended was an en gineers' war. While this is undoubtedly true, the claim should, we think, be extended by including the industrial world generally as part of that " engineers' war." Especially does this apply as regards aviation. From a small nucleus of aircraft constructors with which the War was started, the aviation industry has spread to all conceivable branches and forms of industry ; from the armament firms down to the makers of tintacks. Indeed, it would be difficult to call to mind a single industry which has not directly or indirectly been drawn upon by the manufacturer of aircraft and its equipment. The high state of perfection to which British aircraft has attained during the War is in no small measure due to a closer co-operation of scientific knowledge and industrial enterprise than ever existed before the War, and the necessity of continuing this alliance after the War is undoubtedly most essential if Britain is to maintain her leading place in the markets of the world. There is always the danger that this fact may be lost sight of, and that industry may drift back into the old grooves. This is not so much due to indifference of manufacturers as it is due to neglect of their interests by the State, or to lack of support of home products by the public. Inasmuch as the British Scientific Products Exhibitions, organised by the British Science Guild, have for their object the stimulation of the development of industry through the intelligent appli cation of scientific knowledge and method, they should be welcomed by manufacturers and the public alike, and it should be realised that they are of the greatest value to the country. The exhibition held at King's College last year was a most convincing representation of the advantages of close co operation of scientific knowledge and industrial enterprise. It is to promote the industries established during the War and to stimulate the development of other industries de pendent upon the applications of science that the second British Scientific Products Exhibition has been organised by the British Science Guild. As King's College was not avail able for the purpose this year, the exhibition is held at the Central Hall, Westminster. It is open on week-days from II a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m. The exhibition, by the way, closes on August 6, and we should advise our readers to keep this in mind so as not to miss the opportunity of visiting what is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and instructive shows of the year. The entrance fee is so small as to be within the reach of all—one shilling. With regard to the exhibits, these include an enormous variety, all of which claim attention, but naturally we must confine ourselves to those relating directly to aircraft. We would point out, however, that visitors chiefly interested in aviation should not by any means take it for granted that all the forms of industry connected directly or indirectly with aviation are represented only in the aircraft section, but that many of the exhibits shown in other sections bear verv directly upon matters connected with aircraft construction. Thus, to mention only one instance out of many, the metal lurgy section will be found of the very greatest moment to those who are more than superficially concerned in the materials employed not only in aircraft engines, but also in many parts of the aircraft itself. Space does not permit of giving a complete catalogue of all the various exhibits in the aircraft section, but some idea of the nature of the exhibition may be given by referring briefly to the more important items. The Airship exhibits, in addition to a number of photo graphs and diagrams of airships of the rigid and non-rigid types, include a model of R 34, and a great number.of instru ments and appliances used on board an airship, Thus one may mention cooking apparatus heated by the exhaust gases from the engines, Proto gear for the use of men working in the gas space of an airship, safety lamps for use in spaces where there may be a mixture of hydrogen and air. In addition there are samples of navigation instruments of various types, while a reminder of the martial activities of airships during the War is provided by a course setting bomb sight. Depending from a girder of a rigid airship is a fabric water ballast bag, while the non-rigid type of airship is represented by among other items, ripping panels, rigging cables and patches, etc. There is also a comprehensive collection of airship envelope fabrics with different kinds of painting, etc. The A.I.D. is well represented by specimens of good and bad aircraft timbers, samples of aeroplane fabrics with data relating to weight and strength, etc., samples of doping, good and bad, and moisture determinators for aircraft timbers. It is not, perhaps, generally known that X-rays photography has been called into service for the determination of defects in wooden aircraft parts, located internally in the wood where they could not otherwise have been detected. A series of X-ray photographs illustrate very convincingly how this can be, and has been, done, in many cases with a probable saving of the lives of officers who would have manned the aeroplanes into which the faulty part would otherwise have been built. The Gauge Department of the A.I.D. shows a variety of types and sizes of gauges used in the construction of engines and 'planes, the gauges being manufactured by a number of different firms. The different types of aero engines are represented by the exhibition of "various engines and parts. Thus there is a complete Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII, component parts of a R.R. engine, a section model (two cylinders only) of a 90 h.p. R.A.F. engine, parts in various stages of manufacture of a Wolseley-Viper, parts of Gnome, Le Rhone, and BR. 2 engines, three stages of manufacture of a Dragonfly cylinder, and a section of a cylinder, piston and connecting-rod of a Cosmos " Jupiter " engine. A variety of magnetos is also shown. Samples of castings, die castings and other forms, some of a very intricate nature, give a good idea of the per fection to which this form of metal work has attained of recent years. It is a sign of the times that metal construction of aero planes is extremely well represented. A great number of metal spars and wings, some of the latter of the all-metal type, while others are of a composite nature, being made up of metal spars and wood ribs, is exhibited. There are, to mention a-few at random, metal spars by firms such as Dunlop, Rudge- Whitworth, Vickers (the latter both in steel and duralumin), Boulton and Paul, and the Steel Wing Co. Many of these spars, especially the later types, show not only a smaller weight per linear foot than the corresponding wooden spar, but also a considerable increase in strength, in some cases this increase amounts to over 50 per cent. Built-up metal struts are also shown, which give good results. Most of these spars, wings and struts were dealt with by Dr. Thurston, in his recent excellent paper read before the Royal Aeronautical Society (which was published in FLIGHT at the time), and the principle of their construction will, therefore, be known to our readers. Many little constructional details cannot, however, be shown adequately in illustrations, and a visit to the exhibition will, therefore, enable readers to examine for themselves these wonderful specimens of the metal con structor's art. While on the subject of metal construction, it should be mentioned that, while the foregoing refers to built-up sections manufactured in most instances from metal in sheet form, there is a very extensive exhibition of tubular metal work, in which the well-known firm of Accles and Pollock is well represented. The National Physical Laboratory is represented by a small wind tunnel (about 2 ft. diameter) fitted complete with fan, balance and models to be tested. To those who have not had the opportunity of visiting the N.P.L. at Teddington. this small wind channel gives a very good idea of the way in which model data relating to the air forces on parts and complete machines are obtained. Of equally great interest proves a small water channel in which the streamline flow of water past objects placed in t he channel is shown by injection of a coloured liquid. The exhibition of these channels, although appearing very elementary to the initiated, cannot fail to prove of the greatest educational value where the general public is concerned, affording as it does an excellent demonstration, although in a small way, of the kind oi research work which has done so much to place British aviation in the position where it is to-day. Needless to say the exhibits in the Aircraft section include a great variety of instruments, such as navigation instruments cameras, wireless telegraphs and telephones, oxygen apparatus, etc. The space available does not permit of any firm ex hibiting complete machines, but the Aircraft Manufacturing Co. are showing a set of excellent scale models, so accurately made that they give a very good idea of the actual machines. They include "models of a D.H. (Airco) 6, D.H. (Airco) 9, D.H. (Airco) 9A, and D.H. (Airco) IOA. There is a great number of other interesting items to be seen at the exhibition, and we would strongly urge those of our readers who can possibly manage to do so to pay a visit to the exhibition. It will not be regretted. And we would again remind our readers that the exhibition closes on August 6. 1023
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