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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1125.PDF
AUGUST 21, 1919 with a watertight bottom to enable it to land on the water, and with a very strong substructure construction to enable heavy landings to be affected without damage. The body ot the car was divided into two compartments, viz. :— (a) The control compartment, in which were fitted all the navigating controls and a small wireless cabin ; and (b) The machinery compartment, in which were fitted two " Maybach " engines of 160 brake horse-power each, together with auxiliary machinery. Petrol and oil were carried in aluminium tanks carried inside the car substructure where also the ballast was carried in fabric bags. The two " Maybach " engines of 180 h.p. each were fitted side by side in the machinery compartment driving the over head swivelling propellers through bevel gears and vertical shafts. The two propellers were arranged to swivel together with hand control from the control compartment. An air blower to inflate the ballonets was fitted in the machinery compartment and arranged to be driven alternatively from the main engines or by small auxiliary engine which was fitted. This auxiliary engine also drove the lighting dynamo. The envelope was provided with the usual mooring ropes and handling lines. Envelopes for Non-rigid Airships.—A number of envelopes of various types and sizes for non-rigid airships have been made at Barrow and Douglas, Isle of Man. Considerable assistance was given to the British Admiralty when they launched their programme for S.S. and C.P. air ships. For instance, in the case of the C.P. ships which had " Astra-Torres " envelopes, sets of templates were made which were distributed to other competing firms to enable them to manufacture. Gasbags for Rigid Airships.—The gasbags for nearly all the rigid airships of " 23 " Class were made at the Douglas factory, and large numbers of other gasbags have been made for other Admiralty airships built by other firms, as well as the airships built by Vickers', Ltd. Experimental Work Carried on by Vickers', Ltd., in Connection with the Mooring of Airships. The question of mooring aircraft in the open without the protection afforded by sheds or screens has occupied the attention of airship pilots and designers ever since the time when it was realised that lighter-than-air aircraft had a prac tical future before them. Numerous experiments have been carried out in the past with varying degrees of success, and while it is not the purpose of the present note to refer THE VICKERS RIGID AIRSHIPS On the left, gasbags being inflated in position, and on the right the outer covering being attached to hull. Performance After Delivery.—These two airships were used for coast patrol work on the East Coast and carried out a great number of night cruises. Non-rigid S.S. Type Airships These small airships were of the same general type as the early British Sea Scout airships. The envelopes are of a streamline shape and the cars are suspended by flexible wire ropes attached to suspension patches suitably distributed over the envelope. The latter are provided with the usual gas valves, ripping panels, and other fittings. Car.—The car was a standard B.E. type aeroplane chassis without the wings, etc., and was fitted with a single engine of 80 brake horse-power driving a tractor screw. The ballonets were kept inflated by the air stream from the propeller which was intercepted by a scoop pipe suspended from the envelope. Performance Ajter Delivery.—It is understood that these small airships have been employed for anti-submarine patrol in the Mediterranean. Other Airship Work Kite Balloons.—Some of the earliest kite balloons made in England were made at Barrow, and a subsequent contract was obtained for 26. to these in detail, it is worthy of remark that Vickers', Ltd., acting in conjunction with the Admiralty, were the pioneers of mooring for rigid airships as far back as the year 1911, when H.M.A. No. I was moored out on the water for three days to a floating mast in Cavendish Dock, Barrow-in- Furness. No further experiments were carried out until quite recent times when the problem of housing non-rigid airships of the " Sea Scout " type became acute owing to the fact that the number of ships required for sea patrol duties actually exceeded the number of sheds which could be erected for their accommodation. At the end of 1917, therefore, Messrs. Vickers were invited to co-operate with the Admiralty in the endeavour to find a successful solution to the problem, and eventually orders were given for the design and construction of two mooring stations. The first of these comprised a method suggested by Vickers', whilst the second embodied the ideas of Brig.-Gen. Masterman, R.A.F. Proposal one was completed, and a ship put out for trial in March, 1918. Although this experiment was not com pletely successful, much useful information was gained, full advantage of which was taken in completing the station for proposal two. Proposal two was completed, and a ship put out for trial 1127
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