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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1275.PDF
SEPTEMBER 25, 1919 GE1§ Two views of the interior of the D.F.W. Military Type R II. : Top : Looking aft from the engine-room. Bottom : Looking forward through the engine-room , , to the pilot's cockpit. never built. It is nevertheless of interest in showing the ambitious designs which were entertained by the Germans towards the end of the War. This machine, which, had it materialised, would have been the largest aeroplane in the world—according to the Germans—was to be fitted with eight engines, each of 270 h.p., or a total of 2,160 h.p. The engines were to be started by a compressed air starter operated by an engine of 120 h.p. The same engine would probablv be used for driving the electric generator furnishing current for lighting, heating, and wireless. In addition to an arma-. ment of eight machine-guns, the machine was to cany 5,500 lbs. of bombs. It will be noticed that in spite of its size the giant D.F.W. was to be fitted with a monoplane tail. The D.F.W. Passenger Carrier As in the case of the military machine, the passenger carrier has a fuselage built entirely of wood. There are iour main longerons, to which transverse formers are attached at intervals. In places there are incorporated in the construction steel tube struts and wire bracing. The floor-boards, gangways, etc., are so designed as to assist in rendering the fuselage structure rigid. Special atten tion has been paid to the engine installation. The engines are mounted on a structure of pressed steel inside the fuselage, two on each side, one slightly ahead of and above the other. The points where the members of this pressed steel framework are secured to the fuselage also serve as attachments for wings and undercarriage struts. The whole fuselage is covered with plywood. The front and rear portions of the body provide accommodation for the pas sengers, while the central portion is the engine-room. In each of the passenger cabins there are twelve seats, so arranged as to give the occupants a good view out through tl e numerous windows with which the cabins are provided. Electric lighting and heating are provided, and a wireless outfit is carried. Fire extinguishers are placed at suitable points throughout the fuselage, and all modern conveniences are provided. As will be seen from the illustrations, the machine is a biplane, with its top plane in three sections. There is a centre section to which the two end sections are attached. The lower plane consists really of four sections, the two inner ones of which, however, remain in place. The end sections are joined to the two short wing roots of the bottom plane at the point where occur the attachments of the outer undercarriage struts and propeller struts. When the end sections of top and bottom planes are dismantled, the top centre section and the two short bottom plane roots remain in place, with their strutting, propeller drives, etc. The wing construction is of more or less standard form, with spars and ribs of wood, built-up sections being glued with water proof glue. The wing bracing is in the form of duplicate steel cables. Ailerons are fitted to the top plane only. The tail, it will be seen, is of the biplane type. The vertical fin is built integral with the fuselage and is covered with ply-wood. The two tail planes are attached to the fin and to the fuselage respectively. The bracing is by struts and cables as in the case of the main planes. The elevators are mounted on ball bearings at the rear edge of the tail planes, and the rudders are attached to the rear inter-tail plane struts. The elevator and rudder control cables pass inside the body through suitable guides, while the aileron cables pass over pulleys in the lower plane, and hence to the controls. The arrangement of the undercarriage will be understood from an inspection of the general arrangement drawings. ££-0". SCALE, OF FE.E"T. I I I I I I I I I I I I I 0 I £34567891011.12 A D.F.W. design for a giant aeroplane to be driven by eight engines, each of 270 h.p. War this machine was never built. Owing to the finish of the 1277
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