FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1532.PDF
greater height of fall. Afterwards some younger enthusiasts tried the drop from 7 and 8 ft., when the commanding officer stopped further experimental drops for fear of broken legs resulting. Two instruments for recording landing shocks were then made, as shown in the next two Figures. The instrument illustrated in Fig. 2 consists of a number of 1 oz. weights suspended by threads in a box. One weight is suspended by a single thread, the next by two threads, the next by three threads, and so on, increasing one thread each until the sixteenth weight is suspended by sixteen threads. When the box is in the car of the balloon, the shock of land ing breaks some of the threads and lets the weights fall to the bottom of the box. The loose weights are then removed and the box is dropped from increasing measured heights until another weight breaks loose. It may then be assumed that the shock of landing was equivalent to the effect of a fall slightly less than the distance of fall in the later test. The instrument shown jn Fig. 3 has a lead weight sliding on a rod and supported by elastic. A cork is threaded on the NOVEMBER 27, 1919 ments. A second balloon was made at " Airships," at Merton, and inflated under cover, so we were able to make the necessary adjustments without risk of damage. It had been BUPKT •HfePRSv •\^-. ^^y% ^ m Q»J0JP 'f f 1 "."- A A w /•; yw%**?-* •" • ] /1 . 1 ' 1 ! i j ** • i • n &j$$k f^^'" *' : r & Fig. 4 : Rising on the cable. rod and is normally held in position by friction. On the car landing, the lead weight is impelled downwards and extends the elastic and presses down the cork, which is left behind on the rod when the lead weight returns to its original position by the contraction of the elastic. The first experiments were defeated by minor accidents. The balloon fitted for me at Messrs. Spencer's works at Holloway was inflated with air in the open, and just as we were about to enter it for the purpose of adjusting the valve, a gust of wind caught the balloon and carried it over the fence into the next field, tearing it beyond repair. The Admiralty then undertook the cost of further experi- • • • « Fig. 6 : The first landing. decided at the Admiralty that a successful descent should first be made in ballast, before making a descent with passen gers. Accordingly, the balloon was inflated with hydrogen at Roehampton, and the car was loaded with ballast to represent the weight of two observers. The balloon was let up to 400 ft. and released by a slip shackle at the metallic V, and then a long rip cord was pulled—and broke. The balloon sailed away unripped, and we chased it in motor cars to the Merstham Tunnel, where it descended undamaged. The next attempt was more successful. The same balloon N ' Fig. 5 : Released > Note parachute at top of released falling cable. 1534 Second experiment. Fig. 8 : Released at 1,200 ft. Third experiment. Fig. 9: Released at 2,000 ft.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
