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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0215.PDF
FEBRUARY 19, 1920 THE FLIGHT TO THE CAPE IN our last issue we were able to briefly record the arrival of The Times aeroplane at Khartoum and the completion by the " Silver Queen " of the first stage from London to Helio- polis. Below we record the further progress of the two machines—both of them Vickers-Vimy-Rolls. " The Times " Aeroplane This machine left Khartoum at 6.35 a.m. on February 10 lor Jebelein, and was sighted at Kosti Bridge at 8.10. Then followed a silence of two days, after which came the news that the machine had landed at Jebelein and then gone on, after repairing another leaking water-jacket. Then the magnetos of the starboard engine gave trouble rendering a descent necessary in a dry swamp in the thick bush north-east of Renk. Repairs occupied the whole of the day, and the crew slept in the open at night. On the 1 ith another leak was found on starting the engines. It was decided to return to Jebelein for repairs. On the way another—the sixth— leaking water-jacket was observed. On February 14 the journey was resumed, but the visibility was bad owing to smoke from bush fires, and the pilots los': their bearings in the bush south-west of Malakal. Capt. Cockerell sought a landing place twice and eventually came down on a khor between 15 and 20 miles north of Mongalla. The next morning Capt. Broome and Dr. Chalmers Mitchell walked <5> <$> to Mongalla for assistance, and the machine reached Mongalla at 4 p.m. on February 15. It was then decided to spend three days in endeavouring to put the engines of the machine in order. The " Silver Queen" Aeroplane The arrival of the " Silver Queen " at Heliopolis was mostpicturesque, as the landing was made in the darkness at 8.25 p.m. In accordance with his plan of flying by night, Col.van Ryneveld left Heliopolis at 11.36 p.m. on February 10, with the hope of reaching Khartoum. The next news wasthat the Silver Queen had crashed at Korosko, after a flight of about 530 miles ; the machine was badly smashed, butthe engines are intact. It appears that the radiator tap of the right engine opened, and in order to save the engine,Col. van Ryneveld decided to come down ; unfortunately the machine ran into the only heap of boulders within 100yards. It is proposed to take the engines back to Cairo and instal them in another machine. The R.A.F. Machine Another Vickers-Vimy-Rolls, piloted by Maj. Welsh andCapt. Halley, was to leave Cairo on February 19 for the Cape, and if successful the pilots intend to fly back from the Capeto Cairo. BOOK REVIEWS" APPLIED AERODYNAMICS " THE quantity of aerodynamical data now available is very considerable, but although the broad fundamental principles - of flight are simple and fairly well understood, there are numerous secondary features which require very careful •study. The aeroplane designer has at his disposal a fund of valuable data, mostly gained from wind tunnel experi- ments, but is faced with the problem of how best to utilise and apply this information. In his latest published work, -entitled " Applied Aerodynamics," Mr. L. Bairstow has made it his aim—as he puts it in the preface of his book—to extract principles from, and illustrate the use of, the detailed informa- tion contained in the Advisory Committee Reports and Memoranda and other sources. This should not be taken to mean that the book is merely a reprint of these publications. Far from it. What use has been made of such reports, etc., is in the form of abstracts only, and the author has made no attempt to make a collection of the results of research. He collates rather than collects, and his book is rather to be con- sidered as a contribution—and an exceedingly valuable one, as might be expected from a scientist of Mr. Bairstow's •capabilities—to the application to industry of the data as they exist at the present time. Opening with a description of the various classes of air- craft, the author proceeds to a statement of the elementary principles of steady flight, considering briefly the power plant and propulsive mechanism and giving simple perform- ance curves, including some for altitude flying. Longitudinal balance is also briefly dealt with, and a reference is made to the principles of lighter-than-air craft. The conditions of steady flight having been dealt with, the far more difficult and complicated problems connected with aerial manoeuvres and the equations of motion is attacked and elucidated in as simple a manner as is consistent with the concise statement of the principles involved. The same applies to the chapter on airscrews, and also to a certain ex- tent to those dealing with fluid motion, dynamical similarity, and scale effects. Simple performance curves having been given in the earlier part of the book, the prediction and ana- lysis of performances are fully gone into and explained in a manner which cannot fail to assist the student very materially in attaining a closer performance estimate. The book concludes with a large and valuable chapter on stability. " Applied Aerodynamics " is a work which no one seriously contemplating the study of this subject can afford to be without, and when aeronautics becomes a recognised subject at our universities it should take its place as a standard text- book. (Longmans, Green and Co. 32s. net.) 4'THE DESIGN OF SCREW PROPELLERS FOR AIRCRAFT" THIS is not, nor does the author claim it to be, a strictly logical and mathematical treatise on the subject of air- screws. It is, however, a decidedly useful work, intended, as the author points out in his preface, for those who desire to learn how to design a propeller for actual use. Pro- peller design is to many a subject of great intricacy, but we venture to suggest that the present book will go a long way towards elucidating the problems confronting the beginner. The author has, in our opinion, beeri singularly fortunate in his statement of the principles involved, neither making his book too mathematical, nor going to the other extreme of making it " popular." The result is a happy medium which cannot fail to appeal to the practical engineer and designer who wishes to be in a position to design and build his own airscrews. The most immediately useful chapters of the book are those dealing with general terms and definitions, the simple Drzewiecki theory, aerodynamical analysis and design, and the strength of a propeller. Practically speaking, these are all that is necessary for ordinary routine design, bui for those who wish to delve further into the subject there are chapters on inflow and outflow, and on the combined theory which takes into account the resulting increase in axial velocity. If it is desired to be able to estimate more correctly the efficiency of a propeller under given conditions, and to under- stand more clearly the various factors which influence effi- ciency, the chapters entitled " overall efficiency," " the flow of air through a propeller," " the effect of placing a body in the slipstream," and " general considerations," will enable the student to elaborate and extend his refinement of design to any desired extent. The subjects of tandem airscrews and variable pitch propellers are dealt with, while an appendix contains some very useful notes on getting out the actual working drawings of airscrews. The book concludes with an appendix on the construction of and materials used for propellers. (Longmans, Green and Co. 25s. net.) "STREAMLINE KITE BALLOONS" THERE is so very little collected data on the subject of kite balloons that the book bearing the above title, which Capt. P. H. Sumner has prepared, is certain of a niche on the book- shelf of those who are interested in the lighter-than-air side of aeronautics. Just as the War, by creating the demand for large bombing machines, helped materially to develop aircraft which could be adapted for commercial work, so the War put new energy into ballooning which had come to be looked upon as a dolce far nientc pastime—and so revolutionised its prospects as to indicate a commercial future for the kite balloon. Capt. Sumner thinks that the naval balloon will continue in its work akin to the Coast Guard Service, and, for land operations, will remain as an asset to the artillery. New scope in commercial life will be that of the survey of large areas, while for meteorological and wireless stations balloons should be able to accomplish invaluable work. It is possible, too, that they should form effective signposts on the great airways of the future. The author has attempted to set out a comprehensive study of the principles of stability applied to the captive balloon, in such a way as to materially assist the student of kite-balloon design, as well as help the practical balloon officer to know his craft. Capt. Sumner opens by describing the functions of the various parts which go to make-up the modern kite balloon, and then proceeds to deal with such subjects as " the streamline," " the lift diagram," " the application of dynamics for determining the equilibrium of the balloon," " longitudinal stability," " wind resistance," " internal pressure and tension in balloon materials." From the practical point of view two most useful chapters are those on " envelope construction " and " rigging." In an appendix . there are a number of useful tables, aeronautical and mathe- matical formula, a glossary of technical terms, etc. (Crosby Lockwood and Co. 10s. 6d.) 215
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