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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0956.PDF
according to the size of airship—must be kept standing by whenever a flight or landing is expected to take place. The problem of landing and mooring a rigid airship by mechanical means is one which has, therefore, engaged the attention of aircraft designers for some years past, although but little success attended the earlier efforts. Messrs. Vickers' mast mooring gear, however, renders the flight and lan^ag of rigid airships independent of the weather conditions, and necessitates the employment of only such men (about ten in number) as are required to operate the, mechanical devices employed. In principle, fhe gear consists of a tall steel mast, or tower, of such a height that, when the airship is attached by the nose to the mast, she rides on an even keel at a height of upwards of ioo ft. above the ground. The top portion of the masthead, to which the vessel is attached, is arranged to rotate, so that the ship, when moored, may always lie head on to the wind. A mooring mast of this type, suitable for rigid airships, was made by Messrs. Vickers, erected at the Pulham Airship Station, and used for a comprehensive series of mooring tests carried out with " R. 24," one of the early British-rigid airships of the " R. 23 " class. In the improved design of mooring tower, intended for use with passenger-carrying airships, a lift has been SEPTEMBER 2, 1920 the " R. 80 " to be made lighter and cheaper than those of the " R. 33," and also less permeable to gas. A considerable increase in aerodynamical efficiency has been obtained in the " R. 80 " by improvements in the form of the cars, the head resistance of these cars having been reduced by over 60 per cent, in comparison with those of the " R. 33." The use of the fine nose of the control car as an observation station for the navigating officer is also an important feature of the design of the later ship, giving greatly improved facilities for ground work in comparison with other designs. Improve- ments in the structural design of the cars have also enabled the weight to be cut down to less than half those of " R 33," while the strength and rigidity have been increased. Conse- quently, it has been possible to provide more roomy cars, the beam of the control car being 8 ft. in " R. 80," as compared with 6 ft. in " R. 33." The special type of car buffer bag and buoyant covering used in " R. 80 " enables a very large- displacement to be obtained when floating on the water. This feature reduces the risk of bursting the bags to a minimum, and also enables the ship to alight on the water without damage and without partially immersing the cars. Great care has been devoted to the arrangement and installation of the controls. A special advantage is gained by running of wing engine car B H ,-•. B B fi B - H H , H H & M H H provided to facilitate the embarkation of passengers, who passfrom the top of the tower through a flexible corridor into the nose end of the ship, from which a passage-way leads intothe passengers' quarters. Connections are also provided from pipes led up the tower to corresponding pipes in theairship, to enable gas, fuel and water ballast to be pumped up to the ship whilst moored. This system of mooring appearsto offer important advantages for commercial airships, as the latter can be moored to the tower in any wind the speedof which is less than that of the ship, by employimg only a few men. r J Having now completed our description of the " R. 80," it may be interesting to call attention to some of the special features of the design, and to compare them with the earlier airship, R. ^/' One important point is the improve- ments made in the hull joints and girders which enable the string netting employed on " R. 33 " and other ships to be dispensed with. This netting is very liable to be affected by climatic conditions, and consequently requires continual adjustment to maintain it at the correct tension. Its abolition, therefore, considerably reduces the difficulty of maintenance, and at the same time effects a useful saving in weight. New methods of manufacture have also enabled the gasbags of all controls up to the hull through a main access conduit,, thus protecting them completely from the weather, while enabling them to be examined in safety and comfort while the vessel is in flight. The tubular engine-bearers above referred to and illustrated in Fig. 19, while giving a degree of rigidity at least equal to those of ordinary design, have the advantage of entirely eliminating the risk of accumulation of petrol fumes and oil, and also enable visual examination of the crankcase and big-end bearings to be readily carried out without disturbing the engine or its seating. Attention should finally be drawn to the improved design of sliding radiators. In the " R. 33 " the gallows supporting the radia- tor above the car was a fixture, the head resistance of which was by no means negligible. This arrangement has been replaced in the " R. 80 " by the neat internal slides shown in Figs. 19 and 23, and, as there are no externally projecting supports, the head resistance due to the radiator depends only upon the amount of surface exposed, becoming zero when the engine is stopped, so that the radiator can be completely withdrawn into the car. From the report on the preliminary trial flight, which was carried out from Walney Island, Barrow, on July 19, we understand that the airship was taken out from its shed 958
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