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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0058.PDF
JANUARY 27, 1921 The Surren- dered Zeppelins: A view taken inside the cat- walk of "L.64" showing, in the foreground, the water ballast bags, and the petrol tanks Mr remarkable sight to see the maze of cables emerging into the hull from each shaft, and to try and " follow them up " seems next to impossible., In the rear portion of the control cabin is the wireless room. This consists of a thickly padded " cell " suspended within the cabin so as to be practically isolated from the rest of the car. The wireless section is very thoroughly insulated from the rest of the ship. As previously stated, the engine compartment of the front car is built up quite separately from the control cabin, although it is joined up with the latter. The radiator is mounted forward on the top of the engine compartment, and is capable 6f sliding up and down in its frame into or out of the car, thus varying the cooling surface exposed. The construction of the whole car is, except that it is of streamline shape, practically the same as that employed on the " L.33," channel and L-section strips with channel and w-braces mainly being employed. Most of the car is fabric covered, sheet aluminium and 3-ply being used in one or two places. The central side cars, with an engine in each are mounted fairly close up to the hull, and are of a very clean streamline shape, the only external projections being the sliding radiator, oil radiator, exhaust pipe and ventilating funnels. Small windows are provided in the sides. The main framework of the car, which carries the engine, etc., forms the lower half, whilst the upper half is of lighter construction. The cover- ing is fabric for the top half and sheet aluminium for the lower. _ The rear car is an enlarged edition of the foregoing, and contains two engines arranged one in front of the other and slightly off-set, each driving the single propeller through a clutch-gear-box. Each engine has its own sliding radiator. All four engines are 260 h.p. Maybachs, driving propellers at the rear of the cars. Both forward and rear cars are fitted with bumping and floatation bags. Communication with the hull catwalk, and therefore between all cars, is obtained by means of ladders leading from the cars through trap- doors in the bottom of the hull. These ladders are in- geniously arranged so as to fold up when not in use, so that when so closed they form plain streamlined struts. Two of these ladders, one on the rear car of " L.64 " and one on a side car of " L.71 " are shown in our illustrations, and need no further explanation. -»„ - (To be Concluded) "- '. ••••".; ^ " x-"J- . The Pescara Helicopter. EVIDENTLY M. Damblanc is not to be the only inventor to develop the helicopter type of machine. From France comes a report of another designer, M. Pateras Pescara, having finished a machine of this type. In the Pescara helicopter there are two concentric lifting screws, mounted one above the other and turning in opposite directions. Each screw has six biplane blades, constructed very much like an ordinary biplane with struts and wire bracing. The feature claimed by the designer for this machine is ability to land slowly with engine stopped. Apparently the screws are tilted to give them a good gliding angle when revolving freely, and then, just before coming to the ground the angle is increased to that of maximum lift, the momentum of the screws overcoming the resistance at the larger angle, much after the fashion of an aeroplane which has glided down at a fairly high speed and is then carried along by its momentum for a considerable distance before beginning to drop. M. Pescara has had a checkered career, and has, according to the French, reports, had many difficulties not connected with flying. He has, however, succeeded in interesting the Section Technique, and next week he is to demonstrate the machine before a French Commission at Barcelona, where the machine has been built. Whether he will then succeed in proving his theories correct remains to be seen. If he does we understand that the French Government is under agreement to finance further development of the machine. - 58 Again, it appears that M. Pescara is not the only one ready to try his helicopter, for also from France comes another report, on January 24, of a nocturnal " flight " made by a very " secret " helicopter. No name is mentioned, but it may possibly be our old friend Damblanc who rose into the air during the night. In the first test, the report says, the machine was lightened by a small balloon which lifted a fair proportion of the weight of the machine, thus wisely reducing the risk of a crash in case of engine failure. Later the balloon was removed, and the machine is said to have risen to a height of several meters. In coming down the pilot cut off the ignition too soon, and the machine came down somewhat heavily without, however, sustaining any damage. " Hazell " 1921 " HAZEIX'S ANNUAL AND ALMANACK," now a household word, for 1921 is to hand. It is as usual a remarkable compilation of facts and figures to which daily reference is almost a necessity. If there is a fault at all, it is that there is so much for the money, 7s. 6d., charged, necessitating the use of very small type. But as this is beautifully sharp and clear little cause for complaint can exist even upon this count. Aviation claims n headings in the Index, the aeronautical section being in the able hands of Major Turner Whether the information sought is political, social or popular, there is hardly a subject left undealt with. It is an amazing publication, and would be cheap were the price fixed at a much higher figure than that asked. /
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