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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0113.PDF
FEBRUARY 17, 1921 strong and flexible mounting. The petrol tank is built in two The principal characteristics of the Sperry " Messenger " compartments, the lower or main tank containing 6.7 gals., are :— - and the upper or auxiliary tank containing 3.3 gals., a total Span .. .. .. .. .. 20 ft. o ins. •capacity sufficient for 2 hrs. Chord .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 ft. o ins. The Sperry " Messenger " has been through a number of Over-all length .. .. .. .. 18 f t. 0 ins. wind-tunnel tests, and the best stabiliser setting was Height.. .. .. .. .. .. 7 ft. o ins. determined, with the result that very satisfactory longitudinal Gap .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 ft. 9 ins. stability was obtained. The stability of the machine is Stagger .. .. .. .. / .. 1 ft. 6 ins. reported to be good under both high and low speeds, and the Area of main planes .. .. .. .. 152 sq. ft. difference can hardly be felt on the control stick under these Area of ailerons (4) .. .. .. 19 sq. ft. two conditions. It is said that the controllability is remark- Area of tail plane .. .. .. .. 12-3 sq.ft. able on all three controls, and without the tendency to act Area of elevators .. .. .. .. 9 sq. ft. too quickly. In this respect it is comparable to the S.E. -5, Area of fin .. .. .. .. .. 25 sq.ft. while the manceuvrability is likened to that of the Nieuport Area of rudder .. .. .. 5 • 3 sq. ft. (French). It is interesting to note that the performance of Weight, empty .. .. .. .. 581 lbs. this machine, with only 60 h.p. and a wing curve—U.S.A. 15 Weight, loaded .. .. . • .. 820 lbs. —which was designed for high lift while sacrificing added Loading/sq. ft. .. .. .. .. 5-4 lbs. resistance at high speed has as good, if not better, a perform- Loading/h.p. .. .. .. .. .. 13-5 lbs. ance than most machines having the same loading/sq. ft. Speed range .. .. .. .. .. 35-95 m.p.h. and/h.p. Climb in 10 mins. .. .. .- •• 10,000sq.ft. EL H H H . AUSTRALIA CREATES AN AIR COUNCIL AND AIR BOARD AN Air Council and subordinate Air Board have been created The real expenditure voted was ^600,000 for aviation, as from November 9, 1920, to control aviation in Australia. including ^500,000 for military aviation, but in the first year In dealing with the subject in the Australian Parliament, it would be directed along lines mainly to help commercial on behalf of the Government, Senator Pearce pointed out aviation as outlined above, although simultaneously and that the Government's endeavour was to devise an eftective automatically this would assist the necessary work of military means of ensuring the full consideration of matters of aviation character. In regard to the carrying of mails, Senator policy, as a whole, in its naval, military and civil aspects. Pearce said that the ordinary procedure was that the Postal A vote of ^100,000 was to be earmarked for purely civil Department called for tenders for the carrying of mails. It aviation purposes, and the civil aviation policy was to be would be farcical, he maintained, to call for tenders for co-ordinated with the defence aspects of aviation in every carrying mails by air to any part in Australia, as the firms sense of the word. Moreover, the permanent section of the Air engaged in the work of aviation had no data on which to base Force, he said, is to be used in assisting civil aviation to get tenders. The Department, therefore, had asked the Postal on a proper basis. The personnel of the Air Force will be used Department to work in conjunction with the Defence Depart- very largely for surveying, map-making and doing the neces- ment, for several months, and to carry mails over certain sary pioneering work in arranging air routes in Australia, routes. which will eventually be utilised for commercial purposes. By keeping a correct record of the expenditure in- It was obvious, Senator Pearce said, that if commercial firms curred, the Postal Department would thus have information are to enter into the work of civil aviation and at the same on which to work, and would be in a position to give some time are to be asked to map out the routes, prepare surveys, indication of the cost, thus enabling outside firms to tender, depots and landing-places, these undertakings would be if they so desired, for carrying mails. overloaded and would prevent commercial aviation from being It will thus be seen that the Australian Government is successfully undertaken. fully alive to the huge possibilities of aviation, especially in In fact the Australian scheme would seem to be that, their own country, and we welcome the splendid support which in addition all the military depots should be equally open to apparently is being given overseas to the development of commercial firms, thereby lessening the cost to them of commercial aviation as a feeder to the military side, which establishing themselves and helping them more speedily at the moment is in striking contrast to the policy adopted to take up the work. in this country. 13 13 13 13 " R.80 " Takes the Air Again. she will no doubt be transferred to the hands of the repre- ON February 9 speed trials took place from Messrs. sentative of the United States. Sixty m.p.h. is the speed Vickers' Barrow works of " R.80." At first a six-hours' test given for this craft, was contemplated, but owing to fog it was not deemed „ . advisable to get her out of the shed, and when it cleared in the The Commercial Grand Prix afternoon a two hours' trial was decided upon. There was ^ , CONTRARY to expectation, it is now quite possible that a light wind from the north. The work of getting her out at ieast, one entrant for the above will try his luck on the of the shed was safely carried out in two minutes, following £«* °* *he three-day penods viz. February 20, as which there was an hour's halt for engine testing before she MM. F. d'Or and Jean Bernard tentatively propose, subject to finally got away on her-trials. the weather not being entirely unsuitable, to make the With two after engines working she was headed away to- funning with the Farman machine. They propose to start wards Cumberland, and then the big forward engine was between nine and ten at night from Bourget on Sunday started. She rose slowly, steering towards Black Combe, but February 20, and to go through w!th the attempt to cover turned out towards the Irish Sea and after a short run level the 2,400 kilometres without a break other thant the necessary with the land she circled round to Barrow, and, making a landings. If they are successful under all the tuitions higher altitude, her speed increased greatly, and she raced a very great step forward will be registered having regard away inland. A trip was taken towards Morecambe Bay and to the many hours of night-flying which will be necessary out to sea. A series of smart runs was then made over land ™der *e circumstances. M. d'Or is the chief FarmanL pilot and sea. Finally, after making a circle of Furness, she-returned **«* he ,has ,^een °p£a£ng I t]?eVast m™ YT^t to her hangar *• Bernard holds with M. Bossoutrot the record for duration This fine airship, which is destined for America, is in and distance. command of Capt. J. C. Little, who has watched her con- Aviation at the Efficiency Exhibition struction throughout. „ IN. the programme of the Daily Mail Efficiency Exhibition On Thursday " R.80 " was out again. After s'light d«Iay at Olympia, the Higher Production Council have arranged in the morning, again owing to fog, the ship made a flight a series of conferences. Amongst these is one on February 25 covering several hours. Those on board included Air- dealing with aerial transport, in which the Royal Aero- Commander Maitland, and representatives of the Air Ministry nautical Society, the Aerial League, Aero Club and the and Messrs. Vickers. The ship reached a much greater Society of British Aircraft Constructors are kindly co- height than on her first trip, travelled at a high speed, and operating. The chair will be taken by Maj. Sir J. L. Baird, covered a great distance, both out to sea and over land, Bart., M.P., and papers will be read on " Aeroplane and being throughout splendidly handled. Seaplane Transport" and "Airship Transport." ~ It is Altogether " R.80 " has completely justified herself and hoped that these will be followed by an interesting and has been taken over by the Air Ministry, and in due course useful discussion. ; ' • • H
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