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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0743.PDF
JJOVEMBER IO, 1921 THE REID CONTROL INDICATOR An Interesting Instrument Manufactured by Vickers, Ltd. THE Reid Control Indicator is an instrument designed to indicate to the pilot the three essential movements of an aircraft, especially when flying in fog, clouds, or at night— namely, the air speed of the machine ; the rate of turn; whether the machine is correctly banked for its rate of turn or direction of sideslip. The instrument shows the necessary control movement required by the pilot to regain control in fog, etc., and to maintain a straight course. The strain to a pilot of watching a pointer has been overcome by using small electric lamps, easily visible and mounted around the Air Speed Indicator. The top row of lamps is controlled by a mercury device, and the bottom row by a gyro, the two rows being synchronised. The lights are designed to operate in accordance with the position of the machine, and every movement is indicated. Thus, if the machine is turning to the right the lights indicate outwards to the right on the bottom row, and if side-slipping to the right the lights on the top row indicate to the right and outwards. The port or left-hand lights are coloured red, while the starboard or right-hand lights are coloured green. The centre lights on each row are coloured white. To maintain a straight course the pilot keeps the two white lights constant. The instrument is very sensitive, and correct, and has a very efficient adjustment for steadying in rough weather. Controls are fitted for completely putting the instrument out of action when not required, and also for adjusting the brilliancy of the lamps. The face of the Indicator is hinged, and can be easily opened in the air for inspection or replacing bulbs in case of failure. Spare bulbs are carried inside the instrument. Practical tests have been carried out for over 18 months under severe conditions, and the instrument has fulfilled every demand made of it, proving that there is now a light, com- pact and durable instrument which has made aerial naviga- tion simple, accurate, and free from excessive strain on the pilot. The complete instruments weighs 12 lbs. approximately,and is very neat, compact, and water-tight. * t , THE REID CONTROL INDICATOR : This instrumentwhich is manufactured by Vickers, Ltd., is claimed to make it relatively easy for a pilot to fly in the dark or ina fog, as it indicates exactly what the aeroplane is doing. LIEUT. JOHN A. MACREADY, Chief of the U.S. Flying Section, McCook Field, who on September 28 last attained a recorded altitude of 41,200 ft. in a Lepere biplane, gives a detailed account of this remarkable altitude flight in the New York World, from which we quote below some of the more inter- esting points. It should be noted that the 41,200 ft. recorded by the barographs has been reduced, after correction for instrument error, to 40,800 ft. and this has yet to be corrected for air temperature difference. Lieut. MacReady, in his opening remarks, points out that this flight was in no way a special attempt to beat previous records, but was one solely for the purpose of testing a new airscrew and additional equipment fitted to the Moss supercharger used on Liberty engine installed on the Lepere biplane. The latter had been stripped of all excess weight by cutting out unnecessary equipment, and the petrol capacity had also been reduced. The air- screw fitted was a large slow-speed one, having a ground speed of 1,100 r.p.m. In addition to the standard oxygen equipment of five flasks containing in all a pressure of 2,300 lbs., an additional emergency flask of 1,500 lbs. pressure, with a lead directly from the flask through a tube into the mouth, was carried. The oxygen was brought into operation when an altitude of 20,000 ft. was reached. " At 10,000 ft.," writes Lieut. MacReady, " I passed through a stratum of clouds and at 20,000 ft. passed through another stratum which somewhat obscured the ground and hindered me in locating any position. ... I did not feel any ill-effects whatever until well above 30,000 ft., as I was receiving plenty of oxygen and was warm enough ; but as the altitude above 30,000 ft. was reached a slight slowing up of one's senses and faculties was noticeable, and this slowing up increased as altitude above this height was gained. If I would stoop over to make some adjustment I would feel the need tor oxygen . . . and objects on the ground and the instru- ments in the cockpit became dim and shaky. " I was worried at no time until approximately 39.000 it. was reached. At this altitude ice from my breath within the mask must have clogged the oxygen pipe, for the reason that I felt the force becoming diminished and began to feel very bad effects from its lack. I tried to blow this out ... but could not act quickly enough to clear MACREADY'S ALTITUDE RECORD the entire tube, so swung over on to the emergency flask and tore a small plaster from the side of my mask, placing the tube through this aperture directly into my mouth . . . and in an instant was feeling comparatively normal. I was supercharging to sea level condition at 40,800 ft. (indicated), and expected that flying on the engine alone I would probably reach 7,000 or 8,000 ft. more, but this was not the case. As soon as sea level conditions were lost on the engine the power was quickly diminished and I could only get 100 ft. more altitude, which was the absolute ceiling of the plane. While hanging suspended at an indicated altitude on the dial of 41,200 ft. the plane swung and rolled and very little action on the controls could be obtained. The controls were almost useless . . . the machine was at this point practically without control, and I held it there for almost five minutes before I was absolutely certain it would go no further. When assured of this I pulled the throttle slightly back in order to glide down, but even with this small movement the bottom seemed to drop out of the 'plane, and down it quickly went toward earth. " Before I could make the proper readjustments the engine and radiator had cooled so quickly that there was no warmth from the radiator pipes (utilised for warming the pilot) and it became much colder in the cockpit, resulting in ice forming on the inside of my goggles, making me almost blind for the instant, and I co'uid not handle the 'plane correctly for a short time. I was feeling weak and groggy, and was afraid of passing out completely. My mind was not active and I could not think fast and correctly. ... I let the 'plane come down almost any way in order to get it down where I could think correctly . . . and at about 30,000 ft. I was beginning to feel normal again. Here I changed goggles and continued my glide toward earth, flying around at 20,000 ft. for a period of approximately 20 minutes, in order' that the change in conditions from altitude to the ground would not be too sudden." Lieut. MacReady's observations of the appearance of the sky at or about the maximum altitude reached are inter- esting. He could not see any stars, but the atmosphere was extremely bright and light. Instead of being a dark blue the sky was very light in colour, with but a slight tinge of blue. The sun was very much brighter. 743
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