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Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0813.PDF
DECEMBER 8, 1921 PIERRE LEVASSEUR 17 to 21, Place Felix-Faure, Paris (XVe) FOR sheer excellence of workmanship and beauty of finish no stand can excel that of Pierre Levasseur, whose Direcleur, M. Charles Frechet, was attached to the British Air Ministry during the War. In addition to two aeroplanes, there are specimens of propeller work which are a joy to behold. One of the complete machines, shown in skeleton, is a torpedo- plane, and is very reminiscent of the Blackburn " Swift "— so much so that one wonders if, perchance, it should be built under licence. The front portion of its fuselage is a steel tube structure of very clean design and, needless to say, splendid workmanship. It detaches from the main fuselage structure as a complete unit, with its 600 h.p. Renault engine. The under-carriage is of the divided type, to allow of dropping the torpedo suspended between its two halves, and is also of steel, with rubber pads working in compression for its shock-absorbing gear. The rest of the machine is of usual survive its first show appearance. The number of component parts has, it seems, been reduced to an absolute minimum, and the resulting structure certainly gives the impression of strength. That the object of the design—cheapness—has been achieved appears to be proved by the fact that one is informed the machine can be built for 13,000 francs without engine (about ^520 at normal rate of exchange, and , 250 at present). One of the accompanying sketches, which is mainly dia- grammatic, shows the fundamental principle of the design. The backbone of the machine is formed, it will be seen, by two Vees of ply-wood, to which are attached the few remaining THE PIERRE LEVASSEUR SPORTS MODEL : This machine isof most unusual design, the general scheme being indicated in the drawing. Attachment, on the Pierre Levasseur, of the single tubular strut which runsfrom the undercarriage Vee to the rear portion of the fuselage. wood and metal clip and wire construction, and is in every way up to the best of British practice. The other machine shown is a fairly small two-seater side- by-side biplane of very unorthodox, but eminently sensible, design. It is a serious attempt at introducing new methods of construction which shall be less costly in manufacture but equally serviceable' in use to the methods ordinarily adopted. Once the peculiarity of the design has been grasped, and one has become accustomed to the somewhat unusual appear- ance, the machine impresses one as a very clever piece of design, and one which, unlike so many novelties which are merely freaks with nothing to recommend them, is likely to structural members, such as the engine bearers, the tailoutriggers, the main planes and the under-carriage. The whole is afterwards enclosed in a light streamline casingformed by formers, stringers and fabric. Nothing could be much simpler, and the reduction of parts to a minimum mustsave a tremendous amount of work in manufacture and erecting. The engine, a 180 h.p. Hispano-Suiza, is mounted in the nose, on bearers extending forward from the Vees. The whole after portion of the fuselage structure is composed of two ply-wood members arranged in the shape of a wedge. These members, which are built up of 11 laminations and have H H H H H H On the Pierre Levasseur Stand : On the left the skeleton of a torpedo 'plane, and on the right the side-by-side machine, which is of most unusual and rather clever design. " Flight" Copyright 13 13 a 0 13 m H 13 13 H SI S H m H H a a a a as 813
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