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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0337.PDF
JUNE 15, 1922 THE BACO "SKYLARK" PARTICULARS are to hand of yet another small, low-powered machine of American origin possessing several distinctive features. This is the BaCo " Skylark," designed and con structed by the Bethlehem Aircraft Corpn., of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., a two-seater tractor biplane fitted with a 60 h.p. 3-cyl. Lawrence air-cooled engine. The pilot and passenger are seated side by side, an arrangement that has much in its favour but which is not very often adopted by designers. As may be seen from the accompanying illus trations, in general appearance this machine is not unlike the Eastchurch and Grain " Kittens " (designed by the Experi mental Construction Dept. of the R.N.A.S. during ihe War), plane 0°. The comparatively thick wing section employed is U.S.A. 27. Top and bottom planes are each in two units, the bottom ones being attached to the lower longerons of the fuselage, and the top ones to a cabane of two inverted V streamline steel struts ; an additional streamline strut extends forwards from the top of the cabane down to the fuselage. Front spars are of selected spruce, 4-ply laminated rect angular sections. Rear spars are of I-beam sections of spruce. They are built up so as to form a section similar to the ordinary routed spar. It consists of two spruce members of shallow U-shape, with the bottoms of the U side by side, and with a mk fc*^~—*-^—-^— —'•• ••*- - ^•••^»———^———i———»—- • • flBWBpF^ ' """**L THE BaCo " SKYLARK " : Front view. nearly grown up to a " Cat." It is stated that the " Skylark " possesses remarkable inherent stability, and that on releasing the " stick " the machine will settle by itself to its natural flying angle; which may be varied by the adjustable stabiliser. It will do this from either of the two extreme positions of a stall or vertical nose dive. Its lateral stability is also good. Other qualities in the " Skylark " that make it particularly suitable as a sporting or popular general-purpose machine, are its low landing-speed, quick take off—on landing it rolls but a short distance after the wheels touch the ground—the ease with which it can be handled on the ground, low operating expense, and long flight duration. The provision of an centre piece of ry-in. veneer, the grain running vertically to take the longitudinal sheer. Cap strips of the spars are of birch J-in. thick. Their construction is very logical since the veneer takes the hori zontal shear across the grain, and the cap strips of birch utilise a material of high strength where the fibre stress is greatest. The internal bracing system is of double swaged wires and forked ends attached to mild steel fittings boUed to the main spars, which are left solid at these points. Main plane fittings are of standard and simple design made up of plain mile! steel sheet metal. Ample strength has been allowed on all fittings, Ifrgg •• . . " . .... . . ,.. . . . ' ~ ," • •••,- ., ; The BaCo » SKYLARK Side view. adjustable tail plane in a small machine of this description is somewhat in the nature of a novelty, if not a luxury. The main planes are of .he ionr-aileron type of even span and chord, with the top plane staggered forward 20 ins. They have no sweepback, but a dihedral angle of 1 £° ; the angle of incidence of the top plane is i° and that of the lower and no off-centre wire pulls are present anywhere in this machine. The trailing edge of the wings is formed of wire, and hand- holes are provided on both lower wings to facilitate handling on the ground. The wing truss is of clean design. The single I-struts which 337 c 2
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