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Aviation History
1922
1922 - 0452.PDF
AUGUST IO, 1922 THE D.H.37 275 H.P. Rolls-Royce "Falcon" Engine To the casual observer the new de Havilland 37, built for Mr. A. S. Butler as a fast sporting and touring machine, might appear to be just a common, straightforward tractor biplane without any very pronounced novel features and offering no field for speculation as to the merits or otherwise of its peculiar points ; and from his point of view the casual observer would be correct. The 37 is a very, straightforward design on orthodox lines, showing neither metal construction, cantilever wings, variable lift devices, nor semi-Diesel power plant, to mention but a few of the problems which are so by the size of power plant, not to mention the effect on running costs of the size of engine, the smallest engine which will give the desired performance must be installed. And finally, the whole outfit must be as simple as possible so as to be easy to maintain and with a minimum of parts likely to get out of order. These were, briefly, the considerations with which the designers were faced when starting the design. Let us, next, examine their solution of the problems, as exemplified in the finished machine. An inspection of the accompanying scale drawings and THE D.H.37 : Front view. prominently to the front at the p~esent time. Nor is the machine a helicopter (although its climb is distinctly good). While thus the uninitiated might pass it by with but a cursory glance, except for its rather pleasing lines, there is much of interest to be found by those wlio like to look below the surface, as it were, in order to discover the ideas which were in the designer's mind, the objects at which he aimed and the methods adopted for attaining them. Viewed from this angle the new D.H.37 assumes a different aspect, and it is in this light that we propose to review its features. photographs will reveal the fact that the D.H.37 is oi very pleasing outline and of very clean design, and that it repre sents, perhaps, the maximum of refinement that is possible with a fiat-sided fuselage and braced wings. Simplicity of construction was, as has already been pointed out, one of the desiderata, and the flat-sided, ply-wood covered body is considered to give this simplicity to the maximum extent. It might be pointed out that a similar construction is used in the D.H.34's, one of which has just completed close upon 60,000 miles during three months' flying, so that as regards THE D.H.37 : Three-quarter rear view. Designed in the first place as a machine on which the owner can go touring and take with him one or two friends, the 37 has accommodation for two passengers in addition to the pilot. As the owner may occasionally wish to take part in races, the machine must have a fairly good performance when flown light. In view of the fact that flights of con siderable duration may occasionally be undertaken, the tankage must be generous. As duration is largely determined robustness and hard-wearing qualities the ply-wood covered body appears to be entirely suitable. The absence of wire bracing (with the exception of the engine bays, where cable bracing is used in the bottom panels) avoids the necessity for keeping the body trued up after prolonged use, while there is no fabric to become slack or torn. The simplicity of the wing bracing is attained by using a fairly thick wing section, which allows of using but one pair 452
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