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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0214.PDF
APRIL 19, 1923 - FuselageStruts ..-•". .- Longerons Tension straps Fairing strips Plywood fairing seat and floor . . Covering Fittings (wing and tail plane) Glue and nails _ .. 2-458-4 3-85 21 3-6 3-8 2-0 2-0 lbs. 28-2 Horizontal Tail Surfaces Ribs 1-56 Beams .. .. .. .. 3-50 Special rib .. .. .. .. -32 Covering .. .. .. % . . 1-32 Nails and glue . . .. ' . . -30 Rudder : Weight is proportional to area of horizontal surface . . Landing Gear Torque tube Skids (three) .. ..— .. Horns, fittings and cord .. 6-0 6-8 20 Stick Pulleys Controls •55 •83 7-00 3.2 14-8 1-38 102-7 lbs.Total dead weight „ i. The stress analysis was based on an original dead weight estimate of 150 lbs., which was purposely made high in order to ensure an ample factor of safety. Using the dead weight as calculated above and the live load of 150 lbs. kept the same, the low speed load factor will be 4-8 instead of 4, and in the diving condition will be 3 • 7 instead of 3 • 08. CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS Up to the present, we have, except where otherwise in- dicated, quoted the designers of "Turkey Buzzard." When, however, we come to constructional details, the designers give no information other than that contained in the drawings, themselves, and the following notes are our own comments and explanations. The Fuselage The fuselage of " Turkey Buzzard " is an adaption of a streamline airship shape, and is fundamentally a rectangular ' section with the corners rounded off. One of the accom- panying sets of drawings shows the lines of the fuselage, with " stations " marked, while the next illustration shows the general construction. Briefly the fuselage consists of four spruce longerons, in. square from station No. 6 to station No. 9, tapered to \ in. square at nose and £ in. square at stern post. The longerons are connected by vertical and horizontal struts of spruce, of rectangular section measuring § in. by £ in. The fuselage bracing is in the form of flat basswood strips •£ in. thick and 1 \ in. wide, tacked (with No. 20 nails) and glued to longerons and struts. The corners are chamfered off as shown in the drawings. The last bay is covered with -j^-in. 3-ply mahogany. The front portion of the fuselage is shown without diagonal bracing, probably to save work, but it might be advisable to continue the strip bracing over this , portion. The manner of building-up the streamline structure which fairs off the fuselage is shown in one of the smaller drawings. The stringers, as shown, are basswood double strips, separated by distance pieces or filler blocks. The outer strip is \ in. by •& in. and the inner -^ in. by ^ in. The space between the two strips is -^ in., and the filler blocks, spaced 2 ins. apart, are •& in. square by \ in. long. It would appear that this double strip arrangement is an unnecessary refinement, and that the strips might just as well be made solid, -^ in. thick by f in. wide. The stringers are housed in notches in the -^-in. 3-ply mahogany corner plates, and are secured to them by small nailing blocks as shown. The corner plates themselves are tacked and glued to the horizontal and vertical struts. The* fuselage is finally covered with fabric. The reason for cutting away the 3-ply corner plates as shown is, of course, that the fabric has a tendency to sag between stringers, and if the •e 1 i i 1 ! i > 1 itit BLKX i'se •j' FAIRING STRIP TURKEr BUZZARD FUSELAGE FAIRING " TURKEY BUZZARD " : This drawing shows the construction of longitudinal fuselage stringers, and method of attaching them, by 3-ply formers, to corners of fuselage. We suggest extending the formers down the sides, and placing a few stringers on them to keep the fabric from sagging. corner plates, or formers, came right out to the fabric they would form ridges in it. We frankly confess that we do not like the way the fabric is left free to flap about on the sides, and to a smaller extent on top and bottom, of the fuselage, and we should advise the use of formers on the sides and a few stringers, similar to those indicated, placed down the sides. When pulled fairly tight longitudinally the fabric will sag on the sides, and instead of a good streamline form, the fuselage sides would have a hollow which might easily make it worse, aerodynamically, than a plain rectangular section flat-sided body. However, a few stringers, as indicated, should remedy this defect. (To be continued.) A Portuguese Attempt ? FROM Lisbon it is reported that Coutinho and Cabral, the two Portuguese aviators who flew from Lisbon to South America in a Fairey seaplane with Rolls-Royce engine, are contemplating a flight around the world, and are to receive the support of the Portuguese Government. Sikorsky in America A COMPANY known as the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation was chartered on March 5 last by the Secretary of the State of New York, with a capitalisation of $200,000. The purpose of the Corporation is to build, sell and in general exploit the aeroplanes of Mr. I. I. Sikorsky's system. Mr. I. I. Sikorsky, who is President of the Corporation, is the famous Russian constructor of the first successful giant multi-motored aeroplane in the world. The other officers of the Corporation are: Mr. W. A. Bary, "Treasurer ; Mr. L. A. Shoumatoff, Secretary. The offices of the Corporation are temporarily located at 114, East 25th Street, New York City. Around the World THE preparations being made by Capt. Macmillan and Capt. Malins for their flight around the world are progressing rapidly. The machine, about which great secrecy is being maintained, is nearing completion, and the rest of the organisa- tion is also going strong. It is intended to start this spring, following the route planned by the late Sir Ross Smith, with the exception that the last leg, from Newfoundland to England, will be made via Greenland, Iceland the Faro Islands and Scotland. 214
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