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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0404.PDF
wings reach an angle beyond that of the maximum lift coefficient when the tail skid touches the deck. On getting the tail down the lift consequently falls off, and the risk of bouncing is reduced while the drag is greatly increased. The centre section has been designed entirely in steel tube with fittings machined from the solid, and the engine mount- ing, chassis, main spars, and fuselage longerons all joint directly on to these solid fittings with their centre lines meeting correctly at a point in each case. It is considered that this form of structure is free from any of the strains incidental to structures in which heavy loads are carried through timber by lugs and bolts, and it must be free from warping due to climatic variations. In the chassis all bent tubes are avoided, and bending moments are provided for by a patented triangu- lated system. The springing is of the compression rubber type which has been found very satisfactory in service and to need only very rare renewal. In the tail skid a similar form of springing has been adopted. The sternpost of the fuselage, which is of steel tube, is used as the cylinder for these rubbers, and is carried up as a cantilever support for the fin and rudder, thus eliminating all bracing above tail plane. The tail plane adjusting gear is also carried on this tube. Channel section spindled spars of spruce are used for the main planes and tail plane, and solid spruce for the longerons. Interplane struts are of steel tube. The engine is a Napier " Lion," carried on a mounting of steel tubes, and is very accessible, the cowling being made so as to be quickly removable. A radiator of ample proportions, fitted with shutters, is mounted in the nose. The main petrol tank (66 galls.) is carried in the fuselage, at the e.g., and supplies petrol to a Vickers pump placed below the tank. The supply is carried up to a three-way cock, leading (a) to the carburettors, (b) to the gravity tank (16 galls.) in the top plane ; a separate pipe runs from the hand pump to the gravity tank. A fire-proof bulkhead is fitted in front of the main petrol tank, only one petrol pipe being led through it. For alighting on the water floatation gear is fitted, and provision is made for throwing off the wheels in flight. The "Swift" is designed to carry an 18-in. torpedo and the necessary dropping and adjusting gear. The full load carried, including pilot, torpedo and gear, instruments, fuel, oil, etc., is 2,876 lbs. The following is the approximate performance:—Top speed, 95 knots ; rate of climb at sea level, 650 ft./min.; ceiling, 15,000 ft. ; run to get off in a 20-knot relative wind, 150 ft. Bristol Aeroplane Company, Ltd., Filton, Bristol ONE of the machines which achieved considerable merit during the Great War in the service of the British Air Force, and which even today is to be found in large numbers on the active list, both in the British Air Force and in various foreign services, is the Bristol Fighter, type F.2B. This machine undoubtedly fulfilled the exact requirements for which it was designed—general fighting, bombing, and reconnaissance duties—and its quality of performance was only limited by the performance of the engines available at the time of its use. The engine with which it was then fitted was the 260 h.p. Rolls-Royce " Falcon," and it must be admitted that this combination left little to be desired. Since that time, how- ever, considerable development has taken place in aero- engines, and higher powers and better performance with JULY 19, 1923 aero-engines is now available. In this connection the success attained by the 400 h.p. Bristol " Jupiter " engine is well known; it is not surprising, therefore, that the Bristol Company have considered the question of adapting the already famous " Fighter " aeroplane for a renewed period of successful activity. The result of this " monkey gland grafting " experiment has, we understand, given very satisfacory results, and the " F.2B " has not only been entirely rejuvenated, but it is now livelier than ever I One of these machines is being shown at the Gothenburg Exhibition, in addition to the "Jupiter" engine itself, the " Lucifer " engine and the Bristol gas starter. From the accompanying illustration of the new " F.2B " it will be seen that the Bristol Company have succeeded in making an extremely fine job of this new installation, and the " Fighter "—always, to our way of thinking, a very pretty and business-like looking machine—has, if anything, improved in appearance, as well as in performance. As regards the general design and construction of the Bristol " Jupiter-Fighter," inasmuch as the original " F.2B " is so well known—to most of our readers, at any rate—and as we are somewhat restricted as to space in this review of the Exhibition, it should suffice if we briefly set forth its principal features. The outstanding features, perhaps, are to be found in the design of the fuselage and the arrangement of the wings. The fuselage is of rectangular section tapering at the rear to a horizontal knife-edge, thereby enabling the various tail members to be brought down low, out of the way of the gun. The top of the fuselage is kept flat for this purpose, also. In order to bring the position of the pilot and the gunner as high as possible in relation to the top plane without increasing the depth of the fuselage, the lower plane is not, as is usually the case, attached direct to the bottom of the fuselage, but runs right underneath some distance below. The wings, in this case, are attached to a small lower centre section, secured to the fuselage by short struts, or brackets. This arrangement, of course, necessitates a slight modification in the orthodox type of undercarriage, but the difficulty, as may be seen from the illustration, has been very neatly overcome. Thus the pilot and gunner both have an excellent range of vision according to their respective requirements. The pilot is situated forward, immediately aft of the top plane rear spar, while the gunner, with his gun mounting, sits just behind. The performance, dimensions, etc., of the " Jupiter-Fighter " are :—Speed at ground level, 133 m.p.h. ; at 10,000 ft., 129 m.p.h. ; at 15,000 ft., 120 m.p.h., and at 20,000 ft., 105 m.p.h. Rate of climb to 6,500 ft., 10,000 ft., 15,000 ft. and 20,000 ft., come out at 5, 8J, 14£, and 27| mins. respectively. The service ceiling is 22,500 ft. Span, 39 ft. 3 ins. ; chord, 5 ft. 6 ins. ; overall length, 25 ft. ; weight empty, 1,860 lbs. ; weight fully laden, 3,350 lbs.; weight per sq. ft., 8-27 lbs. ; weight per h.p., 8-4 lbs. Fairey Aviation Company, Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex THE Fairey exhibit at Gothenburg is a Series IIIJI> Seaplane. While they are prevented from showing their latest types of aircraft, it should be pointed out that the Series III is still in production as a Service type—an order for some of these machines being in hand at the present moment. In case our readers should think this is an old type of machine we might add that the III D is the fastest The Bristol " Jupiter-Fighter," the latest version of the^famous"Jupiter" engine. 404 F.2B "Fighter," fitted with a 400Ji.p.
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