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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0562.PDF
THE VICKERS " VIGET" LIGHT 'PLANE: Some constructional details—1. Analytical sketches of the fuselage fittings, which are made from Duralumin. 2. Sketch showing hinge on lower rear spar. 3. Locking pin with "umbrella " catch on top front spar. A small tube is used for slipping over the end of the pin, compressing the catch so that it will allow the pin to lie withdrawn. 4. Diagrammatic persp ctive view of the tubular engine mounting. The upper tubes brace the top of the sprocket casing, while the engine is supported on the two front transverse tubes a' the bottom. 5. Access to the pilot's cockpit is facilitated by a door in the coaming. -...,. spar, while the lower ailerons are hinged at the bottom corner.Inter-plane aileron wires connect upper and lower ailerons, and when these have been cast adrift the top ailerons can befolded upwards and the lower ailerons downwards. The wings are hinged at the rear spar, and when folded back, withthe aileron flaps up and down respectively, lie back with their rear spars against the sides of the fuselage. Thus the foldedwidth comes within that stipulated for the transport test of the competitions at Lympne (7 ft. 6 ins.). When the wingsare folded one man can quite easily wheel the machine along a level road, although a steep hill might prove somewhatbeyond the strength of the average pilot. The bottom rear spar is hinged to the forked ends of a tube running acrossthe bottom of the fuselage, and the L-bolts in the front spar, by means of which the wings are locked in position whenspread, are fitted with catches similar to those commonly found on umbrellas. A small tool in the form of a short tubeis slipped over the end of the bolt and over the wire catch, depressing the latter so as to allow the bolt to be withdrawn.This forms the subject of one of our sketches. The tail of the Vickers " Viget" is of standard type,externally braced by streamline wires. Provision is made for adjustment of the tail plane while the machine is on the ground. This adjustment is of very simple type but provides for quitea wide range of angles. The stern post of the fuselage is in the form of a steel tube. Around this tube is wrapped a pieceof sheet steel open at the side facing the rear spar of the tail plane. In the edges, which are shaped to the radius of therear spar around the front spar as centre, a series of holes are drilled corresponding with holes in a steel fitting on the rearspar of the tail plane. The holes in the two members of the fitting are so staggered in relation to each other that a move-ment up or down corresponding to but a fraction of the diameter of the holes brings two sets of holes opposite oneanother. Thus a very fine adjustment is possible. Our general arrangement drawings show the main dimen-sions of the Vickers " Viget." Suffice it to add that the estimated total loaded weight was 625 lbs., but that themachine has come out somewhat lighter than that figure, so that with a pilot of 168 lbs. and 1 gallon of petrol and \ gallonof oil the machine will probably weigh slightly under 600 lbs., giving a wing loading of just under 3 lbs./sq. ft. If we assumethat the Douglas engine will develop about 20 h.p. at the speed at which it will be run for normal flying (as distinct from theconditions in the " economy " competition) the power loading becomes approximately 30 lbs./h.p. -562
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