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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0233.PDF
/ % APRIL 24, 1924 and to take photographs of it. These are shown herewith. One feature of the engine which will be obvious from the illustrations is its compactness. The front view gives a particularly good idea of the small frontal area of the Curtiss D.12, and helps to explain how it was that a similar engine (in outside appearance, at any rate, although having a higher compression ratio) could be so nicely streamlined in the Curtiss seaplane that won the Schneider Cup race at Cowes last year. The overall height of the D.12 is 34f ins., and the width is 28J ins. Add to this the fact that the overall length is but 56f ins., and it will be seen that, apart from the ques tion of radiators, the Curtiss packs into a very small space indeed. Lightness no less than compactness has been attained in the design of the Curtiss, as will be realised when it is pointed out that the weight dry and without accessories is only 680 lbs., while the total weight, including propeller hub and water, is but 724 lbs. As the engine develops (for a com pression ratio of 5-7 to 1) 470 h.p. at 2,300 r.p.m., the weight per brake horse-power, inclusive of water and propeller hub, is only 1 • 54 lb. The engine which Mr. Fairey brought home with him is not, it should be understood, one of the special high-com pression engines used in the Schneider Cup machines. These developed over 500 h.p., and had a compression ratio of over 6 to 1. The present engine is now regarded as a scout engine, and is, as a matter of fact, almost identical with the 1922 Pulitzer race winner. Thus the old saying that the racing engine of today is the scout engine of tomorrow has once more proved true. The engine has, as is of course well known, been developed from the original CD.12, and its general characteristics are similar to the parent type, although minor alterations have resulted in the vast improvement effected. In general design the D.12 (which, incidentally, is to be known over here as the " Felix," perhaps because it " keeps on walking ") is a 12-cylinder vee type, with the cylinder banks placed at an angle to one another of 60 degrees. The cylinders are of aluminium and cast en bloc, thus giving very rigid construction as well as clean design. Steel liners are employed in the cylinders, and are screwed into the HE Fatal Italian Airship Accident As the Italian airship N.l was about to make a trial flight at the Campino aerodrome a violent gust of wind wrenched it from the hands of those holding it down. Four soldiers, however, were carried upwards clinging to the ropes, and one let go when about 60 ft. up, thereby sustain ing severe injuries. The other three still retained their hold until some 600 ft. above the ground, when they fell and were, needless to say, instantly killed. Although there were no navigating officers on board, the crew managed to bring the ship eventually to earth. Belfast-Liverpool Air Service A DAILY two-hours' air service, between Belfast and Liverpool will begin on April 30. Mails and passengers will be carried from Belfast to Liverpool, but only mails and news papers will be taken from Liverpool to Belfast. D.H. 50 machines will be used, and the route will be via Barrow, Maryport, Abbey Head, Wigtown Bay, Luce Bay, Mull of Galloway, over St. Patrick's Channel to Donaghadee and Belfast. Mr. Alan J. Cobham will be in charge of the flights. Helicopter Records M, PESCARA, at the Issy-les-Moulineaux aerodrome on ^Friday, April 18, accomplished a "record " horizontal flight in a helicopter, covering the distance of 736 metres (805 yards) in a straight line from the starting point. The time taken was 4 mins. 11 sees., and the machine remained steadily over 6 ft. above the ground. The flight was officially recorded by representatives of the Aero Club de France. The best flight previously made by M. Pescara, last January, was 600 metres (656 yards). M. CEmichen, using his own helicopter, on April 17, made a horizontal flight of 525 metres (574 yards) in a direct line at Valentigney. This flight also was officially recorded. London-Copenhagen Air Service THE Royal Dutch Air Service Company are, as from the 23rd inst., extending their services between London, Rot terdam, and Amsterdam to Copenhagen. An aeroplane will leave Rotterdam every morning, except on Sundays, at nine o'clock, arriving at Bremen at half-past eleven, Hamburg at ten to one, and Copenhagen at half-past three. aluminium cylinder blocks at the top, while studs projecting at the top and secured by nuts ensure good contact between liners and cylinder heads. The two Zenith carburettors are housed in the vee between the cylinder banks, the longest of the induction manifold pipes being not more than a foot and the others shorter. The carburettors are synchronised by shafts and toothed quadrants, and universal joints incorporated in the throttle- control shafts. Two Splitdorf magnetos are mounted on the rear end of the engine, one firing the plugs on the inlet side and the other the plugs on the exhaust side. There are four valves per cylinder, operated by overhead camshafts. Each cam operates two valves via a T-shaped tappet yoke, the stem of which works in a bushed hole in the cylinder head. This arrangement eliminates all side- thrust on the valve stem. At the rear end of the engine are arranged all the drives for pumps, magnetos, revolutions, counter, machine gun interrupter gear, etc., as may be seen from one of our photo graphs. The hand starter is also placed at this end, and the starting handle is extremely light, weighing but a pound or so. It is not proposed at present to give a detailed description of the Curtiss D.12 " Felix," as full particulars of materials used, etc., are not yet available, and the engine has not been dismantled. Later on, however, it is hoped that when the engine, after having been given flying tests in one of the Fairey machines, is dismantled an opportunty may be afforded of examining the detail construction and of publishing a fully illustrated description. In the meantime the following particulars may be of interest: Length of engine over all, 56f ins. ; height, 34 ins. ; width, 28£ ins. ; number of cylinders, 12 ; angle of cylinders, 60 degrees ; bore, 4-5 ins. ; stroke, 6 ins. ; weight complete with propeller hub and water, 680 lbs. ; B.H.P. at sea level at 2,000 r.p.m., 415 h.p. ; maximum b.h.p. at 2,300 r.p.m., 470 h.p. ; economical r.p.m., 1,850 ; petrol consumption at full throttle, 0-58 lb. per b.h.p. per hour; petrol consump tion at cruising speed, 0-54 lb. per b.h.p. per hour; oil consumption, 0 015 lb. per b.h.p. per hour. (The figures for petrol consumption relate to a mixture containing 50 per cent, of benzole.) m s On the return journey an aeroplane leaves Copenhagen at a quarter past nine in the morning, and arrives at Rot terdam at five minutes past five o'clock. Lisbon-Macao Flight THE two Portuguese airmen, Capt. Brito Paia and Lieut. S. Beires, who left Lisbon on April 2 for a flight to Macao (China) reached Heliopolis, Cairo, on April 21. . An International Air Conference AN International air conference will open in Rome on Tuesday next. It will be attended by jurists representing 26 nations, and will deal with such questions as the extra territorial status of aeroplanes while in flight and rights of landing. Cause of Lawrence B. Sperry's Death THE Air Ministry announces that as a result of the investigation into the circumstances of the accident to air craft G-E.B.I.J., piloted by Mr. Lawrence B. Sperry, which occurred on December 13th, 1923, the Inspector of Accidents arrived at the following conclusions :—(a) That the pilot was forced to alight in the sea owing to a complete failure of the engine, and he was subsequently drowned in an attempt to swim ashore. (6) That the failure of the engine was due to warping, and consequent seizure, of the valves of the top cylinder, followed by a displacement of the tappet rods. A Gift to the R.A.C. Racing Fund. WITH the object of encouraging the sporting side of aviation, Mr. Samuel Samuel has contributed a generous and welcome donation of ^1,000 to the racing fund of the Royal Aero Club. Round Australia Flight. WING-COMMANDER GOBLE and Flying Officer Mclntyre, who started from Melbourne on April 6 for a flight Tound Australia, in Fairey seaplane, got as far as Townsville, Queensland, on Sunday, April 13, and on April 16 reached Thursday Island, N. Queensland. The previous stages covered on this flight were Melbourne-Sydney, Sydney- Gladstone.
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