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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0365.PDF
JUNE 5, 1924 is 16 grammes (0-0352 lb.) per horse-power per hour. The total weight in running order is 100 kg. (220 lbs.), so that weight per horse-power works out at 3-67 lbs. The engine is said to run remarkably smoothly, and has been used exten sively in the " Avia " B.H. machines, where it has given excellent results. It may be mentioned that one of these engines was subjected to a 100 hours' run under the official supervision of the Ministry of National Defence. The cylinders have steel barrels, with aluminium fins shrunk on by a special process. The detachable cylinder heads are castings of, it is stated, a special "grey alloy." In the heads are the two ports for the inlet and exhaust -valves, which are operated in the usual way by push-rods and rockers. The pistons are of special aluminium alloy. Pressure lubrication is employed, anv surplus oil collecting in the lower part of the crank-case, whence it is returned to the tank by a scavenger pump. The ignition system is duplicated, two Scintilla magnetos being mounted on the back of the engine. The carburettor is a vertical Solex. It may be stated that it was with an engine of this type that the " Avia " B.H. 9 established a Czechoslovak record for distance (1,200 km.) and duration on May 13 of this year. We hope next week to be able to give further details of the two six-cylinder water-cooled Walter engines. In the meantime the following data may be of interest. The 185 h.p. engine has a bore of 150 mm. and a stroke of 180 mm. The rated power is developed at a speed of 1,400 r.p.m. The larger engine develops close upon 300 b.h.p. at 1,400 r.p.m., although it is only rated at 240 h.p. The bore and stroke of this engine are 160 mm. and 190 mm. respec tively and the fuel consumption is 0-48 lb. per horse-power per hour. The oil consumption is 16,grammes (0-035 lb.) per horse-power per hour. The smaller engine, dry, weighs 287 kgs. (632 lbs.) and the larger 304 kgs. (668 lbs.). Both types have been subjected to bench tests under the super vision of the Ministry of National Defence, and the smaller engine was fitted in the Ae 18b which gained the Czech speed record of 230 km. (144 m.p.h.) last year. The larger type was fitted in the Armv aeroplane Ae 18 which established" a Czechoslovak altitude'record of 9,140 m. (30,000 ft.). Skodovy Zavody, Plzen THIS firm, formerly the Skoda Works, was, as is of course well known, the Austrian equivalent of the German Krupps. In addition to armaments the firm now manu factures all sorts of components for aero engines, auto mobile engines, etc. Of more immediate interest in connec tion with the Prague Aero Show is the fact that this firm manufactures under licence the 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine, of which great numbers have been produced ior Czechoslovakia. One branch of this very important firm may be said to be the Czech equivalent to our own Coan, inasmuch as it makes a speciality of aluminium castings. Crank cases, pistons, etc., are among the objects manu factured, and one of our photographs shows a heap of such components. At present space does not allow of a more detailed reference, which must be reserved for a future occasion. BRITAIN'S AIR MINISTER IN PRAGUE : On the left a group, photographed immediately after the arrival of the D.H.50 at the Kbely aerodrome, in which may be recognised Mr. Frank Hodges, Lord Thomson, General Brancker, and Sir George Russell Clarke, British Minister at Prague. On the right Lord Thomson is seen driving away from the aerodrome, accompanied by Sir George Russell Clarke. • <$> <s> <$> OPENING OF THIRD INTERNATIONAL AERO EXHIBITION, PRAGUE THE Third International Aero Exhibition at Prague was opened on Saturday, May 31, by the President of the Czecho slovak Republic, Professor Masaryk, in the presence of a distinguished gathering, including official representatives of Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, etc. Present at the opening ceremony on behalf of Great Britain were Lord Thomson, Secretary of State for Air, Major-General Sir "W". Sefton Brancker, Director of Civil Aviation, and Sir George Russell Clarke, British Minister at Prague. Lord Thomson and General Sir Sefton Brancker travelled to Prague on Friday, May 30, in one of the de Havilland D.H.SO's (Siddeley " Puma " engine), piloted by Capt. Broad, the de Havilland test pilot. The third passenger was Mr. Frank Hodges, Civil Lord of the Admiralty, who was going to Vienna, and who was consequently " given a lift " as far as Prague. The particular D.H.50, by the way, was the machine fitted with the new de Havilland automatic camber gear recently described in FLIGHT, so that the Czechs had an opportunity'of seeing one of the very latest devices for reducing the landing speed of an aeroplane. Leaving Croydon at 7.36 a.m. (pictures on p. 353), the machine arrived at Cologne at 10.31, where a stop was made in order to witness the military review. A start was made again at 1.30 p.m. and the Kbely aerodrome of Prague was reached at 4.30 p.m., the actual flying time taken to cover the 700 miles' distance being 6 hours 20 minutes. On Friday evening the party dined with Sir George Russell Clarke, British Minister at Prague, and various Czech officials. On Saturday they attended the opening of the exhibition by Professor Masaryk, with whom they later had an audience. On Sunday morning, June 1, the air travellers left Prague at 7.30, stopped at Cologne for lunch, and arrived in London in time for dinner. The whole journey was made without a hitch, although the return trip took somewhat longer than the outward one, on account of a strong head wind. In an interview with press representatives at the Air Ministry on June 3, Sir Sefton Brancker gave some of his impressions of the trip and of the exhibition. The thing to keep in mind, as regards the journey, he said, was that the flight was not made over an organised route, and that the weather reports available were somewhat dilatory. It was generally considered, he stated, that it was a very good thing that this country decided to exhibit at Prague, and he thought the £'12,000 which it was estimated the show would cost, and half of which was being paid by the Air Ministry, was money well spent. The Director of Civil Aviation was particularly impressed by the originality of ideas and the good workman ship displayed in the machines of Czech design and con struction, and he spoke highly of the Kbely aerodrome of Prague, which was large, easily reached, with good shed accommodation and a large wireless station, and in fact everything ready for the air traffic when it developed. 365
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