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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0070.PDF
:,.--••. ..-••• 7?".:^'-•-.•• '$ of the T-2 model produced a year or two ago. As can be seen from the accompanying illustration, the " Tornado " is of exceptionally clean design, the overhead valve gear being completely enclosed in cam boxes. Briefly, the salient features of this engine are as follows :—Large diameter crank- shaft carried entirely in the upper half of the crankcase by seven main bearings ; each bank of six cylinders consists of two blocks of three cylinders, of aluminium castings, with steel liners held in the block castings, by a threaded portion at the top. the bottoms of the liners being flanged for attach- ment to the crank-case ; the carburettor and intake system form a single unit located in between the two banks of cylinders. The Wright model T engines have numerous successful achievements to their credit. For instance, the T-2 engines fitted in the U.S. Navy P.N.7 twin-engined flying boat first accomplished 55 hours flying without any overhaul or repairs ; and then the same type of engine put up a phenomenal record of 279 hour^ without overhaul during the cruise of the P.N.7 tcfsufl IBeru waters last winter. Both engines were examined after their remarkable achievement, and the official report on each of the engines ended with the statement that " the general condition of this engine was excellent." FEBRUARY 5, 1925 After this a new pair of engines was installed in the P.N:f,-''-" and at the Baltimore Air Pageant last October Lieut. Hender- son established world's speed records for 250 kgs. and 500 kgs. over 100 and 200 kms., and for duration and distance with 1,000 kgs. useful load. On the same occasion Lieut. Hardison, on another P.N.7 fitted with this type of engine, established a record for distance and speed over 100 kms. with a load of 1,500 kgs. and also with 2,000 kgs. The world's records for non-stop seaplane flights were recently broken by two I'.S. naval 'planes fitted with T-3 engines. The flights took place at the Naval Air Station at Anacostia, and the best record was made by the C.S.2 sea- plane, which remained aloft for 20 hrs. 28 mins.. with a fuel consumption of less than 30 gals, per hour. This was, how- ever, an unofficial record, as it was not observed by the National Aeronautic Association (the American representative of the F.A.I.). About the same time Lieuts. Lyon and Crink- ley, flying an S.D.W. 1 seaplane fitted with the T-3 engine, remained in the air for 20 hrs. 10 mins. 10 sec*. This flight was timed by official observers, and therefore stands as the world's record, beating the previous record of 14 hrs. 53 mins. 44 sees, established by Lieuts. Weed and Price, on a C.S.2, last summer. ALAN COBHAM'S EVEREST FLIGHT ALAN COBHAM'S latest exploit is undoubtedly one of the most interesting—and, we think, not altogether unim- portant—accomplishments in connection with aviation that has occurred for some time. As reported last week, on January 25, Cobham flew the D.H.50 from Calcutta to Jalpaiguri, near Darjeeling, with the object of surveying Mount Everest from the air, on the following morning, accompanied by Capt. Fisher, he set out on his wonderful flight amid the eternal snows, 17,000 ft. up, of the Himalayan mountains. We quote below Cobham's own description of the flight, which he sent to our contemporary, The Daily Mail :— " We flew from Calcutta to Jalpaiguri with the object of surveying a possible air route to the hill station of Dar- jeelmg. The journey at present is a tedious one, lasting nearly 20 hours by train, but by a system of aeroplanes and a motor-car for the last stage up to the hill the time of the journey would be reduced to six hours. At the same time we intended to find out the possibilities of an aerial survey of Everest and adjoining peaks. " We stayed the night at Jalpaiguri. Next morning after stripping the aeroplane of all equipment and lightening up as much as possible (for the machine since leaving England has done 8,000 miles under trying conditions), I took off with Capt. Fisher in the cabin. No aeroplane had ever flown in this region before, and we were warned against air pockets and down currents. We took oft in the morning mist and started to climb. After a few minutes the moun- tains came into view. The ground rises from nearly sea level in only 50 miles to 29,000 ft., and as we continued to climb dozens of snowy peaks loomed up above us. The higher we rose the thinner the air became and consequently the slower the climb. We flew towards Kinchinjuuga. which is 28,000 ft., and on looking to the north-west w* saw the Everest group, with Makalu (27,000 ft.) looking even higher than Everest because it was nearer to us. " At about 12,000 ft. I began to experience difficulties, and found that the machine would not climb. Fearing to cross a ridge, which is 12,000 ft., at too low an altitude and run the risk of being pushed down on to the mountain by down currents, I turned away from the mountains and eventually found a calmer atmosphere. \ " Then I started to climb again very well. At 15,000 ft. *T turned back and crossed the Phaloot Mountain (14.000 ft.) in a calm atmosphere. " We continued to climb to 17,000 ft. (more than 3 miles). At this altitude we had difficulty in keeping our height. The air was extremely rarefied—far more than under similar conditions at home. My passenger had difficulty in breathing and was panting hard. "Everest stood out clear, and seemed but a • few miles as we flew westwards. Away to the north were all the highest mountains in the world—Kinchinjunga (28,170 ft.) almost hanging over us, Mount lano (25.000 ft.), Kabru (24,000 ft.), Everest (29,000 ft.), "Makalu (27,000 ft.), and many others. Consequently, the air was quite warm at 17,000 ft., and as we descended to lower altitudes :t gradually became cooler, and at 12,000 ft. it was icy cold " The flight has proved to me that with the- right type of machine the whnk- of the Himalayan rang*, could be accu- rately surveyed by aeroplane photographs. " After a three hours' flight we returned to Jalpaiguri at nearly sea level, and to-day (January 27) upturned r<> Cal- cutta." CORRESPONDENCE AIRSHIP RECORDS T2087] I notice in your issue of January 29 that you give a list of records recognised by the F.A.I. In Class B (Airships) you say that the speed record is held by the Italian Semi- rigid P.5 with a speed of 402 m.p.h. Surely that is not quite correct, for Naval airship No. 3 (Astra-Torres) in September, 1913 (the date I am not sure of, being away from books), attained a speed of 51 2 m.p.h. at Farn borough airship station while undergoing her trials for the R.F.C. Naval Wing. This record was, anyway, recognised by the Royal Aero Club, and surely by the F.A.I. Although not recognised by the F.A.I., it may be interesting to readers of FLIGHT to know that in 1915 an SS airship, piloted by Flight-Lieut. MacEwen, reached some 10,000 ft.— at Polegate, I believe. The Conte was of some 250,000 cub. ft. and the SS 60,000 cub. ft., so the SS's performance was a fine one. On further examining these " records," surely they arc rather out of date ? R.34, under Maj. Scott, holds the airship duration record by flying for over 100 hours, and N.S.I 1 also flew over 90 hours when piloted by Capt. Warneiord. In any case, during June and July, 1913, the French airship Adjutant Vincenot" carried out a duration record of over 30 hours when piloted by Capt. Joux. Taunton, January 30, 1925. [The records published in FLIGHT were compiled from the Official Bulletin of the F.A.I., and.probably the reason for the absence of certain record flights is that these were m-t officially observed and consequently have not been homr>!<>Kated.—ED.] A. F. DE MOLEYNS Biggin Hill Air Station ON February 2 Mr. Churchill, Lord Baifour, and Lord Carson visited Biggin Hill Air Station with Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air, where they inspected a part of the training which the new home defence squadrons are required to undergo, including the methods of co-operation employed in anti-aircraft operations with Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers sections. Air-Marshal Sir John Salmond. Air Vice-Marshal Sir Ivo Vesey, Major-General E. I). Ashmore, Air-Commodore E. R. Ludlow-Hewitt, and* Group Captain W. F. MacNeece were also present. 70
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