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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0101.PDF
FEBRUARY 19, 1925 THE OPERATION OF FLYING BOATS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THE paper read by Air Commodore C. K. Samson before the Royal Aeronautical Society on February 5 was one of uncommon interest, and we should have liked to publish it in full. This, however, is not possible owing to lack of space, but we have thought it essential to give in full the con- clusions to which Air Commodore Samson has come as a result of his very extensive experience of seaplanes and flying boats and their handling and operation under the conditions prevailing in the Mediterranean. The lecturer gave particulars of altogether 21 flights, with a total flying time of 238 hours, the tot,?l " casualties " of which were one F. 2A lost, one Fairey wing damaged, and back-axle and two after port undercarriage .struts broken. The account of these flights is full of valuable and interesting information, and we would advise readers to obtain a copy of the society's Journal, in which the naper will be published in full. Following are the conclusions at which Air Commodore Samson has arrived :— Refueling Methods On practically every occasion petrol was brought over to the " F.2 A.'s " in small boats, generally in SO-gallou drums or 12-gallon tins. It was soon found that the best method was to empty the petrol into 4-gaUon tins in the boat and then put it into the tanks. The 50-gallon drums were impossible to handle on board an " I-'.2 A.," and the 12-gallon tins also being heavy and awkward to handle, in addition. we used to waste a lot of petrol. Another advantage of decanting the fuel into 4-ga!lon tins was that we got it doubly strained, a fully necessary precaution, as some of the fuel we got was very dirty and had a lot of water in it. We had a large petrol funnel which we could hang up by the aid of two slings to the upper plane, thus saving the use of a man who had to hold it. up before some bright fellow designed the slings. The tanks should have gauges that can be read from on deck. The " F.2 A." gauges were very bad, and time after time one man would have to go below to see how the level stood. The chamois leather had to be frequently removed from the funnel and cleaned. A ready attachment to the funnel in the shape of a band is required. The funnel itself should ha\x a wind shield, as otherwise .so much petrol is wasted when refuelling in any wind. We had long lengths of rubber hose so that we could reach each tank. Towards the end we used a two-legged funnel so that two tanks could be filled at once. We often considered using a pump ; but. finally decided that, however big the tank was, the 4-gallon tin was the most reliable and least complicated. We always carried at least eight 4-gallon tins. Whilst on the fuel question, 1 would like to add that it is most essential to have some rapid method of discharging petrol overboard out of the tank, whatever type your flying boat may be, as circumstances arise when you cannot get off with a heavy load. Pumping Out Arrangements Wooden hulls, however well built, will leak, especially so in hot climates. The same should not occur so frequently in the case of metal hulls, but it is certain that a certain amount will happen. It is very essential to have some reliable and quick method of dealing with water in the hull. The " F.2 A.'s " had a semi-rotary pump with leads into the various compartments. I soon found that it was practically useless owing to the leads getting choked up and the pump getting blocked. The pump was also awkward and tiring to manipulate ; we tried many schemes, but finally decided that a large garden syringe was the best, aided by a 4-gallon tin sawn in half. In the case of big boats a pump that could lie either power or hand worked is very essential. Lighting Arrangements Whatever the size of the boat, electric light installation is required. Riding lights, internal illumination, inspection lamps, signalling lights are all required. In the case of small boats a dynamo and accumulators will probably suffice ; but in the case of large boats an auxiliary engine is, in my opinion, absolutely essential. This engine will be able to deal with :—(1) W.T. whilst at rest ; (2) electric lighting ; (3) pumping ; (4) cooking ; (5) charging batteries ; (6) anchor work ; (7)it might also deal with slow taxying. Cooking Arrangements It is absolutely essential that some method of cooking food both whilst in flight and at rest is provided. Electric cooking is far and away the best method for reasons that are obvious. If a good electric cooker is installed it would do all sorts of jobs besides preparing food, one of which is drying clothes. You frequently get wet through whilst living in a flying boat. If you have some method of drying your clothes, you score tremendously ; electric radiators are, I consider, a necessity not only foi this, but for heating the sleeping quarters. This may seem a great elaboration, but only those who have had to sleep in a boat after and before an eight hours' flight know what a boon it would be. Mooring-up Arrangements Firstly, you should have efficient ground tackle. Your anchor or anchors should be capable of holding the boat on an average bottom. The anchor should be easy of stowage and as small in dimensions as possible. There is one slight difficulty that may have to be dealt with : that is, if you have one or two heavy anchors stowed forward you may upset the trim of the boat in the air ; therefore, your stowage place should be further aft. This could be easily arranged for. The cable should be preferably wire, with the last two fathoms at the anchor end chain. The wire cable should be stowed on a reel, and the reel should be either hand or power worked. Personally, I would carry two bower anchors of stockless type and one kedge anchor stowed aft. This is very useful for warping purposes. The cable of the kedge could be made of hemp. In addition to your anchor, you require at least three mooring ropes, hemp for preference, for (1) picking up buoys, (2) use as slip rope, (3) stern moorings when lying in a fairway and you do not want to swing, (4) mooring up to jetties, etc., (5) towing by motor-boats. If you moor up to a buoy your main anchor cables would be unshackled and used as mooring ropes. In the extreme bows of the boat you should have a place where the crew- can pick up a buoy or pick up a tow, work boathooks, etc. There should be plenty of room with the body exposed from the waist upwards, and a solid foothold. Outside this there should be a walk where they stand, if required to jump off on to a buoy or jetty. In the cockpit, or whatever you like to call it, there should be at least one good bollard with a belaying pin and a good cleat on each side. In a rack or clips should be stowed a picking-up hook consisting of a light boathook fitted with a spring hook to which is attached a light line—this line should be run through a fairlead on the hook so that a heavier line could be hauled out to the buoy. The boathook need only be about 12 ft. long, and it might be made collapsible for easy stowage. Whilst on this subject I would say always have the inboard end of any line made fast. How often have I seen boats adrift because the crew have omitted this. However big the boat it should be able to pick up its own buoy or to go to jetty under its own power, whether main or auxiliary power plant. However experienced the crew there are occasions on which you bump your objective, therefore a fender is essential. After a little experience we always carried one, and it saved us many a stove-in plank. I can by now see that many of the audience are thinking how the devil will a boat get into the air with all this junk. We used to, and with old soggy boats of antique design—and you cannot do without it. If each article is properly designed you will find that you can still fly. I would lay down that in the design of any flying boat" they should fix the position of all these essentials and allow for them, just the same as in a single-seater fighter you fix the gun positions, although there have been instances I have encountered recently where guns are fixed firing directly into the engine. I don't know personally whether this is being done at present, but hope that it is. In every design of flying boats somebody with real practical experience of their manipulation whilst on a cruise should be consulted—other- wise you get a regular Christmas tree and end up by carrying twice the weight in extras that you would have done if they had been properly designed. I would most strongly impress upon you that the flying boat will never fly more than on"e or twice unless its existence on the water is as carefully considered as its existence in the air. The use of drogues is required on all occasions of picking 101
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