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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0215.PDF
APRIL 9, 1925 Turning now to the other two machines, these are both, generally speaking, of the familiar Savoia flying boat type, differing in design according to the requirements of the duties imposed on each. The S.16ter, which we will deal with next, is a modern version of a comparatively old and successful Savoia flying boat. Among the most recent successes of this type may be mentioned the flight across Europe and over the Alps, made by a section of three flying boats of the Italian Military Air Force, and which returned to Italy without having had any trouble, in spite of the bad weather encountered at the time (July, 1924) ; and also the world's height record for flying boats with 500 kgs. (1,102.5 lbs.) made on August 25, 1924, by Centurone with an altitude of 4,597 m. (15,078 ft.). The new- S.16 model, besides the improved characteristics in flight and in water, is also pro- vided with wireless equipment, camera, machine-gun mounting, bomb racks and all latest installations. The most important modification, however, is the fitting of the 400 h.p. Lorraine- Dietrich engine, which considerably improves the take-off and the manoeuvring abilities. It is primarily intended for bombing and reconnaissance work. As may be seen from the illustrations, the S.16ter is an orthodox biplane flying boat, with equal span wings, having four-bay bracing (excluding the small centre section carrying the engine). The lower plane, which is about 8 ins. less in chord than the top one, is set at a dihedral angle, and is provided with wing tip floats. The hull is of the single-step type, with concave bottom and a sharply tapering stern. It is provided writh two cockpits in the bows, the pilot's just forward of the main planes and the gunner's immediately in front of this and fitted with a machine-gun ring. The 400 h.p. Lorraine-Dietrich engine, driving a pusher air screw, is mounted in a partly enclosed nacelle, with nose radiator, supported above the hull by two pairs of N-struts. In other respects this machine follows usual practice. The principal characteristics of the S.16ter are : — Span . . , . . . 50 ft. 6 ins. Chord . . . . . . . . 7 ft. 4 ins. (top), 6 ft. (bottom). Overall length 34 ft. 2 ins. Wing area .. .. .. .. 645-6 sq.ft. 3,682-5 lbs. 5.667 lbs. 8-75 lbs. 14 1 lbs. 56-118 m.p.h. 3 mms. 30 sees. Weight empty loaded ,, per square foot . . per horse-power Speed range Climb to 3,000 ft to 16,000 ft. . . . . 55 nuns. Range of action . . . . . . 4-6 hrs. The Savoia S.57bis is a high-speed reconnaissance two- seater flying boat, and differs from the previous machine (S.16ter) not only as regards size, but in the general design, although in most respects it follows usual Savoia practice. It is a pusher biplane of the two-bay type, and the top plane, which is " straight," is very slightly larger in span and chord than the lower plane. The latter is set at a dihedral angle and is provided with wing-tip floats. The single pair of interplane struts on each side is inclined slightly outwards, so that the overhang of upper and lower planes is about the same. Unbalanced ailerons are fitted to the top planes only. The 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine is mounted in a semi- enclosed nacelle, as on the S.16ter. The tail surfaces include a raked, rectangular, stabilising surface with divided but unbalanced elevators, and a triangular, vertical fin and unbalanced rudder. As regards the hull, this is very much the same as that of the S. 16ter, the pilot's and gunner's cockpits being arranged in tandem well forward of the main planes. The principal characteristics of the S.57bis are :— Span . . . . . . . . 36 ft. 10 ins. (top), and 33 ft. 9ins. (bottom). Chord . . . . . . . . 6 ft. (top) and o ft. (bottom). Overall length 30 ft. Wing area 387-3 sq.ft. Weight empty 2,315-25 lbs. loaded 1,212-75 lbs. per square foot . . . . 9 lbs. per horse-power . . 11-3 lbs. Speed range . . . . . . 59-145 m.p.h. Climb to 3,000 ft 2 mins. 55 sees. to 16,000 ft. . . . . 48 mins. Range of action . . .. .. 5 hrs. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION THE International Commission for Aerial Navigation opened its eighth session on April 3 in London, at the Industrial Court, for the purpose of considering a number of conclusions presented by the various sub-commissions. Representa- tives of about nine countries were present, including Belgium, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Croates, Serbs and Yugo-Slavs, and Japan. The proceed- ings were conducted in private, and a formal welcome was accorded the Commission by the Prime Minister. Sir Sefton Brancker was in the chair, and the British delegation present included Capt. Goodman Crouch (Technical Sub-Commission), Gp.-Capt. Blandy (Wireless Telegraphy), and Mr. R. L. Megarry (Legal Sub-Commission). The principal problems discussed included the standards of airworthiness, the uni- fication of maps, etc. All the delegates were the guests of the Fairey Aviation Co. at the lunch to Wing-Comdr. Goble (reported elsewhere in this issue) held that afternoon, and in the evening they attended a dinner given by the Government at Lancaster House, on which occasion 22 countries were represented. Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air, presided. The following day the session was resumed, again in private. On Monday, April 6, the closing meeting of the session was held in public, and the conclusions reached during the session were announced. In the present issue, we can only refer but briefly to the proceedings of the final meeting, but will give fuller particulars next week. Sixteen of the 26 states which signed the Convention of 1919 were represented, and the president on this occasion was Sir Sefton Brancker. The principal decisions announced included the following : To approve of the application for a derogation from Article 5 of the convention made by the Polish Government. To adopt a further chapter of the regulations concerning the minimum requirements for airworthiness certificates. To hasten the revision of the meteorological annex to the convention. To continue the unification of terms and symbols used in aeronautical technics. To confirm the exclusion of women from any employment in the operating crew of aircraft engaged in public transport. To modify in the near future the regulations relating to air traffic. To continue the study of various questions, particularly (1) that of the composition of the operating crew on board aircraft ; (2) that of the maintenance of the airworthiness of aircraft ; and (3) that of the unification of the character- istics required in respect of materials used in aeronautical construction. At the conclusion of the meeting, the delegates, as guests of the Government and Air Ministry, paid a visit to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, where non-stalling aeroplanes were seen. Brussels-Congo Flight Concluded LIEUT. THIEFFRY, the Belgian military airman, who set! out from Brussels on February 12 to fly to Belgian Congo \ in a three-engined Handley Page biplane, has reached his ', destination safely. He arrived at Kiushasa, Stanley Pool, on Friday, April 3. having covered some 5,000 miles in 13 stages over a period of 51 days. A Special Prandtl Issue OUR German contemporary, Zeitschrift fur Flugtechnik und Motorluftschiffahrt, has published, on the occasion of Professor Prandtl celebrating his fiftieth birthday, a special '•,•I " Prandtl Sonderheft." The number contains a brief sketch of Prandtl's life and work by Professor v. Karman, of Aachen, a list of Prandtl's written works, an article on the flutter of single-spar wings by Blasius, an account of certain recent work at Gottingen by Ackeret, including certain work on the rotor, an article on the rotor ship by Flettner, a brief study of the possibilities of applying the rotor to aircraft by Proll. of Hannover, in which he arrives at the conclusion that the rotor could only usefully be applied to very slow aeroplanes. and several more highly technical articles on aerodynamic subjects. The issue of the Z.F.M. is well worth obtaining. It is published by R. Oldenburg, of Munich. 215
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