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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0603.PDF
SEPTEMBER 17, 1625 of the K.L.M., and on Monday, September 7, Mr. Fokker gavedemonstration nights before representatives of the Dutch and foreign press at the Schiphol aerodrome. During the demon-stration the machine was repeatedly flown with one of the three engines stopped. Mr. Fokker first stopping one andthen another, and it was found that with either two engines and carrying full load the machine would not only fly levelbut would actuaUy climb. During the demonstration, Mr. Fokker throttled down one wing-engine completely just afterthe start—in other words, just at the most critical moment, and which would represent the accidental stopping of a wing enginejust as the machine was taking off. Each time the machine climbed steadily. Climbing to a somewhat greater altitude, Mr. Fokker shut off all three engines and stalled the machine. As in the single- engined F.VII, there was no perceptible tendency to spin or nose dive, the machine merely sinking slowly. The next demonstration to be given consisted in flying the machine with only one engine running. Under these conditions itwas not to be expected, of course, that the machine would fly level with full load, but the altitude lost was amaz- ingly slight, so that even with two engines stopped (during the demonstrations the two idle engines were not merely throttled down, but actually stopped altogether), the machine would have a very good gliding angle, and the pilot should be able to pick a suitable field in which to make a forced landing. The manoeuvre of flying on one engine was successively carried out with each of the three engines in turn, and whichever engine was used, the machine appeared to handle equally well. To show that with only one wing-engine running the machine was still perfectly controllable, Mr. Fokker made a quick turn against the pull of that engine. With reference to the machine itself, this is, as will be seen from the photographs, practically a standard F.VII. An alteration which has evidently been necessitated by the addition of the two wing engines is that the telescopic struts of the undercarriage are taken to the wing instead of to thetop of the fuselage. This is not a point in the design of which one can really approve, as in a bumpy landing severe stressesmay be thrown on the wing structure without actual breakage occurring, and the machine might then be in danger of wingfailure on a subsequent flight. The two wing engines are mounted upon what appear to be somewhat sketchy tubularstructures attached to the lower bases of the wing spars, and in the photographs it will be seen that no cowling whateveris provided. Presumably, however, when the machine is further developed, suitable cowls will be placed over the wingengines so as to reduce head resistance, as this, one would imagine, must be fairly high with uncowled engines. Inother respects, the machine has scarcely been altered with the exception that the fuselage has been slightly lengthenedso as to give greater leverage for the rudder, in order to overcome the turning moment set up when one wing engine isstopped. Normally, the new machine is fitted with a monoplanewing of 635 sq. ft. area, but a larger wing can be fitted, when the load capacity is increased by about 500 lbs. The three-engined monoplane, with the 635 sq. ft. wing, has seating accommodation for two pilots and eight passengers, and iraddition there are two luggage compartments. With this small wing the machine carries a useful load of 3,200 lbs.,which figure includes the weight of the two pilots and fuel for six hours at cruising speed. The actual paying load in thiscase is approximately 1,500 lbs. With this load the maximum speed is stated to be about 125 m.p.h., and the climb to 3,000ft. is accomplished in 3f mins., while the altitude of 5,000 ft. is reached in 1\ mins. The present machine is, as already mentioned, fitted withthree Wright " Whirlwind " engines of 200 h.p. each, but it is stated that the machine can equally well be equipped withother engines of about the same power, such as the Armstrong- Siddeley " Lynx." AIR MINISTRY NOTICES \ Watchet Anti-Aircraft Artillery Range IT is hereby notified :— 1. Anti-aircraft artillery practice which takes place at Watchet forms a danger to aircraft when flying above the area described below. 2. Pilots should therefore avoid this area, as no liability for accidents arising to aircraft as a result of such artillery practice will be admitted. 3. No special warning signals for aircraft will be displayed, but the usual flag signals, etc., as indicated, will be employed whenever firing is taking place. 4. Details Description and Position.—An area comprising an irregular segment of a circle enclosed, on the seaward side, between the radii, approximately 6 miles in length, bearing 289° True and 70° True, respectively, and having as their centre a pointapproximately 1£ miles E. of Watchet, Somersetshire. The centre of this area is situated 8 miles E.N.E. of Minehead, inlatitude 51° 13' N., longitude 3° 18' W. Programme of Firing.-—Daily until the end of September,1925. Warning Signals.—Red flags by day, and groups of threered lights, arranged in a vertical line, by night. Air Pilot.—A reference to this Notice should be inserted,temporarily, in the Air Pilot, para. 71 (p. 22). (No. 50 of 1925.)i Stag Lane Aerodrome : Obstruction IT is hereby notified :—An area of approximately cue and a half acres has been fenced off temporarily in the N.E. corner of the Stag Lane (Edgware) aerodrome. The fence is marked by red flags. (No. 51 of 1925.) WORLD'S LARGEST PASSENGER AEROPLANE: The Vickers "Vanguard," which is shortly to be handed over to Imperial Airways, Ltd., has accommodation for 20 passengers and luggage. The wing span is a little over 87 ft., and the length is 60 ft. Carrying a useful load of approximately two tons, the machine has a cruising speed of 100 m.p.h. The two engines are Rolls-Royce " Condors " of 650 h.p. each. 603 ~-~ MMMUMU
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