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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0097.PDF
FEBRUARY 18, 1926 A NEW PASSENGER MACHINE FOR IMPERIAL AIRWAYS The Handley Page W.10 With Two Napier "Lions" LAST week the first of a batch of new passenger-carrying aeroplanes for Imperial Airways, Ltd., was demonstrated at the Handley Page aerodrome at Cricklewood, the pilot being Capt. Broad, the well known de Havilland test pilot, who had been " lent" for the purpose. The new machine is known as the type W.10, and as our photographs on pages 87 and 88 will show, it is generally similar to the original Handley Page W.8 which won first prize at the Government competition at Martlesham some years ago. That is not to say that no improvements have been made. The W.8 has passed through a series of minor modifications since that time, and has appeared in various guises and with various engines. The W.10 is fitted with two Napier '" Lions," as was the original Martlesham machine, but changes have been made in the engine mounting on the wings, in the cabin accom- modation, and in the rudder and fin. As regards the cabin or saloon, this has been somewhat changed in the W.10, so that now the luggage compart- ment is aft of the cabin, with a separate door enabling goods or luggage to be loaded without interfering with the door leading to the cabin, in exactly the same way as in the new three-engined Handley Page machine described and illus- trated in FLIGHT recently. There is seating accommodation in the cabin for 14 passengers, the seats being of the wicker work variety, arranged along the sides and leaving a gangway clear down the centre, as shown in the accompanying photograph. Provision is made for heating the cabin, the warm air entering at floor level and the cold air through the tubes supporting the net racks above the windows. The Napier " Lion " engines are mounted in the gap between the wings, but slightly farther forward than in the earlier machines so as to trim the machine, and the petrol tanks are supported underneath the top plane, giving direct gravity feed to the engines, without the use of petrol pumps. Those familiar with Handley Page machines will note that the fin and rudder have been somewhat re-designed. We gather that the directional control of some of the older types left something to be desired, and the new type of tail has been designed to effect an improvement, which it is stated definitely to do. The fin is taller and narrower than the old type, while the rudder is now a plain rectangle of fairly high aspect ratio. In place of a horn balance at the top, projecting over the top of the fin, the new rudder is mounted and balanced in the manner often employed to balance ailerons, i.e., it is mounted on brackets extending aft ftom the fin post, the hinge line being roughly one-third the chord of the rudder from the leading edge, so that the front third of the area forms the balance. The new type of rudder is said to be very effective, and as will be readily realised, a powerful rudder control, important in all types of machine, is essential in a twin-engined type, owing to the turning moment which may arise through, the stoppage or falling off in power of oneengine. THE HANDLEY PAGE W.10 : View inside the saloon, looking forward. There is seating accommodation for 14 passengers. Exact performance figures are not available, but it is believed that the cruising speed of the Handley Page W.10 will be in the neighbourhood of 100 m.p.h. London-Cape Town Survey Flight BY the time this week's issue of FLIGHT is in the hands of our readers it is almost certain that Mr. Alan Cobham will have brought his flight from London to Cape Town to a successful conclusion. Mr. Elliott, the man who tended the Siddeley " Jaguar " of the D.H. 50, having recovered from his illness, Cobham left Johannesburg on February 15, arriving early that afternoon at Kimbcrley. Proceeding next day they reached Bloemfontein, where they were entertained at luncheon by the Mayor. At the time of writing we understand that he hoped to complete the last 620 miles to Cape Town on Wednesday. However, we are afraid that it is a question of '• to be continued in our next ". German Air Transport ACCORDING to The Times correspondent, Herr Schreiber (German Minister of Trade) stated in the Prussian Diet on February 15 that of the increase of 2,500,000 marks (£125,000) in the estimates for civil aviation as compared with last year's appropriation, 1,500,000 marks (75,000) was destined for the participation of Prussia in the new single air transport company known as Lufthansa Gesellschaft. The rest was to be devoted to the subsidising of air ports and aeronautical research. He said that during the six most important months of last year from the point of view of aviation, more than 2,500,000 miles had been flown and 48,000 passengers had been carried. In 1924 the number of aircraft which left the Tempelhofer aerodrome was 476 ; in 1925 it was 4,725. The ame number, 476, landed in the aerodrome in 1924 ; last year 4,729 machines landed there. The number of passengers carried by aircraft using the aerodrome in 1924 was 1,700 ; in 1925 it was 20,400. Thirty times as much mail as in 1924 ; 40 times as much baggage, 14 times as much newspaper freight, and 100 times as much general freight was dealt with in 1925. An Aeroplane Club for Essex A NEW aeroplane club, known as the Essex Aeroplane Club, is now in course, of formation. Tuition and flying practice will be given on Avro 504K machines in addition to De Havilland " Moths," and it is hoped to make a start in the course of a few weeks at an aerodrome close to London. Membership of the Club is open to both sexes, and those interested should send a stamped envelope for particulars to the Secretary, Flying Officer W. Knox, 21, Airlie Gardens, Ilford. Well Done, Bermondsey! FOR the first time, as far as we are aware, a London Borough has realised the possibilities of aircraft and has made use of the advantages so offered. The Bermondsey Borough Council has voted a sum of 20 guineas to its Libraries Com- mittee for the purpose of obtaining an aerial survey of the whole of the borough. It was pointed out that such a survey, particularly if repeated at regular intervals, would be of extreme interest and value as a record of the changes and developments taking place in the Borough. The work is to be carried out at the first suitable opportunity by the Surrey Flying Services of Croydon. 89
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