FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0221.PDF
APRIL 1, It26 stitution of floats for the wheel undercarriage has only, if the air speed indicator is to be trusted, resulted in a loss of 2 m.p.h. in top speed. If this figure is correct, and there is reason to believe that it is at any rate approxi- mately so, it speaks well for the low head resistance of the floats built for the machine by Short Brothers. As a type the floats built for the D.H.50 are similar to those employed on the Schneider Cup racers last year, which, it may be recol- lected, caused very favour- able comment in the United States, where their clean running and general excel- lence were frankly admitted. That the floats built by Short Brothers for the 50 incor- porate this feature of clean running and absence of ten- dency to porpoise, was very evident on our visit to Rochester last week, when we were privileged to make a flight in the machine and thus experience for ourselves the qualities of the machine and of its floats. Constructionally, the floats, which are of the V-bottom single step domed-top type, are built throughout of Dura- lumin, with a central parti- tion or keelson running from nose to heel and intersected at intervals by transverse bulkheads which divide the float into a number of water-tight compart- ments. Painted with Ryland's white enamel inside and out, according to usual Short practice, the floats are of extra- ordinarily neat appearance, and the V-bottom was found to absorb shock admirably, there being not a trace of a bump or jolt on alighting, although the floats are rigidly attached to the undercarriage structure. On the day of our visit to Rochester, the weather conditions [•• FLIGHT " PhotographTHE FLY-PAST : The D.H.50 passing the Rochester works of Short Brothers, piloted by Capt. Broad. were extremely favourable, itis true, there being scarcely a ripple on the Medway, ardthe wind blowing down river, giving plenty of space forgetting of) and gaining alti tude against what little windthere was. There is, however, no reason to doubt that thefloats would behave equally well in a moderate seaway,such as may be encountered on lakes or river estuaries.A machine of the size of the D.H.50 could not be expectedto be capable of alighting on- the open sea in rough weather,in the manner of some of our largest flying-boats, butshould be admirably capable of alighting on and taking offfrom reasonably sheltered water under all conditions. With Capt. Hubert Broadin the pilot's cockpit and Mr. Hearle and the writer in thecabin, the Puma engine was warmed up for a few minutes,and then the moorings were cast off and the machine wastaxied from the slipway of Short Brothers up towardsthe bridge over the Medway. While taxying down windbefore the take-off, the ex- tremely smooth running wasparticularly noticed, and upon reaching the neigh-bourhood of the bridge, the machine was turnedhead to wind in a remark- ably small circle, appearingto handle at least as well on the water as does the normal D.H.50 on an aerodrome. As Broad opened the throttle wide and the machine beganto gather speed, a careful watch was kept for any signs of porpoising, but not a trace was discovered. Looking outof the cabin window and towards the tail, a feature which impressed one was the relative absence of spray. Instead ofthe clouds of spray going up on each side, so familiar on sea- planes of some years ago, there was a very faint spray, [" FLIGHT " Photograph Three-quarter front view of the D.H.50 fitted with floats built by Short Brothers, a portion of whose works may be seen in the background. 189 - c
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
