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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0283.PDF
APRIL 28, 1927 SPEEDS AT THE BOURNEMOUTH MEETING Some Interesting Comparisons THE two tables published in last week's issue of FLIGHT, giving lap times and average speeds in events of the various competitors, have been much appreciated by our readers, and it is thought that a slightly more concise table of some of the machines competing may be of interest, even if the Bournemouth meeting is now a thing of the past. In the accompanying table we have compiled the average speeds, speeds in the fastest lap, and a ratio of fastest lap speed to average speed, for those machines particularly interesting to the private owner and the light 'plane clubs, namely, the two Westland "Widgeons," the Avro "Avians," and the de Havilland " Moths." In the table the machines have been arranged according to highest average speed, the figure for this being the mean of the speeds in the number of events completed (and for which, therefore, speeds were available). The table is so arranged that not only is the average speed easily found for any given machine, but the number of events corn- merit " (nasty people might call it " figure of honesty " !) is thus the best attained. His average speed was 84'8 m.p.h., and his fastest lap was covered at a speed of 86-5 m.p.h,, or less than 2 m.p.h. faster than the average. Four machines had only a slightly higher figure, namely 1 -03. These were the " A'vian " G-EBON, Broad's " Moth," G-EBNO, the Blackburn " Bluebird,""G-EBKD, flown by Longton, and another " Moth," G-EBXX, belonging to Mr. L. le Roy Irvin. This machine, however, completed but three events, and so the figures may be a little misleading. Mr. Hinkler's " Avian " shows the greatest difference between average speed and top speed, the fastest lap being covered at a speed I • 11 times greater than the average speed. Special reference should be made, in this connection, to Lady Bailey's " Moth," G-EBPU, which is shown with a figure of 1-07, the average speed of this machine in five completed events being 82 • 8, while the fastest lap is 89 m.p.h. This was the second lap in event No. 5 of the Satur- SOME MORE FIGURES FROM THE BOURNEMOUTH MEETING HH a go JT O 3 jo PW c - '> o > ON . £ r-; O X Q QH 3 : U c - Av i 0 QL I-H IH - K Q NO cn 3_g : 3 d Av i o <! OV 0)B O + I Q OU Speeds in completed Events 93-5 94-5 96-0 88-0 96-0 — — 87-5 91-5 94-5 95 0 94-5 — 88-0 89-5 89-5 89-5 90-0 90-0 89-5 86-0 83-0 87-5 89-7 90-5 91-5 — 84-5 85 -5 86-2 87-0 87-0 84-5 84-0 85-5 86-2 86-2 86-0 87 0 (a) Average ! 93- speed I (6) Fastest 97-2 lap 88-0 92-3 85-9 91-0 85-6 88-8 80-5 85 • 5 85-5 87-2 89-0 90-0 88-0 93 0 So 3 - 3 2 s KD : U X • o Q PG p PU 85-0 84 • 5 84-5 85-7 84-7 — — 83-5 83-5 81-2 84-2 84-0 — 80 • 5 82-0 83-0 83-5 83-5 84-2 85-2 80-5 81-5 84-5 84-5 83-0 — -• 43 s Q NX 80-0 82-2 83-0 84-8 94-4 84-8 ' 83-3 83-1 82-8 (b)i(a) 1-04 1-05 1 -03 1-05 1-05 1-03 111 86-5 85-5 i 86-5 89-0 81-7 84-0 1-02 I 103 1-04 107 103 pleted by each machine is clearly brought out. Bert Hinkler's " Avian," G-EBOV, heads the list in this respect, with eight events completed. Another " Avian," G-EBON, and a Moth," G-EBPG, are next, with seven events completed, and then the rest follow, with various numbers of completed events to their credit. Another thing very clearly brought out by the table is the way in which speeds crept up during the meeting. As ' ^plained last week, this was partly due to a gradual improve- ment in the weather, which was windy on Good Friday, •ifrhtly less so on the Saturday, with almost a flat calm •v-'ards the evening of the Easter Monday. Nevertheless, the • "ady increase in speeds is not in all cases accounted for ^ drely by this change in the weather, and must be put down | some of the pilots " nursing " their engines a little during first two days. It seems fair to assume that where the j rage speed of a machine and the speed on the fastest ) are most nearly equal, the machine was flown most nearly ; jl out " throughout the meeting. he lowest ratio of highest speed to average speed was med by Col. the Master of Sempill, whose " figure of day's flying, the Bournemouth and District Business Houses Handicap, Heat 2. This lap was shown in last week's tables to have been covered in 3 mins. 22 sees, flying time, whereas the other three laps were covered in 3 mins. 42 sees., 3 mins. 35 sees., and 3 mins. 37 sees, respectively. It is just possible that this lap time may be wrong, and that it should have been 32 sees, instead of 22 sees. In that case the ratio of top speed to average speed would be 85-0/82-8 or 1 -03. The table gives a fairly good indication of the speeds of which the various machines are capable around a triangular course, but the straight-line speed would, of course, be some- what higher. Exactly how much higher is difficult to say, but probably one would not be very far wrong if one assumed the absolute" top speed in still air to be in the neighbourhood of 10 miles per hour greater for all machines. Admittedly there is no theoretical justification for this particular " flat rate," but a knowledge of the speeds of some of the machines, coupled with the fact that the slower aeroplanes are affected by wind to a greater extent than are the faster ones, indicates that as a rough and ready guide one would probably be very near the mark by making this assumption. •rial Survey" WE would remind our readers that Major H. Hemming, g"v •^'•'i|A.F.R.Ae.S., etc., is reading a paper on "Aerial '•- ?y " before the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers on 257 May 10. The paper will be illustrated by lantern slides, and the meeting takes place at 6.30 p.m. in the Lecture Room of the Junior Institution of Engineers, 39, Victoria Street, S.W.I.
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