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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0303.PDF
MAY 5, 1927 THE NEW DURATION RECORD Some Particulars of the Equipment Used RATHER more than usual interest attaches to the world's record for endurance recently established by two American pilots, Chamberlin and Acosta. Not only was the record raised to 51 hrs. 11 mins., but the power used in establishing this new record was a great deal lower than that employed in — we believe—any endurance record since the 24 hrs. established in Germany just before the outbreak of war. The result has been that one has almost come to look upon very powerful machines, where either endurance or long-distance flights are concerned as a necessity. Above a certain point there is admittedly no theoretical foundation for such a belief, and the Wright-Bellanca record is a welcome reminder that " giant " aeroplanes and engines of thousands of horsepower are not necessarily essential for records of this nature. The Wright-Bellanca monoplane is, in point of fact, quite a small machine of the cabin type, as the accompanying photograph will show, and the Wright " Whirlwind " engine is of 200 h.p. only. This machine probably represents about the smallest with which such endurance could be obtained, since the carrying of two pilots is a necessity, and the weight <if the crew would become too large a percentage in a smaller machine. The Wright-Bellanca monoplane was designed by Mr Bellanca, while he Mas still with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, and was built at the Paterson, New Jersey, works of that company. Mr. Bellanca left the Wright Company only when they decided to discontinue building aeroplanes and concentrate solely on engines. The machine was sold to Mr. Bellanca some two months ago. The two pilots who established the new record were Mr. Clarence D. Chamberlin and Mr. Bert Acosta. both of whom had been in the employ of the Wright company for a long time. Chamberlin as test pilot. The Model |-5 Wright " Whirlwind " engine used in the record flight was a stock engine, built some eight or nine months ago, and had already done some 200 hours' running before the endurance flight. Two of the outstanding features of this flight were the low fuel consumption and the low oil consumption. During the 51 hrs. 11 mins. flight, the quantity of petrol used was 384 gallons, or approximately 7 gallons per hour, while the oil consumption was only 38 lbs., or rather less than 1 pint per hour. The engine was in excellent condition at the end of the flight, and actually the machine was refuelled and flown to another aerodrome, really before the engine had cooled oft after the endurance flight. 51 HOURS 11 MINUTES : This photograph shows the Model J-5 Wright "Whirlwind " used in the Wright-Bellanca monoplane on which a new world's duration record was established recently. The engine had already done approximately 200 hours' running prior to the record flight. At the moment, it is not known definitely what distance was covered in the endurance flight, but it would appear likely that this must have been a good deal more than sufficient for the direct crossing of the Atlantic. | RECORD BREAKER : The Wright-Bellanca monoplane upon which recently a new duration record of 51 hours J^inutes was established. The pilots were Clarence D. Chamberlin and Bert Acosta. The engine fitted was a w h.p. Wright " Whirlwind " of the type used by Commander Byrd on his flight to the North Pole in the Fokker monoplane. sumption of Air Mall Services f? Postlnaster-ti«neral announces that certain -^patches of letters and parcels by Air Mail routes, whichiL ' susPended during the winter season, were resumed on Office. 271 May 2. Particulars of these resumptions, and of recent alterations to the Air Mail leaflet, are given in a Spring Supple- ment to the leaflet obtainable at any head or branch Post
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