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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0361.PDF
MAY 26, 1927 and it will be noted from the photographs that in the Hawker " Horsley " the rear wing spars are situated fairly far back in order to take care of the loads due to the rearward travel of the c.p. To those who like to make a study of aerodynamic design of aircraft, it is not without interest to note that the " Horsley " has very much the same general lines as the diminutive Hawker " Cygnet," which won the Daily Mail competition. There is the same large top plane and small lower plane. The fuselages are not dissimilar in shape, while the proportions of control surfaces are also somewhat alike. Altogether, one may say that the " Horsley " is the logical "big" version of the "Cygnet." It is rather remarkable to see such similarity between two machines, of which one weighs more than ten times as much as the other. The engine installation of the standard service " Horsley " shows, externally, very clean lines, the water tank straddles the propeller shaft and forms a smooth rounded nose, while the radiator is underneath the fuselage. The ensemble gives a particularly clean flow for the slipstream, to which fact doubtless much of the efficiency of the " Horsley " is due. Structurally, the " Horsley " is of the mixed type of con- struction, with steel tube fuselage and wood wings, although all-metal wings can also be supplied. To give an idea of what exactly was entailed in modifying a " Horsley " for the India flight, it may be of interest to point out that the standard petrol tankage is 230 gallons, which had to be increased to 1,100 gallons. The service type of machine normally carries 18 gallons of water for cooling the engine, while the long-distance machine carried 30 gallons. Standard oil capacity is 19 gallons, increased to 60 gallons in the record machine. Put in another way, the weight of fuel, oil and water in the case of the standard service type of machine is 2,116 lbs. The corresponding figure for the record machine is 8,600 lbs., of which the petrol alone accounts for 7,700 lbs. The empty weight of the service type " Horsley " is 4,760 lbs. Owing to the weight of the extra tanks, etc., the empty weight of the India machine is 5,200 lbs. The normal full-load weight of the service machine is 7,800 lbs., and of the record machine 14,200 lbs. The wing area is the same in both cases, i.e., 691 sq. ft., so that the standard wing loading is 11-13 lbs. sq. ft. In the record machine this was increased to 20 • 55 lbs. / sq. ft. The standard and " special " power loading figures are 11 15 and 20-28 lbs./h.p. respectively, judged on the same nominal power of 700 h.p. Actually, however, we believe that the " Condor " of the India machine developed a maxi- mum of nearly 800 h.p., in which case the actual power loading at the start from Cranwell would, of course, be 17-75 lbs./ h.p. Ihe only structural departures from standard in the long- distance " Horsley " were stronger wheel axles and wheels, and a slight modification of the bracing of the top centre- section, the latter necessitated by the petrol tank fitted in the deck fairing. In all other respects the India flight "Horsley " was identical as regards its stress-bearing structure, with the service type. The Petrol Tanks As the greatest change in the machine relates to the petrol tanks, a few words concerning these may not be without interest. The 1,100 gallons of petrol are contained in seven tanks, of which three are in the fuselage, two in the top centre-section, and one on each side of this, in the outboard top wing sections. The wing tanks are of tinned steel, but the fuselage tanks are all of welded aluminium, as is also the oil tank slung under the front portion of the fuselage. Perhaps it was somewhat daring to use welded aluminium tanks for a performance like this, but tests and experiments " FLIGHT " Photograph THE PERSONAL EQUIPMENT : Mechanics carryingthe parachutes and haversacks out to the machine. indicated them to be satisfactory', and they were ultimately chosen and installed, without any ill-effects as far as can be discovered up till now. Needless to say, the large fuselage tanks are amply provided with baffle plates, and tie rods support the sides against bulging, the washers being clearly visible in the photographs of the tanks. The Rolls Royce Engine With the exception of special tuning for low fuel con- sumption, the Rolls-Royce " Condor Series III " engine is the standard type, a 12-cylinder water-cooled Vee of a normal power of 650 h.p. at a normal speed of 1,900 r.p.m., and a maximum permissible speed of 2,100 r.p.m. A single-spur reduction gear is fitted, the ratio of propeller speed to engine n their ADVENTURES : Sketch map showing the approximate routes followed by Carr and Gillmanflight to the Persian Gulf, and Lindbergh in his flight across the Atlantic. The approximate great- circle distance of the British flight is 3,420 miles ; that of the American 3,590 miles. 329 D
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