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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0610.PDF
AUGUST 11, 1927 THE 1927 SCHNEIDER TROPHY CONTEST Some Notes on Two of the British Challengers THIS year's contest for the Jacques Schneider Cup, which takes place at Venice on September 25, is likely to be an exceptionally interesting one, not only as regards the high speeds that may be expected from the competing machines, but also as regards certain general aspects of this classic event. For instance, Great Britain is to be represented by three entries, and these, for the first time in the history of British aviation, will be Service machines, piloted by Service pilots. Previously the British entries have been purely " civil," although other countries entered under the auspices of their Governments—America, it will be remembered, entered pilots and machines from the Army and Naval Air Services. whilst Italy last year won the contest with the Macchi, built for the Italian Royal Air Force. Thus, this year's race will be, practically speaking, an aerial contest between international Governments ! The British Sendee team will be under the command of Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett, C.B., D.S.O., Air Officer Com- manding Coastal Area, R.A.F.. while Britain will further be represented by Lieut-Col. Mervyn O'Gorman, C.B., and Lieut.-Comdr. H. E. Perrin (representing the Royal Aero Club) and by Maj. J. S. Buchanan, of the Air Ministry. First and foremost, we wish to state that we were very favourably impressed by what we saw. Both machine- showed very considerable progress since the 1925 Schneider 'buses, and left upon us a very optimistic impression indeed Their appearance, as the reader may judge from our illus- trations, is not only pleasing to the artistic eye, but also satisfies the technical eye—a combination which, we firmly believe, means success. The Gloster- Napier IV In the Gloster-Napier IV we have the latest development of a successful series of racing biplanes—Gloster " Bamel," winner of 1921 Aerial Derby (163 m.p.h.) and holder of British speed record of 196-6 m.p.h. ; Gloster I, winner of 1922 Aerial Derby (180 m.p.h.) and holder of British speed record of 212-2 m.p.h. ; Gloster II, winner of 1923 Aerial Derby (192-4 m.p.h.) : Gloster III seaplane, second in 1925 Schneider Trophy contest (200 m.p.h.). In each case the engine was the Napier " Lion." The Gloster-Napier IV shows considerable advance in design on the previous models, although it retains the family resemblance. It is a single-bay biplane, with top and bottom planes attached to the fuselage, the top plane being slightlv larger than—or perhaps we should say, not quite so small m m m The Service Schneider Team: From right to left:—Sq. Ldr. L. H. Slatter, O.B.E., D.S.C., D.F.C.; Flt.- Lieuts. S. M. Kin- kead, D.S.O., D.S.C., D.F.C. ; S. N. Webster, A.F.C.; O. E. Worsley, and F./O. H. M. Scho- fleld. TLIGHT " Photo. These, together with representatives of the aircraft and engine firms concerned, will form an advisory committee working under Air Vice-Marshal Scarlett, with the common object of bringing back the Cup to this country. Regarding the British challenging machines, seven high- speed machines—six of which will go to Venice—have been designed and built, to Air Ministry order, under the general direction of the Directorate of Technical Development, by the following aircraft firms :—Supennarine Aviation Works, Ltd., of Southampton—three Supermarine-Napier " S-5 " monoplanes ; Gloster Aviation Co., Ltd., of Cheltenham— two Gloster-Napier IV biplanes ; and Short Bros., Ltd., of Rochester—one Short-Bristol " Crusader." From these six machines three will be selected after final tests have been made at Venice. For obvious reasons we are unable to give a detailed description of these machines, and all we can do at the moment is to present in this issue of FLIGHT just a few brief notes on the general characteristics, together with some illustrations, of the Supermarine-Napier " S-5 " and the Gloster-Napier IV. Next week we will deal likewise with the Short-Bristol " Crusader." Through the courtesy of the Air Ministry and the Super- marine, Gloster and Napier firms, we were able on Tuesday to inspect the two former machines, and are therefore able to give our readers the following particulars, which, if incom- plete, we hope may prove interesting. as—the lower one. It will be noted that the roots of the lower wings curve up into the fuselage, while the roots of the top wings curve down, and merge neatly into the outer engine-cylinder banks. The wings are of the multi-spar type covered entirely with laminated spruce. The interplane struts, which are of the I type, are built up of dural forgings so as to reduce frontal area. Wing radiators, of special Gloster design, are fitted to both top and bottom planes. The cantilever tail surfaces are built integral with the fuselage, and it will be observed that vertical fins are fitted both above and below the fuselage. All the controls are internal, elevator and rudder controls being provided with a variable device giving a ratio of 2 to 3 for small movement, grading off to a ratio of 3 to 2 for the last movements of controls. The fuselage, of extremely fine streamline form, is <;' laminated spruce monocoque construction, the engir'-1 mounting being of weldless steel tubing. It is of " head ar 1 shoulders " cross section from front to back, that is 1 continuous fairing runs from the central bank of cylinder and the pilot's head to the top fin. Petrol is carried in removable tanks in the fuselage, *' - oil tank and cooler being housed under the engine and formi: ' part of the fairing. Water is carried in a long header tar -. which also serves as a gravity petrol tank, forming the fain: s between the centre cylinder block and the wind-screen. 562
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