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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0812.PDF
four boats will arrive at Singapore in February. Here a stay of considerable duration will be made, but it is proposed to get as far as Batavia during May, while Fremantle will be reached early in June. Then the flight will commence its circuit of the Australian coast line, via Adelaide and Melbourne (in June), Sydney, Gladstone, and Townsville (in August). Australia will be left again during September, with return to Singapore in the same month, and a flight to Hong-Kong during November. Ultimately Singapore will again be reached in the New Year (1929), where probably the four boats will then be permanently stationed. This itinerary is approximate only, and slight deviations from it are to be ' expected. The Machines The type of machine chosen for this highly important cruise is the Supermarine " Southampton " with two Napier " Lion " engines. The " Southampton " type has been found to be a most serviceable machine, with excellent air and sea qualities. Moreover, the machine is definitely able to fly with either of its two engines stopped, so that forced landings en route are extremely unlikely. In view of the fact that certain sections of the route will lie over land (including the " hop " from the eastern end of the Mediterranean to the Euphrates at Baghdad), this ability is of great importance. A novel feature of the particular machines making the flight is that they have all been fitted with Duralumin hulls in place of the wooden hulls with which the earlier " Southamp- tons " were provided. Metal construction of flying-boats is regarded as having a number of advantages, among which not the least is the absence of water soakage, which in a machine of this size may amount to several hundred pounds. A difficulty in connection with the use of Duralumin for flying- boat hulls is that the material is liable to corrosion. The anodic process promises to reduce this risk to a very large extent, and the hulls of the " Southamptons " are so treated. This process, being merely a surface treatment, does not get over the difficulty if the surface is scratched, and during a cruise of this nature it is to be expected that scratching cannot be altogether avoided. Thus the cruise will, among other things, afford an excellent opportunity for discovering how far the anodic treatment is really effective under actual service conditions. Apart from the substitution of metal hulls for wood, the internal accommodation has been somewhat altered so as to give as much space as possible for the crews, who will frequently have to live on board. Sleeping accommodation has been provided inside the hull, while against the time when the hot climates are reached, provision has been made for slinging hammocks between the two engine supports. Also the design of the " Southamptons " is such that it will be possible to rig awnings over the open space between the engines, so that when the machines are at moorings the crew will be able to seek shelter from the sun. OCTOBER 20, 1927 Cooking will necessarily have to be of a somewhat primitive style, but stoves will enable the crews to provide hot meals occasionally, or even for fairly long periods, should this become necessary. Ventilation is another problem which has received considerable attention. With the petrol tanks situated under the top 'plane, there is no petrol in the hull, so that the risk of petrol fumes in close proximity to the cooking stoves does not arise, but in the tropics, a thorough ventilation will be essential to the well-being of the crews, while at all times, good ventilation is an advantage in avoiding any accumulation of moisture in inaccessible corners of the hull, where corrosion might be started. The equipment carried on board for mooring the machines is fairly complete, and it is expected that the machines will be able to come to moorings anywhere on the journey without external aid. Needless to say, the wireless equipment is of the latest type, and the flight will be in direct communication with shore stations almost throughout the cruise, and will thus be able to receive weather forecasts, meteorological reports, etc. The-Napier " Lion " engines are of the standard 5A type, which has already amply proved itself, under all sorts of service conditions. In view of the varying climatic conditions encountered on such a flight, special propellers have been fitted. These are of the Leitner Watts type, of steel, with blades of adjustable pitch. Although heavier than wood propellers, the steel airscrews should be more immune from damage by excessive temperature changes and by flying spray. Again, it will be interesting to see how this type of propeller behaves under very strenuous conditions. The Supermarine Aviation Works of Southampton, the designers and constructors of the machines, have a long history of seaplane development behind them, and when it is realised that.the same firm designed and constructed the machines which recently gained first and second place in the Schneider Trophy race at Venice, it will be realised that their chief designer, Mr. R. J. Mitchell, is equally capable of dealing with machines at both ends of the scale, the fastest racer, and the weight-lifting cruising flying-boat. The Napier " Lion " engines are already world famous, and as they have gained their reputation through years of strenuous work, one need have no fear concerning this part of the equip- ment. If any engine is able to carry out such a cruise with- out trouble, the " Lion " will do it. The cruise will represent something like 300 hours' flying, and if necessary there is no reason to doubt that the " Lion " will be able to do this time without needing a major overhaul. The crews of the four machines have been carefully picked, and from the Commander down they know their jobs from A to Z, so that here again one need have no fears of the outcome. Altogether, the great cruise starts under excellent conditions, and one may look forward hopefully to its success- ful completion. THE R.A.F. FAR EAST CRUISE : Group of officers making the flight. In front of them is a model of the Super- marine " Southampton " twin-Napier-engined flying-boat used. From left to right : Flight.-Lieut. C. G. Wig- glesworth, A.F.C., Flight-Lieut. D. V. Carnegie, A.F.C., Squad.-Leader G. E. Livock, D.F.C. (Second-in-Command), F./O. B. Cheesman, M.B.E., Group Capt. H. M. Cave-Browne-Cave, D.S.C., D.F.C. (in Command of the Flight), Flight-Lieut. H. G. Sawyer, A.F.C., Flight-Lieut. P. E. Maitland, A.F.C., F./O. S. D. Scott, F./O. G. E. Nicholetts, F./O. L. Horwood, M.C., Flight.-Lieut. S. T. Freeman, M.B.E. 734
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