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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0091.PDF
FEBRUARY 9, 1928' La Paz, Bolivia : In the back- ground the snow- clad summit of Mount Illimani, which rises to a height of 21,000 ft. a machine of normal design, it may be necessary to use wingslots so as to attain a high top speed and still retain a reasonably low landing speed at 4,000 m., as well as fullcontrol. A supercharged engine would seem to be an advantage also, so as to reduce the loss of power at heights. The problems are many and difficult, but if Great Britain can succeed in solving them we believe that the effect, not only the immediate one in Bolivia itself, but in South America generally, will be such as to make the trouble very well worth while. GROUND TRANSPORT FOR AIR ORGANISATION ON February 2 Flight-Lieut. R. E. H. Allen, A.M.I.A.E., M.I.M.E., gave a lecture before the Royal Aeronautical Society at the Royal Society of Arts on " Ground Transport for an Air Organisation." Col. The Master of Sempill was the chairman. The lecturer said that few people realised that a self-contained organisation for maintaining an air fleet would require more different types of ground vehicles than aircraft. It was highly probable that a civilian air organisation of the magnitude of the Royal Air Force would have fewer types of machines, but to be self-contained and operate in various parts of the world it could not do with many less types of vehicles. If the Empire was linked by air there would have to be bases in wild and uncivilised parts which would have to be fed with stores, although far from road and rail, and repairs would be necessary although not within range of factory or depot. Then the possibility of natives being hostile would have to be guarded against. The lecturer then dealt with the types of vehicles required for ground organisation. Most of them were inevitably R.A.F. because that force was the only approach to a large self-contained air organisation at present in existence—at any rate in this country. Many of them or similar ones would be needed for civil aviation, although in comparatively smaller numbers, since complete mobility would not be required. Speaking first of the light six-wheeler the lecturer pointed out that its running costs when carrying 35 cwt. useful load were less than those incurred by the four-wheeler carrying half that load. Its hauling powers were equal to dealing with a trailer having a similar load to its own. Concerning ambulances, the increase in the size of aero- planes made it desirable for them to carry at least four stretcher cases. Exhaust gases should not be allowed to escape inside the body, which is liable to happen if the vehicle is open only at the rear. For dealing with air crashes a lorry equipped with shear legs and a certain amount of tackle and timber had been considered equal to the purpose for some years. But crashes sometimes happened at considerable distances from the roads and this necessitated more modern equipment. It had been met with a four-wheel drive tractor on which a crane had been erected and a long low-loading trailer attached. For starting engines the Hucks starter continued to give valuable service. A later type evolved by Messrs. de Havil land and Co, had been mounted on a Ford one-ton chassis. The increase in the size of aircraft and the petrol carried had also meant improvement in fire-fighting vehicles. A six- wheeled vehicle was now in the experimental stage. For photography a mobile dark room was desirable and a special body on a standard four-wheeler trailer had been con- structed and was tried during the Autumn Exercises. After certain modifications had been done it would be sent to the Middle East. Wings were not easy stores to transport. Because of this it was hoped that they would not continue to increase in size or, if they did, then in the form of handy sections. A four- wheeled trailer originally designed for Handley-Page wings had to be increased in height for other types. An example of the transport task sometimes necessary was the conveyance of a Supermarine flying-boat to the docks for the Far East Flight. The whole outfit weighed 13 tons 7 cwt. and was over 16 ft. high. A special route had to be surveyed to avoid passing under bridges. On the question of tank vehicles the lecturer said that one of the problems of which there was not yet a satisfactory solution, was the provision of means for filling aircraft rapidly with perfectly filtered petrol from a mobile tank and at the same time knowing exactly how much petrol had been trans- ferred. Also, time and petrol was wasted when a water- cooled engine had to " tick over " for a quarter of an hour or more before it could be opened out. Easy starting and a rapid "get away" were ensured if radiators could be filled with hot water and oil tanks with hot oil. The lecturer ex- plained a design that met this need. The moving of large aircraft about aerodromes required some form of tractor, for large bodies of men were not always available nor were they economical. The ideal tractor was one equally efficient on mud, grass, concrete, sand and other surfaces. The best solution so far appeared to be the Kegresse type of tractor without a front axle. Amongst other types of vehicles for ground organisation dealt with by Flight-Lieut. Allen were those used for work- shops, wireless, stores, armament, drinking water and flood- lights. He also gave, in conclusion, some interesting miscel- laneous information on the subject. 79 / D 2 ,.
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