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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0154.PDF
MARCH 1, 1928 "FLIGHT" Copyright Sketches THE " GLOSTER IV B " : The wing surface radiators. On the left, the outer end of the lower plane radia or,showing also the Duralumin interplane strut. On the right, the water piping entering the fuselage at trailing edge of lower plane. controls are fitted with a special variable-gearing device,giving a ratio of approximately 3 to 2 for the initial move- ment of the control column, and a ratio of 2 to 3 for thefinal movement. This gives the pilot a control which is not only light and effective at high speeds, but also at low speedsand when alighting or taxying. The propeller was made by the Gloster Aircraft Co., and isa Duralumin forging milled on a special machine to the correct contour and pitch. Thus, no twisting of the metalis required, and it is claimed that adequate stiffness and a minimum of blade distortion under load are attained.Finally, the weight empty of the " Gloster IV " is 2,300 lb*, while the useful load-is 710 lb., including 11 gallonsof water, 5i gallons of oil, 55 gallons of petrol, and 15 1b. of instruments. As the wing area is 130 sq. ft., the wing loadingis 232 lbs./sq. ft The power loading = 3-44 lb./h.p. At St. James's Palace, February 28His MAJESTY THE KING held a Levee on February 28 atSt. James's Palace, at which were present Air-Marshal Sir John Salmond, Principal Air Aide-de-Camp, Group CaptainP. F. M. Fellowes, Aide-de-Camp in Waiting, and Air Vice- Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker. Amongst those presented toHis Majesty were : General R. Verduzio (Italian Air Attache), Major Sir Wm. Acland, Bt., M.C., A.F.C., Sqdn.-Leader N.Anderson, Flying Officer E. Andrewartha, Flying Officer B. Barrett, Sqdn.-Leader H. Crichton, M.B.E., Capt. R. Davies,V.C., D.S.O., A.F.C., R.N., Sqdn.-Leader H. Edwards, Flight- Lieut. J. Elliott, Wing Commander R. Field, Sqdn.-LeaderF. Fowler, D.S.C., A.F.C., Sqdn.-Leader H. Fraser, Flight- Lieut. J. Glaisher, D.F.C., Flight-Lieut. A. Goldie, FlyingOfficer E. Groner, Flying Officer A. Harvey, Flight-Lieut. Reginald Hill, Flight-Lieut. W. Honey, Sqdn.-Leader G.Johnson, M.C., Flying Officer P. King, Flying Officer D. Mitchelmore, Flying Officer F. North, Flight-Lieut. S.Park, Flight-Lieut. W. Purdin, Flight-Lieut. P. Rippon, Flying Officer F. Swain, Flight-Lieut. A. Wann, Sqdn.-Leader A. Jones-Williams, M.C., etc. German Air Transport Expands GERMANY is contemplating extending its air lines to thePersian Gulf, which has been made possible by an agreement between Persia and Russia. Other projections are a Berlinline to the Pacific, a Siberian line between Germany and Russia, and a Berlin-Buenos Aires line, for which airshipswill be used. " They Loved Darkness rather than Light, becausetheir Deeds were Evil " WHEN the four Southamptons now winging their steadyway to Australia were moored in Karachi harbour they found the water very foul, and after a fortnight at mooringsthe boats had to be hauled up on to the sand in order that the hulls might be cleaned and re-painted. It will beremembered that all the boats are painted white ; but, while the flagship is entirely white, the other boats haveidentification marks consisting respectively of one, two and three vertical black rings round the hull. When theboats were beached it was found that barnacles had congregated on these black rings. Why they preferredblack paint to white may be due to the reason given above. At present no other explanation is forthcoming. Suchquestions must have a practical interest for all R.A.F. personnel who go down to the sea in seaplanes. At anyrate, Group Capt. Cave-Browne-Cave settled the problem for the moment by having the black rings painted outbelow the water line. It remains to be seen whether the barnacles of the Far East and Australasia will eschew the hulls of the Supermarines or, faute de mieux, will consolethemselves with a banquet of white paint. New Director for Brftteh AirshipsWE learn that Capt. A. Weir-MacColl, A.F.C., has joined British Airships, Ltd., as a Director and Chief Pilot. Capt.MacColl, it will be remembered, holds the world's record on a non-rigid airship, having piloted the N.S. 11, in 1918, overthe North Sea for 101 hours, covering more than 4,000 miles. Incidentally, Capt. MacColl would be glad to get in touchwith any of his old crew or any airship members who are interested in this development.Metalised Materials REFERENCE has already been made in FLIGHT to the newprocess for the metalisation of materials, the world rights for which were secured by British Airships, Ltd. We now learnthat a private company is being formed with the object of establishing a working unit in this country, so that Mr. W. I.Einstein, who has developed the process in collaboration with the inventor, may be able to supply the trade with try-outsand tests with a view to formulating an idea of the commercial value of the invention and its production costs. The nameof the new company is to be " Metalised, Ltd." and the Board will consist of Admiral Sir Henry Pelly, K.C.V.O., C.B.(Chairman of British Airships, Ltd.), Com. E. A. Norton and Mr. Lincoln Sutton (Managing Director of British Air-ships, Ltd.). Messrs. Thomas Firth & Sons, Ltd., Extend THE undertaking of Padley and Price, Ltd. (late ofSheffield), of Blackheath, near Birmingham, has been acquired by Thos. Firth and Sons, Ltd., the well-known steel manu-facturers, whose name is so closely associated with the developments of " Firth Stainless " and other corrosion-resisting steels, and whose exhibits of " Firth Staybrite " steel form a prominent and interesting feature of the BritishIndustries Fair. The undertaking will in future be carried on as Thos. Firth and Sons (Birmingham), Ltd. Messrs.Padley and Price's works have for the past three years been specially devoted tft the manufacture of finished articles madefrom " Firth Staybrite," in the various forms which utilise its remarkable properties of great malleability combinedwith " super-stainless " qualities, but as the policy of Thos. Firth and Sons, Ltd., as steel-makers, is to encourage the useof these new materials by existing producers of the various articles, their primary intention is now to develop the Birming-ham Works from the point of view of the supply of " Firth Staybrite " in the semi-manufactured condition, such aspolished sheet and strip, welded and open-joint tubes, etc., and for demonstrating the facility of working the material,which is continually finding new and increased application for industrial and domestic purposes. 134
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