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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0460.PDF
JUNE 7, 1928 _n $v SPAN 45 • O LENGTH i4 WING APE A 504-sqff LOENING CABIN AMPHIBIAN. 425 HP PRATT ^WHITNEY "WASP" THE LOENING CABIN AMPHIBIAN : General arrangement drawings. staggered biplane type, 45 ft. span, 6 ft. chord, and 500 sq. ft.in area. As in all Loening amphibians, the spars are of wood and the ribs are of metal, specially treated for preservationagainst corrosion. The wing-section employed is the Loening 10A, which has proved by tests to be extremely efficient for athin wing section, very stable and with exceptional lateral control characteristics. An adjustable stabiliser, controlled by a wheel in the pilot'scockpit, is provided, as in the OL-8. The ailerons, which are unbalanced, are fitted on the lower planes only.The main petrol tank is carried in the hull and equipped with a reserve capacity. The tank is readily removablethrough the side of the hull by a specially constructed side plate in the hull that may be taken on and off with ease.Another one of the features of this machine that has been proved out by long use in service, and many thousands ofmiles of flying with previous Loenings, is the petrol system. In this the engine pump draws the petrol direct from themain tank, but, in addition, there is provided a hand wobble pump readily operated by the pilot which can be used incase of emergency. No gravity tank is used, and no com- plications introduced into the system, as it has been foundthat this dual petrol pump system is by far the most reliable, the easiest to maintain, and the most foolproof. A hydro-static petrol gauge is provided on the dashboard. The landing gear is equipped with large 36-in. wheels, and8-in. tyres, which,- for a 'plane of this light weight, gives ample excess oversize for operation in the muddiest of fields.Wheel brakes may be mounted, if desired, although the action of the resistance of the hull itself in landing has beenfound to slow up the run of the machine so as to permit landings to be made in very small fields. The operation ofthis landing gear and its design is exactly the same as has been developed—with considerable success—in the OL-8and other models. Similarly, the tail skid is a simple, sturdy construction thathas gone through extensive service development, and con- sists of a heavy steel tube pivoted at the front, with rubberdisc shock absorber unit at the centre and housed in a rein- forced shell, which, itself, can take the entire tail load at therear. It may be pointed out that the tail skid forms one of the most difficult problems in an amphibian, but this hasbeen very' satisfactorily solved and tested out in the new Loening amphibians.As regards other constructional details of the Loening Cabin Amphibian, we would refer our readers to our descrip-tion of the OL-8 model previously mentioned. It will suffice for the present if we outline, in conclusion, the salient featuresof this original type of amphibian. From the very inception of its development (some four years ago) the Loening unithull type—an ingenious combination of flying-boat hull and normal tractor-fuselage—has always been an amphibian,logical in its design, convenient and efficient in its layout. As a land 'plane it is sturdy, can be used continuously frominland fields of even small and rough character. The take-off with the air-cooled engine is quick, and the wing loading islight. In actual practice with this type of machine it has been found that there is ample ground clearance of thekeel ; in fact, the keel itself is sufficiently reinforced to enable landings being made with the wheels up withoutinjury to the 'plane. As a land 'plane, in other words, the Loening claims equal advantages and efficiency to the normaltractor-fuselage type of machine. Then, as a seaplane, the Loening has proved equally-satisfactory, even under the most difficult conditions. The hull has been made very strong and serviceable, with its specialcomposite wood and metal-covered construction, and with the watertight nose there is little possibility of shipping waterin breaking seas, as in the pusher-type flying-boat. The airscrew in front rises well clear of the water when underway, and is far ahead of the spray, as well as being protected by the hull beneath it.This tractor arrangement has been found to be, in actual practice, a desirable one in every way, comparing veryfavourably with pusher-type flying-boats. Mooring the Loening prevents little difficulty; upon coming to amooring the forward position of the pilot enables him to pick up a line, either from his seat or from the lower wing,and with the airscrew still running this line is recessed to a side chock. As soon as the engine is stopped this line can,if desired, be transferred to the bow. With the line at the side chocks the pilot is able to start his engine and warm itup before casting off, and can cast off the line or raise his anchor without difficulty with the engine running. Passengers can be taken aboard at the bow—with theairscrew at rest—and have access to the cabin with steps that are provided, in quite as easy a manner as any other type ofmachine. As regards airworthiness, the Loening amphibian is stablein rough air, handy and normal on all controls, and easy to land and taxi. Its performance is 120 m.p.h. high speed,14,000 ft. ceiling, and 50 m.p.h. landing speed, with a complete fuel load of 140 gals, of petrol and 12 gals, of oil, pilot andmarine equipment and 1,200 lbs. of pay load. This is consi- derably higher than is generally carried on " Wasp " enginedseaplanes, but makes the total weight of the 'plane in the air only 5,800 lbs., which is within the total weight limitof full, loads that have been carried with entire success on 416
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