FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0943.PDF
OCTOBER 11, 1928 BRITISH AIRCRAFT AT BERLIN: The Avro " Avian " light 'plane, fitted with the Armstrong-Siddeley"Genet II " engine. machine and to relieve the load on the tail skid. Thus, with the wings folded, the machine can be wheeled along quite easily by one man. Telescopic jury struts are used to separate the inner ends of the wings when the latter are folded. When the wings are spread the jury struts are " telescoped " and rest in clips under the top plane. The wing construction of the Avro " Avian " is of perfectly normal two-spar type. The wings are but slightly staggered in relation to each other, but the gap is large and the biplane arrangement is very efficient. The top plane centre-section contains the petrol tank, which has a capacity of 20 gallons. An interesting feature is that one of the centre-section struts is used as the petrol gravity pipe, the flexible petrol tubing being joined to the lower end of this strut. The high position of the petrol tanks ensures an ample head of petrol even during a steep climb, and, of course, the petrol system is greatly simplified by using direct gravity feed. When fitted with the standard " Cirrus " Mark II engine, the tare weight of the " Avian III " is 875 lbs. The normal loaded weight of the machine is 1,360 lbs., and the certificate of airworthiness covers up to a gross weight of 1,450 lbs. for " aerobatics," and up to 1,600 lbs. for ordinary straight flying. In other words, if it be desired to use the " Avian " for long-distance non-stop flights, a large tank can be fitted in the front cockpit, and the machine may be loaded up to 1,600 lbs. without exceeding its C. of A. for " non-aerobatic flying. The main performance figures are as follows, and apply to the loaded weight of 1,360 lbs. : top speed at ground level, 105 m.p.h. (170 km.'h). At 5,000 ft. the top speed is 100 m.p.h. The absolute ceiling is 17,000 ft. (5,180 m.), and the stalling speed 40 m.p.h. THE ENGINES A.B.C. MOTORS, LTD. THE A.B.C. " Hornet " 75 h.p. air-cooled engine is exhibited on the stand of Messrs. Autoflugs in the German section. This new engine, produced by A.B.C. Motors, Ltd., of Walton-on-Thames, may be regarded as a development of the A.B.C. " Scorpion," which the company has had in production for some years, supplying considerable numbers to the Continent, especially Germany. The " Hornet " is an air-cooled " flat twin " with four cylinders. By retaining the " flat twin " arrangement, very low frontal area has resulted, whilst the mechanical balance is wonderful, although there must be an unbalanced " slewing " couple with two crank throws. There is a convincing absence of vibration. It passed through the Air Ministry type tests with honours. These were carried out in very hot weather, the temperature in the test house being 102° F. at times. On one particular day the temperature was about 100° F. with the intake temperature of 30° C, and the average petrol consumption for the whole day of the " Hornet " was 0-488 pint/h.p.,'hr. ! The final figures from the test suggested that the engine gave promise of long periods of running without the necessity of overhaul once it was in production. It was the original engine which, after about 80 hours of development testing, was submitted for the Air Ministry's tests, and it passed at the first attempt. The cylinder heads, pistons, and certain other parts are identical with those in the A.B.C. " Scorpion " engine, so that those who use both types have an advantage in the smaller number of spares necessary to be stocked. There are two valves per cylinder, operated by push rods and rockers from the two camshafts on front and back of engine. As the engine has dual ignition (Watford dual-spark magneto), there are two sparking plugs per cylinder. Aluminium alloy pistons are used fitted with fully-floating gudgeon pins. The back cover of the engine houses the two oil pumps (pressure and scavenger), which are of eccentric- operated plunger type, of equal design and capacity. Provision is also made for fitting a fuel pump if desired, although in most instances direct gravity feed will probably be employed. The induction system is of very simple type, the manifold being cast integral with the central portion of the crankcase, and thus the fuel mixture is heated and the oil cooled at the same time. From the central manifold under the crankcase pipes are taken to each side, with forked pipes conducting the mixture to the separate cylinders. A.D.C. AIRCRAFT, LTD. THERE is a Cirrus Mk. II 75/80 h.p. engine ; a Cirrus Mk. Ill 85/95 h.p. engine and a Nimbus 300/330 h.p. engine exhibited by the A.D.C. Aircraft, Ltd. Their agents in Germany are Messrs. Raab-Katzenstein Flugzeugwerke G.m.b.H., who have already purchased a number of Cirrus engines for installation in their Pelican light aeroplanes. There is also a Cirrus engine exhibited on the stand of Messrs. Raab- Katzenstein in the German section. Incidentally, five of the largest aircraft manufacturers in Italy are building machines fitted with Cirrus engines, three manufacturers are fitting them in Germany, two in Canada, six in England, and one in Switzerland. Manufacturing licences have been disposed of in Japan and America. 873
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
