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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0989.PDF
OCTOBER 18, 1928 13 SMALL COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT AT BERLIN In this section of our notes on the Berlin Show we do not intend to include machines other than those expressly- designed for passenger carrying, and more specifically for [" FLIGHT " Sketch The B.F.W. M18 has its wheel axle projecting outthrough the side of the fuselage, the axle fairing serving to form a step, as shown in this sketch. carrying but a relatively small number of passengers-Reference has been made above to our definition, for the pur- pose of the present classification, of " large " and " small "commercial machines. We do not propose to include among commercial machines such types as the Russian mail 'planeor the Heinkel machines, etc., as these are not passenger types. These, as well as the light aeroplane class, will, being intended mainly to stiffen the wing against torsionalstresses. The cabin has four seats, all passengers facing forward. Aft of the cabin is a luggage compartment, whilein the forward wall is a door communicating with the cockpit. The latter has two seats, side by side, so that if necessary twopilots can be carried, or the extra seat may be occupied by a passenger. • The fuselage is of welded steel tube construction, fabriccovered over the rear portion. The fuselage decking is detach- able so as to facilitate inspection of the fuselage bracing, &c.In front the engine, a B.M.W. Pratt & Whitney " Hornet," is separated from the pilot's cockpit by a fireproof bulkhead.The petrol tanks are mounted one on each side, inside the wing, giving direct gravity feed to the carburettor. Theircapacity is 585 litres (129 gallons). The monoplane wing is, as distinct from a number ofGerman monoplanes, built in two sections to facilitate storage and transport, and is of wood construction with three-plycovering. The undercarriage is of wide track, and the member carry-ing the shock-absorbing medium is not taken to the wing as in so many machines, but to the fuselage via the junction ofthe wing struts to a pair of short struts running to the lower longerons. One of our sketches illustrates the arrangement. The Arado V. I has an overall length of 12 m. (39-4 ft.),a wing span of 18 m. (59-1 ft.), and a wing area of 47-24 sq. m. (508 sq. ft.). The tare weight is 1,350 kg. (2,970 lbs.)and the permissible load 1,000 kg. (2,200 lbs.) giving a total loaded weight of 2,3,50 kg. (5,170 lbs.). The wing loading isthus 50 kg. 'sq. m. (10-2 lb./sq. ft.) and the power loading (on 500 b.h.p.) 4-7 kg./h.p.' (10-33 lb./h.p.). No detailedperformance figures are available, but the maximum speed is stated to be in the neighbourhood of 200 km./h. (124 m.p.h.). The B.F.W. M18 Surely, one of the most economical small passenger machinesever produced must be the little Messerschmitt M. 18 built, and exhibited by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. Of all-metal construction, this little machine is designed to carry four passengers and one pilot with an engine of 100 h.p. only,or a power expenditure of only 20 h.p. per occupant ! Not m Mi The B.F.W. M.18 is a small " feeder line " type of monoplane of all- metal construc- tion. Si S ffi however, be dealt with in next wreek's issue. The following types include machines designed to carry four to six passengers in addition to the pilot. The Arado V. I The Arado Company, of Warnemiinde, exhibits twomachines, of which one is the two-seater shown at the last Paris Show, and which is a school and practice type. Theother is quite a new type of small passenger 'plane, which, so far as we are aware, makes its first appearance at theBerlin Show, and has not yet been put into general service. This machine is known as the type V. I (the letter V pre-sumably standing for Verkehrsffugzeug). It is a high-wing monoplane of the semi-cantilever type, the bracing struts only so, but the range of this amazing little machine is givenas 600 km. (373 miles). Whether this figure is merely an esti- mated one, or has been attained in practice, we do not know.The M.18 is not a new machine, but has been in use for some years, and thus the performance figures given at the end ofthese notes are probably reliable. It would certainly appear that the machine is entitled to a close examination, both onaccount of its economy in operation and because of its aero- dynamic design. In our opinion, Herr Messerschmitt is oneof the rising German designers, and his work now and in the future should be watched with interest by British designers,the more so as the small commercial machine is now being studied in this country with a view to meeting the require-ments of the British Dominions. The M.18 attains its economy of operation partly by 919
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