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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0051.PDF
JANUARY 10, 1929 THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL AERONAUTICAL EXPOSITION WHAT was probably the largest aero show ever organised in America was held at Chicago from December 1 to Decem- ber 9 last. Thanks to that enthusiastic follower of aero- nautics. Lady Heath—who is now on a " Flying visit " to the States—we are able this week to give our readers the following notes on the outstanding features of this aero show. Although intended by its organisers to be an international affair, this was by no means the case, for with the exception of two or three aircraft and a few aero engines, the exhibits were of American origin. It was, nevertheless, an excep- tionally interesting and representative exhibition, the attendance was good, while during the run of the show a number of conferences and other functions were held, which many well-known people—both American and international— connected with aviation, attended. There were altogether some 197 exhibitors, of which 18 represented aero engines and 55 aircraft. Some of the aircraft firms showed several conventional design. There were also only a few new types— prominent amongst which may be mentioned the Fokker Amphibian mono-flying boat, the light 'plane and new Whirlwind cabin 'plane of the Fairchild Company, and the " Monocoach " and " Monoprep " of Mono Aircraft. Other machines of special interest were the Sikorsky and Loening amphibians, and the large Boeing and Ford multi- engined cabin 'planes. Enclosed machines were very much in evidence, and the monoplane—especially a la Lindbergh's famous Ryan—was a popular type amongst constructors. We are unable to give a detailed description of the various machines exhibited—although, we hope, in future issues of FLIGHT to describe some of the more interesting types— and can only give a list of the different firms exhibiting (which, we think, may be of interest), together with a few notes concerning the light 'planes on view. Hitherto, the light 'plane, as it is known on this side of the Atlantic, has not made much headway in America, but THE CHICAGO AERO EXPOSITION : Four representative types of aircraft out of the seventy odd on view—(1) Curtiss "Robin " 3-seater monoplane 170 h.p. Curtiss "Challenger "). (2) Mohawk "Pinto " light monoplane (60 h.p. " Velie ")• (3) Keystone-Loening Amphibian Air Yacht (500 h.p. Wright "Cyclone/'). (4) Sikorsky Amphibian 8-passenger transport (two 425 h.p. Pratt and Whitney" Wasps ").i types of machines, so that actually there were over 70 machines on view. Great Britain was represented both by aircraft and engines—in the former by the D.H. " Moth " light plane fitted with a " Gipsy" engine exhibited by the Moth Aircraft Corp. (with its Vice-President in attendance) ; and Lady Heath's Trans-African Avro " Avian," polished and cleaned up, on Air Associate's Stand. British Aero engines were represented by the " Cirrus," exhibited by Campbell Peterson and Co.—who handle these engines over there—with Capt. Lancaster in attendance, and Lady Heath giving a series of hourlv talks on the construction and upkeep of the " Cirrus" engine. Another British engine was the Armstrong-Siddeley " Genet " air-cooled radial, which is fitted in the new Fairchild light 'plane. As we have said, the aircraft exhibits were a representative collection, almost every type and size being on view, varying —as Lady Heath describes it—from some extraordinarily " tin-pot " structures, which it seemed hard to believe any aeronautical body would certify, to other splendid machines which signified airworthiness at first glance. From the technical point of view the exhibits did not display anything of a startling nature, and most of the machines followed judging from several of the exhibits at the Chicago show this type machine—the small single or two-seater fitted with a low-powered engine—is now receiving the attention of American constructors. Lady Heath kindly sent us brief particulars of the light 'planes at Chicago, which, apart from the foreigners (the Avro " Avian," the D.H. " Moth " and the Klemm-Salmson which is handled in the States by the Aeromarine-Klemm Corp.) included the following :— The Simplex "Red Arrow," constructed by the Simplex Aircraft Corp., of Defiance, Ohio. A two-seater (side-by-side) tractor fuselage monoplane. The fuselage, of steel-tube construction, is very finely streamlined, and the wings, of " semi-cantilever " type, are mounted half-way-up the fuselage. Incidentally, as Lady Heath points out, there is no protection whatever for pilot and passenger should the machine turn over. Visibility, however, is very good, mica windows being let into the sides of the fuselage forward for this purpose. The " Red Arrow " has a good perform- ance, having a speed range of 38—125 m.p.h., a climb of 1,000 ft. per min., and a service ceiling of 16,000 ft. A choice of four engines is provided, either of the air-cooled radial (such as the 100 h.p. Warner " Scarab ") or the 4-cyl. 21 c2
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