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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0106.PDF
[" FLIGHT " Sketch Attachment of oleo leg to fuselage corner on Black- burn " Bluebird IV." carriage. The rear struts form the radius rods, while the front legs are telescopic. The load is taken on spiral steel springs, while an oil dashpot prevents bouncing. In the plane of the front struts are the bent axles, which brace the structure laterally. The float undercarriage picks up the same fuselage fittings, and like the land undercarriage is devoid of both wires and transverse members. The Cockpit In spite of the side-by-side seating arrangement, the cockpit is by no means cramped. Two seats of special design are detachably mounted in such a manner that, when the machine is being flown solo, the second seat can be easily removed if desired. The seats are of aluminium and are shaped to take a parachute pack if one is carried. The controls are of normal JANUARY 17, 1929 type, with one " joy stick " easily removable. A very smalland neat instrument board is fitted centrally, as shown in one of our photographs, and just below it, within easy reachfrom both seats, are the engine control levers. The tail plane trimming lever is also centrally placed, between and slightlyahead of the two seats. For ordinary flying, a sloping wind screen is fitted, but this can be complemented if desired by acoupe attachment which turns the machine into an enclosed one. Aft of the cockpit is a large luggage compartment, andabove that, and extending a considerable distance aft inside the top deck fairing, is a space for long articles such as golfclufcs, etc. Petrol System The centre-section of the top plane forms the petrol tankand the top spar passes through and forms part of the tank, which is easily removed when the wings are folded. Needlessto say gravity feed is employed, so that the petrol system is the simplest possible. Brief Specification The main dimensions of the " Bluebird " Mark IV, are given on the general arrangement drawings on page 41. These drawings show the machine with de Havilland " Gipsy " or A.D.C. " Cirrus III " engine. When the Armstrong-Siddeley " Genet " is fitted, the wings are given a slight sweep- back, In the following table are given the main weight figures, etc. Actual performance figures are not yet available, but the calculated top speed is well over 100 m.p.h. Engine. Gipsy "Cirrus III " Genet'' Gipsy "Cirrus III" Genet " Tare lb. 884 910 841 974 1,000931 The load carried Pilot and LuggagePetrol Oil Sundries As a Land Mac hint- weight kg- 401 413 382 As c 442 455 424 Load lb. 536 536 541 carried kg- 243 243 245 i Seaplane 536 536 541 is composed as passenger . . 243 243 245 follows Loaded lb. ,420,446 1,382 ,510,536 ,472 ; lb. 320 40 144 20 12 536 weight kg. 644 656 627 685 698 669 kg- 145 18'1 65 91 5-5 242-7 In the case of the " Genet " engine, this load is increased by5 lb., representing that amount of extra oil. The maximum permissible flying weight is 1,550 lb(703 kg.). The Streamline Aeroplane THAT large commercial aeroplanes would, were they ideally streamline, either fly at their present top speed for one-third of the present power or, alternatively, travel some 60 m.p.h. faster for the same power, was the conclusion arrived at in the paper read by Prof. B. Melvill Jones, A.F.C., M.A., before the Royal Aeronautical Society on January lo! In his paper, Prof. Jones set up an ideal to be aimed at, without attempting to point out how that ideal might be attained. In other words, he established an " upper Jjmit " to what the present-day aeroplane could attain if it did not fritter away its power in generating turbulence ; his ideal aircraft was that in which power was required merely to overcome induced drag, profile drag, and skin friction on the rest of the machine. As the paper was necessarily of a somewhat technical nature, it will be dealt with in more detail in the next issue of THE AIRCRAFT ENGINEER. Mr. Gouge's New Post WE are informed that Mr. Arthur Gouge, B.Sc. (Lond.), A.F.R.Ae.S., has been appointed general manager of Short Brothers, Ltd. As most of our readers are probably aware, Mr. Gouge has been chief designer at Shorts for several years. R.Ae.S. Dinner and Discussion ON January 24 an informal dinner and discussion will be held by the Royal Aeronautical Society at St. Ermin's Hotel, Caxton Street, Westminster. The subject will be " The Compression Ignition Engine for Aircraft," and the case for will be made by Wing Commander G. B. Hyne.s, D.S.O., and the case for the petrol engine will be made by Capt. G. S. Wilkinson. Col. The Master of Sempill will be in the chair. Tickets are 6s. 6d. each and can be obtained from Capt. L. Pritchard, of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Members and non-members are invited (men only). Informal morning dress will be worn. The dinner will be at 7.30 p.m. The Royal Air Force Memorial Fund THE usual meeting of the Grants Sub-Committee of the Fund was held at Iddesleigh House on January 3. Lieuf.- Comdr. H. E. Perrin was in the chair, and the other member of the Committee present was Mrs. L. M. K. Pratt-Barlow, O.B.E. The Committee considered in all 14 cases, and made grants to the amount of ^388 8s. 8d. 25 Years of Flying MR. HARRY HARPER has written a book which Hutchinson and Co. are to publish shortly entitled " 25 Years of Flying." It will be a series of his personal impressions rather than a forma! history and •will be illustrated with many interesting photographs. Change of Address THE Glenn L, Martin Company of Cleveland, Ohio, hasnow changed its address to Baltimore, Maryland. A new plant, considered the largest of its kind on the Atlantic seaboard, willbe in use in the spring of this year. 44
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