FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0392.PDF
FEBRUARY 28, 1929 I [" FLIGHT " Photograph GODFATHERS AND GODMOTHERS : This group, taken on the occasion of the christening of the first " Wapiti " for Australia by Lady Ryrie, includes from left to right : Mrs. Bruce, Mr. P. W. Petter, Mr. R. A. Bruce, Mr. Roy Fedden, Sir Ernest Petter, Lady Ryrie, Sir Sefton Brancker and Sir Stanley White. notes on it here may be of convenience to readers. As already mentioned, the 28 machines ordered by Australia have wooden wings, whereas those delivered to the Royal Air Force have all-metal wings as well as all-metal fuselage. The " Wapiti " is a General Purposes aeroplane, and is fitted with the geared Bristol " Jupiter VIII " engine, which gives it a very excellent performance, as will be realised when we point out that at 5,000 ft. the speed is 142 m.p.h. (229 km.-hour). This speed figure relates to the machine fully loaded, i.e., with a gross weight of 4,900 lbs. The service ceiling (i.e., the height at which the rate of climb is 100 ft. per minute) is 24,200 ft., and the climb to 6,500 ft. only takes 6-4 mms. The normal fuel tankage is 108 gallons, of which 68 gallons in the main tank in the fuselage and 40 gallons in a gravity tank under the deck fairing. This quantity of fuel is sufficient for a flight of half-an-hour at ground level plus 3| hours at 15,000 ft. A notable feature of the machine is that definite provision has been made for the stowage of the additional fuel and equipment necessary for desert patrol work, a feature which should be of importance in a country like Australia. Handley Page automatic wing tip slots are a standard fitting on the " Wapiti," and have the effect of making the machine extremely difficult to .spin. To get it into an acci- dental spin is almost outside the bounds of possibility. In connection with the automatic slots, it is interesting to note that the climb to 6,500 ft. referred to above is not affected in the slightest by the fitting of the slots, so that these cannot, even should they be partly open during the climb, add sensibly to the wing drag. In view of the fact that it is sometimes thought that the slots may affect adversely the performance of a machine, this fact is interesting. •:•-'-.—.•:—• . . . [" FLIGHT " PAofogro •>* FOREIGN GUESTS AT A BRITISH CHRISTENING : Sir Sefton Brancker, Director of Civil Aviation, sur- -:•••-... rounded by Air Attaches, standing in front of the Westland IV monoplane. •- • i ' ^ 156
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
