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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0478.PDF
MARCH 7, 1929 PRIVA FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member LUXURIOUS PRIVATE AIRCRAFT A Super Gipsy-Moth IT is in the natural order of events in the development of private owners' aircraft that luxury in comfort and appear- ance should be introduced. There has been, of course, a superficial attractiveness and a cosiness from the beginning, but essentially the first considerations have been for the performance, reliability and price. Important improve- ments like a safe reserve of power, without additional engine weight or frontal area, and an economical fuel consumption, have mainly occupied our designers first, and been achieved And what is most significant of all, these achievements have been passed to the advantage of private owners without any increase in price ; in fact, quite the reverse. Even supposing the prices had not been brought down from their original level, light aeroplanes would be relatively cheaper than when first produced, by virtue of these sound improvements. Although subsidiary, the attractiveness and comfort of private aircraft are none the less of certain importance. It is the superficial quality of an object that first attracts us, and with many people it is even that which decides their purchase. Clean lines and a harmonious colour scheme are usually tried for in aircraft, and they are two features which can be in discord or react with good mutual effect. Discriminate choice of colour and the style applied can emphasise existing good fairing lines, as many examples show to-day, but on the other hand, a lack of taste can conceal gracefulness and symmetry, just as the bizarre, exotic splash of colours on the sides of our ships during the war intentionally mutilated their outlines, so that they were not traced clear-cut upon the horizon, or against the ocean surface. The variety of zig-zagged stripes across the ships' plates suggested that huge chunks had been hewn out of the top lines of the sides, and conspired to conceal the nature of the object at a distance. Incidentally, the illusions that that treatment created differed for the seaplane observer and surface observer. From the level, the camouflage achieved some uniformity with the hues and tones of the ocean, but from above the ocean had toned down to one monotonous, predominant shade, such as grey or blue, and the striped sides of the ships became a vivid contrast. Yet that did not necessarily mean that a ship was far easier to observe from a seaplane. The very eminence of a flying position brought \ • "FLIGHT" Photograph* Above is Mr. Morris Jackaman and his sister in his new luxurious Coupe Gipsy-Moth, and below is a view of the neat white interior of the cockpits, where green upholstery has also been adopted, and heat is directed inside from the exhausts. 190
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