FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1929
1929 - 0506.PDF
FLIGHT, MARCH 14, 1929 structure. Also Pinedo provided proof of the strength of the Savoia by travelling several hundred miles on the sea during his return flight from America. Pre- sumably, therefore, the twin-hull arrangement can be made of satisfactory strength. There is little doubt that, generally speaking, Great Britain holds the lead in flying-boat design, but hitherto we have not attempted to produce flying-boats of a size comparable with some that have been built or are being built in Germany, for instance. Whether there is any real advantage in building very large flying-boats is, perhaps, still open to discussion. Structure percentage weight has a habit of going up with size, and but for the fact that seaworthiness is to a large extent a relative expression, and as thus dependent upon size, there would not seem to be "any particular reason for producing very large machines. In Germany, however, designers have done a considerable amount of work on large flying boats, and have managed to " cheat " to some extent the natural law of structure increase with size by ingenious design and by increased wing loading, especially the latter. It is just as well for this country to obtain some experience, since there is no doubt that if the large machine is useful and is required, our designers can produce it at least as well as any foreign designers. The old controversy " Monoplane or Biplane ? " has existed ever since man began to fly, and is still not settled. Indeed we doubt if it ever will be settled. Mr. Farren recently looked into the subject very thoroughly in a paper read before the Royal Aero- nautical Society, and he arrived at the conclusion that on the whole the biplane is preferable. There are, however, designers who disagree with Mr. Parr en, and it is good news to learn from Sir Samuel Hoare that machines are to be ordered wliich should throw light on the subject. • •:• • It was inevitable that a certain amount of con- troversy should arise around the relations of the proposed subsidy to the new company National Flying Services and the existing Light Scheme"51 'Plane Clubs. The latter have done all amfthe *ne spade work hitherto, and have Clubs done it right well. In all fairness, therefore, their past services to the nation should be taken into account. If the organisers of the " Guest Scheme," as it has come to be called, although it would probably be at least as correct to refer to it as the " Edwards Scheme," are able to carry out their project of establishing a large number of aerodromes and landing grounds throughout the country they are entitled to support, for nothing could be more calculated to encourage flying than the existence of plenty of aerodromes. On the other hand, the existing clubs have most certainly earned the support given them in the past, and practically to disregard them in planning for the future does not seem quite to be cricket. "Payment by results" is the basis upon which it is intended to work with National Flying Services, this to take the form of a capitation grant for each pilot turned out. To us it seems that the least that should be expected is that the same grant should be made to such clubs as decide to carry on after the expiration of present subsidy arrangements. That would place the clubs on the same footing as the new company as regards " pay- ment by results." Surely there is room for a com- promise in this direction" • • • On Monday next Mr. V. lsacco will read before the Royal Aeronautical Society a paper dealing with his invention the " Helicogyre," which, briefly explained, Th is a machine of the Cierva " Auto- Helicogyre gyro " tvPe- but having its wingsrotated by engines placed on the main wing tips and driving small tractor airscrews. The paper does not give in any great detail the theory of " helicogyre flight," but the author refers to a detailed analysis which he has made, and which he contends promises good results. It appears highly probable that he is quite correct in his calculations. The Air Ministry experts must be assumed to have satisfied themselves that the theory is sound before undertaking to support, financially and otherwise, the building of an experimental machine. But to us it seems that practical considerations may easily out- weigh theoretical calculations. To begin with, the unfortunate pilot who has five engines to look after is hardly to be envied. Presum- ably each of the four Bristol " Cherubs " mounted on the wing tips will have its own revolutions indicator ; otherwise how is the pilot to know whether each engine is doing its share of the work ? He will certainly have a revolutions indicator for the fuselage engine. Secondly, he will, presumably, have five carburettor controls to look after. Then there are the aircraft controls. It appears that lift from the windmill can be obtained in two ways in the same machine : either by speeding up the windmill, with the vanes at small camber and incidence (for the ailerons on the vanes will, of course, alter camber as well as incidence), or by allowing them to run slower, but at a greater camber. Then the pilot has the " normal " aircraft controls, elevator and rudder. If his translational speed is sufficient, these controls will be operative. If not, then no amount of hand and foot work on the part of the pilot will make any difference to the machine. Assuming that the principle of the machine is sound, and that all these difficulties can be overcome, a fairly large five-engined " Helicogyre " is likely to be a noisy " bird," and the unfortunate passengers will literally have " engines in front of them, engines behind them, engines to the right of them, engines to the left of them." It should be interesting to follow the discussion on Monday next. "C. P.", M.B.E. CONGRATULATION to Mr. C. P. Robertson, head of the Press Section of the Air Ministry, on his appointment to be a Member of the Order of the British Empire. In his official capacity " C. P.," as he is called by all his friends (and they are many), can always be relied upon to provide correct and up-to-date information upon any air subject about which the Press is at liberty to write. That the Press sometimes misinterprets his facts cannot be laid at " C. P.'s " door One may imagine that the number of enquiries which daily reach " C.P. " is very great. Yet so thoroughly has he mastered the intricacies of his position that there are very few queries which he cannot answer off-hand without reference. His knowledge ranges from service questions to technical problems, and in the latter his practical experience of flying is invaluable to him. It is a fact, although not apparently well known, that " C.P." served as a pilot during the war, and this may explain his ability to settle many a question relating to practical flying. We, of the Press, have much to thank " C.P." for, and the honour shown to him by the award of the M.B.E. will be regarded by all who have ever had any dealing with him as thoroughly well deserved 202
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
