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Aviation History
1929
1929 - 1016.PDF
FLIGHT, MAY 16, 1929 THE FIAT " AS.I " A New Italian Light 'Plane PRIVATE flying is officially encouraged in Italy, theGovernment having included in their aviation pro-gramme specially for this branch of aeronautics. With a view to assisting in the development of the Governmentprogramme, the Fiat Co. of Turin have produced a light two-seater touring monoplane, and a special 85 h.p. air-cooledradial engine, both of which we illustrate this week. We have not at the moment, unfortunately, full details ofthis new machine, and can only refer now but briefly to some of its outstanding features. The A.S.I is a parasolmonoplane with a span of 34 ft. and a length of 21 ft. 9£ in. The wings, which are of fairly thick section with " squaretips, are mounted high above the fuselage to a short centre section on a vertical cabane, and are externally braced by apair of struts each side extending from the lower longerons of the fuselage up to the wing spars at a point about midwaybetween the wing tip and the centre of the machine. There is no other external wing bracing.The wings can readily be folded back against the fuselage, but we do not know exactly how this operation is carriedout. The ailerons, which are hinged to a false spar, are balanced by small auxiliary balance surfaces mounted belowand forward of the ailerons—a system very popular with the Fiat Co. The rudder and elevators are balanced by theusual projecting surfaces. The fuselage is of rectangular section, and we gatherthat the construction follows usual Fiat practice as regards the steel tube frame and that the covering is plywood.That portion of the fuselage immediately below the wings is " humped " up to the latter to form a roomy cabin. Actu-ally, this cabin is formed by closing in the cabane with windows, the wing centre section (which by the way, alsocarries the fuel tank) serving for the roof. It will be noticed that the sloping back of the " cabinalso has a window, so that the pilot has excellent vision in all directions. Access to the cabin is by way of two doors inthe left-hand side of the fuselage, foot-grips being mounted on the lower longerons as well. The seats are arranged intandem, and it is said that the noise of the engine has been reduced to such an extent that it is possible to carry on a con-versation in normal tones during flight. The undercarriage is of the conventional V-type, withshock absorbers embodied in the front struts. The Fiat A-50 engine, which has been developed speciallyfor this type of machine—and incidentally, the first of its kind to be built in Italy—is a 7-cyl. air-cooled radial develop-ing 85 h.p. at 1,600 r.p.m., and 95 h.p. at 1,800 r.p.m., for a weight of 275 lbs. Its cylinders of 3 -9 by 5-51 in., boreand stroke respectively, are steel forgings with a ribbed aluminium head having two valves with special bronze seatsand cast-iron guides. The overhead rocker mechanism is mounted on roller bearings. There are plain bearings for thecrankshaft and the connecting rods, these being lubricated under pressure ; the base chamber is being kept dry bymeans of a scavenger pump having 50 per cent, greater capacity than the pressure feed pump. Ignition is by twoMarelli magnetos, each supplying current to a set of seven plugs. The petrol consumption is 0-5 lbs. per h.p. and theoil consumption is particularly low. We await with interest further reports of this machine,which we understand is being produced at a moderate price and is cheap to maintain. THE FIAT" A.JS.1 " : Two views of the new Italian two-seater light monoplane. It is fitted with a Fiat 85 h.p . - •-• A-50 air-cooled radial engine, which is shown in the upper illustration. I 400
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