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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0504.PDF
FLIGHT, MAY 29, 1931 GERMANO-SWEDISH ALLIANCE: A two-seater fighter of Junkers design, the K.47, built under licence in Sweden by the A.B. Flygindustri, of Malmo. Note the twin-rudders intended to give the gunner a tetter field of fire. turned around and made to drive a pusher airscrew. Themain petrol tanks are placed in the wings, one on each side of the hull, and supply to the engine is by engine-driven petrol pumps. In the fairing behind the engine is, in addition to the oil tank, a small reserve petrol tank,separated from the engine by a fireproof bulkhead. The Heinkel H.E.57 amphibian has a wing span of16 m. (52 ft. 6 in.), and a wing area of 39.2 sq. m. (422 sq. ft.). The tare weight is 1,550 kg. (3,410 lb.), andthe gross weight 2,450 kg. (5.380 lb.), so that the ratio of gross weight to tare weight is 1.58 to 1, a figure whichis to be regarded as quite good for an amphibian type of aircraft. With a wing loading of 62.5 kg./m.2 (12.75 lb. /sq. ft.), and a power loading of 5.45 kg./h.p. (12 lb./h.p.) (based on 450 h.p.), the maximum speed is 195 km./h.(121 m.p.h.). The landing speed is given as 93 km./h. (58 m.p.h.), and the climb to 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in5 min. The other Heinkel machine which arrived for the exhi-bition was of more familiar type, and was, in fact, similar to those which have been in use in Germany for a numberof years, so that a detailed description scarcely appears necessary. Dr. Claudius Dornier was represented at the I.L.I.S.by a " Wai " of normal type, fitted with two water- cooled engines. Like the Heinkel float seaplane, this alsois familiar to our readers, and does not call for comment here. Inside the main exhibition building, the only Germanaircraft exhibited was, as recorded last week, a Junkers " Junior " with Siemens engine. This machine is, ofcourse, well known to our readers, and the mere mention of its presence at Stockholm will suffice.The problem single-seater or two-seater fighter is a very complicated one, and does not come within the provinceof an article on the exhibits at an aero show. A brief reference must, however, be made to it in order to explain the raison d'etre of the machine shown by the Swedishcompany, A.B. Flygindustri, of Malmo. This is a two- seater fighter known as the type K.47, and is a Junkersdesign built under licence in Sweden by this company, who holds the building rights in Sweden for all Junkerstypes. From strategical and tactical considerations, this firmhas come to the conclusion that a flight of five two-seater fighters is equivalent in offensive and defensive power toa flight of seven single-seater fighters. These considera- tions, into which it would take too long to go here, takeinto account the " blind areas " of both types, the in- crease in effective field of fire attained by the climbingor diving through 60 degrees from the horizontal, the inability of the rear machines in a flight to fire in certainforward directions owing to the positions of certain machines of the flight, the various formations, such asvee formation stepped up and stepped down, and so forth. The arguments advanced in favour of the two-seater fighter are interesting, and may be referred to on a future occasion. For the present, we must confine our-selves to stating that A.B. Flygindustri have gone into the subject very carefully, and that the K.47 has beenproduced as a result. The machine, by the way, is not unknown to Englishreaders of FLIGHT, as it paid a visit to Heston Air Parkin 1929, and a photograph of it was published in our issue of July 25, 1929. Like all Junkers aircraft, theK.47 is of all-metal construction, but it differs from most Tunkers machines in that it is not a cantilever monoplane,but has a braced wing structure. It is stated, however, that the load factors are such that, even with a wingbracing strut shot away, the wing, as a cantilever, nas a factor of 4-5, so that the machine should be able to returnsafely, even if not in a fit state to take any further part in a fight entailing violent manoeuvres. . The structural design of the K.47 follows fairly closeiy DORNIER'S CONTRIBUTION: A "Wai" at one of the slipways in Lindarangsviken. (FLIGHT Photo.) -- - . - --, 474
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