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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0029.PDF
the machines is well in hand. They represent the very latest in aircraft design, and great things are expected of them from the point of view of economy, reliability and comfort. Two new aircraft have been produced,* one, the A.W.16 single-seater fighter, fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley " Jaguar Major " engine. This is one of the fastest machines in the world fitted with a radial air-cooled * See FLIGHT of October 16 and 23, 1931. An Injection " Hornet" S (IT- HERE are many, even among those best qualified (*) II to judge, who believe that, in spite of the great Iti amount of work which has been, and is being, done on the heavy-oil Diesel-type aero engine, a more promising field of immediate development is offered by the direct injection petrol engine, which, they hold, gives nearly all of the advantages of the heavy-oil engine, and with much better prospects of immediate success and utility. From East Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A., we have just received the information that the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company has completed and tested a new version of their famous " Hornet " engine, in which direct fuel injection is used. The new engine has successfully passed its dyna mometer and flight tests, and has now been installed in a Boeing 40-B.4 mailplane for practical flight tests under actual operating conditions. After more than a year's experimentation with this form of fuel distribution, the Pratt & Whitney Company claims to have succeeded in perfecting the mechanism which per mits the elimination of many of the fuel distribution problems encountered when using carburettor, air scoop and pre-heater on petrol aero engines operating in very low temperatures. It is claimed that the direct injection system has completely overcome the difficulties of cold- weather operation, and that perfect running is assured, regardless of air temperature. Cold starting is said to be greatly facilitated, and, of course, the formation of ice in the carburettor is eliminated. The Pratt & Whitney " Hornet " injection engine is, apart from the fuel distribution system, essentially the same as the series A.2 " Hornet," which has met with such favour in military and commercial aircraft. The engine has passed its 50 hours' bench tests, and has proved efficient and satisfactory on every test flight made at NEW YEAR AMONGST the names appearing in the list of New Year Honours, announced on January 1, are the following: — Order of the Bath C.B. (Military Division) Air Com. Wilfrid Rhodes Freeman, D.S.O., M.C., R.A.F. Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) C.B.E. Reginald Joseph Mitchell, Esq., A.M.I.C.E., F.R.Ae.S.. Director and Chief Designer, Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers), Ltd. For services in connection with the Schneider Trophy Contest. <$> <$> " Interference " ON Thursday, January 14, Mr. E. Ower, of the National Physical Laboratory, will read his paper on " Interference " before the Royal Aeronautical Society. It has long been known that the interference effects of various parts of aircraft have a considerable effect on its performance, and Mr. Ower's paper gives the results of researches on these effects. From these researches certain conclusions are drawn which are of importance in future design. Among them are that, with bodies of circular or FLIGHT, JANUARY 8, 1932 engine. Another machine is the " Atlas Mark II." This is a development of the well-known " Atlas " aircraft, which has been widely used for Army co-operation duties. Its speed has been greatly increased by the use of the " Jaguar Major " engine, and, like the A.W.16, its con trols, both at low and high speeds, are exceptionally good. From the above remarks it will be seen that Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd., are successfully meeting the demand for development in the service and civil sides of aviation. <$> <$> Pratt & Whitney have recently produced a modified "Hornet " engine in which direct fuel injection is used. The engine uses petrol and not heavy oil Rentschler Field, East Hartford. Mr. A. Lewis McClain, chief test pilot of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Com pany, expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the engine in flight. The object of now installing the engine in the Boeing 40-B.4 mailplane operated by the United Air Lines is to give the engine a severe testing on a service where every known flying condition is en countered at some time or other. The officials of the Pratt & Whitney Company are confident that the result of the tests will be satisfactory. The development of the fuel injection system is largely due to Mr. Stephen A. Hasbrouck and other Pratt & Whitney engineers. At present, as we have already said, the injection " Hornet " uses petrol, but it is expected that, when further developments have taken place, the type will make use of the less inflammable fuels, such as the hydrogenated fuel produced after exhaustive tests and experiments by the technicians of the Standard Oil Company. This type of fuel will reduce fire risk in aircraft operation, as it is of such low inflammability. This new type of fuel has shown an increase in power amounting to approximately 10 per cent, in a series of tests conducted by N.A.C.A. engineers. It is produced by the hydrogenation process, with particular attention to high flash qualities, and has an octane number of 82.6 without the addition of any " knock-suppressor." Experiments have indicated that fuels produced by the hydrogenation process have inherent anti-knock qualities. The temperature at which the fuel will ignite is 107 deg. F., as compared with the 28 to 46 deg. F. at which ordinary petrol gas ignites. The new Pratt & Whitney injection " Hornet " will not, we are informed, be offered to the trade for general use at present, but doubtless, if the tests now being carried out with the engine in the Boeing 40-B.4 mailplane are successful, the engine will be commercially available. <•> <2> HONOURS M.B.E. Herbert Harry Adams, Esq., Senior Accounts Officer (acting), Air Ministry. Royal Air Force—Awards The Air Ministry announces: — The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the following awards to the undermentioned officers and airmen of the Royal Air Force: — Air Force Cross Fit. Lt. William Evelyn Patrick Johnson. F/O. Peter Dicken Cracroft. Air Force Medal 362547 Sgt. Thomas Arthur Newton. • o oval section, the best best position for the wings is approxi mately on the horizontal centre line, while the worst is the low-wing monoplane with the upper wing surface touching the bottom of the body. The wing on the top of the body is also definitely bad, but both the high- and low-winged monoplane can be improved by suitable fairings at the wing roots. The effects of engine nacelles and wing tanks are also discussed and the best positions indicated. The lecture will be held at 6.30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Royal Society of Arts, 18, John Street, Adelphi, W.C.2. 29
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