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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0395.PDF
FLIGHT, APRIL 29, 1932 The Bossoutrot and Rossi Record * The Bleriot 110 Zappata monoplane as used by Bossoutrot and Rossi in their recent world's record flight (distance, closed circuit). w ITH the return of Bossoutrot and Rossi to Paris we are able to give some interesting details of their second World's Record Continuous Flight, over a closed circuit, centring around Oran, Algiers, when they covered 10,605 km. (6,590 miles) in 76 hr. 35 min. on March 23 to 26 last. Their machine had been christened Joseph Le Brix, in honour of the late regretted French pilot who was killed in a crash last year. Bossoutrot and Rossi used the same well streamlined Bleriot Zappata monomotor monoplane, the 110, as they did in their successful flight on February 26-March 1, 1931, when they flew 8,822 km. (5,482 miles) in 75 hr. 23 min. over the same closed circuit and thus established world records for both distance and duration—both of which records have since been surpassed. On this last flight Bossoutrot, however, replaced the 600-h.p. direct-drive Hispano-Suiza water-cooled engine originally installed with a 500-h.p. geared water-cooled engine of the same make. A four-bladed wooden airscrew was also fitted instead of the two-bladed airscrew with which the 600-h.p. engine was equipped. During the flight just finished the Bleriot plane carried 7,020 litres (1,560 gall.) of petrol, which compared with 6,250 litres (1,390 gall.) transported in the record flight of last year. Of this 7,020 litres approximately two-thirds (about 4,680 litres) were carried in tanks installed in the fuselage, just aft of the motor, while the remainder of the fuel was placed in the reservoirs lodged in the centre section of the wings. The airmen took off from the Senia aerodrome (Oran) at 6 o'clock on the morning of March 23 last, and, being favoured with good weather conditions, maintained an average speed of 146 k.m.h. (90.7 m.p.h.) for the first 60 hr. Strong head winds, accompanied with rain squalls, then came up, which reduced their speed to an average of about 120 k.m.h. (74.5 m.p.h.) during the remainder of the flight. "At times," Bossoutrot declared on landing, " the plane only covered about 90 k.m.h. (56 m.p.h.)." The 500-h.p. Hispano-Suiza motor consumed 6,440 litres (1,431 gall.) of petrol and 130 litres (approximately 30 gall.) of lubricating oil during the 76 hr. 35 min. in flight. About 200 litres (44 gall, approximate) remained in the tanks at the finish, the balance being lost by evaporation or leaks. A r.p.m. of about 1,950 was used at the begin ning of the flight, when the plane was heavily loaded, which speed was gradually reduced until at the end the engine was only turning at about 1,400 r.p.m. The aver age consumption of petrol varied from 130 litres (30 gall.) per hour at the start to 51 litres (11 gall.) at the termina tion of the flight. The Bleriot 110 plane was described in FLIGHT for March 13, 1931, and with the exception of being equipped with a motor of a different h.p. and another type of propeller no changes have been made in the plane since Bossoutrot established his record a little over a year ago. The 500-h.p., 12-cylinder, water-cooled " V " (60) engine used in this last flight is one of the recent models produced by the Hispano-Suiza Co. It has been approved by the Service Technique at 500 h.p. nominal power, but gives a maximum power of 640 h.p. ; the r.p.m. is 2,200. The bore and stroke are 130 mm. and 170 mm. respec tively, with a compression of 7:1. The cylinders have a niturated steel lining. The weight of the engine empty, the propeller hub included, is 390 kg. (860 lb.), and together with the reduction gear it weighs about 430 kg. (948 lb.). The crank case is made of electron, the mag nesium aluminium alloy, which effects a considerable saving in weight. The fuel consumption is 200 grams per h.p./hr. and that of oil 5 grams per h.p./hr. An Hispano-Suiza type reduction gear with ratio of 2:1 was fitted to this engine for this last Bossoutrot flight. This Bleriot Zappata has been especially designed for long-distance flights. It has a flight radius of over 12,000 km. (7,500 miles) in calm air, and Bossoutrot and Rossi confidently expect to establish some additional new records this coming season. It is interesting to recall that the straight-line continuous flight record is now held by the American airmen Boardman and Polando, who flew from New York to Istanboul, Turkey, during July, 1931, a distance of 8,065 km. (5,011 miles). On their return to Paris a few days ago Bossoutrot and Rossi announced that they hoped, with the permission of the Air Ministry, to take their plane to New York and from there make a long-distance flight across the Atlantic and then over Europe in an attempt to establish a new long-distance record. They have also several other projects in view. 1 J R. C. W. The Egyptian Air Force THE recent difference of opinion with the Egyptian Government has led to the resignation of Air Commodore A. G. Board, C.M.G., D.S.O., who retired from the Royal Air Force last September and was appointed Director of Egyptian Aviation. The Egyptian Flying Corps purchased as a nucleus two Avros and five " Moths." The Avros were flown out to Egypt last March. The Egyptian Government desired that three Egyptian officers who had been trained as pilots in England should fly three of the " Moths " out to Egypt. Air Commodore Board reported that the weather forecast made it inadvisable to fly the " Moths " out, especially as the pilots had only recently completed their training. He had the " Moths " packed and sent off by sea. The Egyptian Government evidently wished to gain kudos by having the machines flown out by Egyptian pilots, probably also remembering that the first consignment of " Moths " for the Iraq Army was flown out to Bagdad by Iraqi pilots, led by a R.A.F. officer. The cases containing the machines were therefore ordered back from Gibraltar, and they have arrived at Stag Lane for the machines to be re-erected. They will be flown out by Egyptian pilots led by Fit. Lt. S. J. Stocks, of the Reserve of Air Force Officers, who has been appointed chief instructor to the Egyptian Army Air Force. Air Commodore Board has resigned his post as Director. Indian Air Force THE Air Force Bill was passed by the Indian Legisla tive Assembly at Delhi on April 4. 371
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