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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1136.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 10, 1932 •TvAu/rtfri T STORY OF M.G. CARS HE varied literature of the M.G. Car Co., Ltd., has been augmented by a publication from Abingdon, en titled a " Chequered Career." It has been produced mainly to serve as a record of the M.G. "Midget's" re markable rise in popularity in the motor-racing world, the authors being Mr. H. S. Linfield and Mr. E. C. Lester, of The Autocar. Readers of this booklet are given an extremely interesting account, with illustrations, of the development of these cars and the successes they have achieved on the racing track. The latest news bulletin from the company informs us that the factory at Abingdon is still handling its maximum output of cars, and for the week ending October 12 more cars were actually produced and delivered than ever before in the his tory of the company, the output being approximately five times higher than for the corresponding week last year. It is also interesting to note that R. T. Horton's winning M.G. " Mid get " covered the first standing lap in the 500 miles race at Brooklands recently at 80.33 m.p.h., and later in the race, 24 consecutive laps, not one of which was timed at less than 107.11 m.p.h. The fastest four laps were covered at 108.27 m.p.h. and 128 laps out of 181 at over 100 m.p.h. Surely a phenomenal performance for a 746-c.c. engine. When are the makers going to give us a light cheap aero engine based on this one? THE "DOCK" PATENT PISTON A NEW step in the development of **• aircraft engines which is being considered by some of the leading manufacturers in this country is a piston without a gudgeon pin. It is the invention of Mr. Herman Dock, an American, residing in Guadalajara, Mexico. The " Dock " piston, as it is called, being named after its in ventor, is calculated to save consider able weight and space in the future design of engines, this fact alone making it of the utmost importance to aviation, particularly the commer cial side. It consists of a simple turning into which is placed a brass cap hemispherical in form, and the small end of the connecting rod is hollowed out and fits over the brass cap, thus making a perfect bearing. A locking ring which is in two pieces is then screwed up into the piston, and this is held firm by a small tapered screw (see illustration). The new piston has concentric surfaces on both the interior wall and its outer face, and there is no gudgeon pin to pro vide for and fit; also it is only about three-quarters of the depth of the ordinary piston, therefore less metal is required both in the piston wall and its cylinder head. The new piston should probably cost less to produce than the ordinary type of piston. The possible reduction in the amount of metal in the piston head is due to the fact that the interior wall of the piston is unbroken by abutments, thick sec tions, or bosses for carrying a gudgeon pin. It can be made much shallower than the ordinary type, and it is definitely very much lighter even when the length of the piston is not altered. The " Dock " piston has no gudgeon pin to wear out or score the walls of the cylinder, and this source of prema ture wear is entirely eliminated. Owing to its concentric form, distortion and consequent wear when heated up is avoided. Further, as the bearing within the piston is hemispherical in form, the actual bearing surface is greater than that of the crank pin and is about three times as great as the bearing surface on the standard form of gudgeon pin, with the result that the life of the piston and its bear ing is very considerably prolonged. The "Dock" Piston. Moreover, as the piston revolves when working in the cylinder, uneven wear on the piston and cylinder walls is reduced in proportion. No fine adjust ments are necessary with this new piston, as a universal movement of the connecting rod is provided for, instead of the restricted oscillating movement in one plane, with the gudgeon pin type of bearing ; there fore, no exact alignment is required between the crankshaft and the cylin ders. In other words, the new bear ing is automatically self-adjusting and any wear taking place is concentric. We understand that Maj. P. A. Smith, O.B.E., of Drake & Gorham, Ltd., 36, Grosvenor Gardens, S.W.l, has the rights of development for this piston in Great Britain. AN APPOINTMENT jV/IK. ROBERT L. CARTER, *v* A.R.Ae.S., has been appointed sales representative for the Premier Aluminium Casting Co., Ltd., Bir mingham, who specialise in Aluminium Alloy castings for the aircraft and 1058 automobile industries, particular] heavy castings such as crankcases an< gear boxes, etc. Mr. Carter, who will conduct his business from 7, Duppa Road, Croydon, is open for appoint ment in a similar capacity with a limited number of non-competitive in terests serving the aircraft market. He has connections in various coun tries, and offers a service for anyone requiring technical or commercial in formation, particularly relating to the light engineering industry. He is specially familiar with the American market, and also welcomes trade matter relating to commercial metals such as Tantalum and Magnesium, etc., for re-forwarding. His experi ence has embraced design work with Leyland Motors, Ltd., James Walms- ley & Co. (Preston), Ltd. (on the de velopment of the Bradshaw oil-cooled engine), English Electric Co., Ltd., Aircraft Works, and the Supermarine Aviation Works, Ltd. His commercial work in publicity, advertising and sales has been obtained with Imperial Airways, Ltd., and the Ford Motor Co., Ltd. (aircraft department). ELEKTRON 'J'HE following letter received from 1 James Booth & Co. (1915). Ltd., of Argyle Street Works, Nechells, Bir mingham, gives more detail about Elektron than was contained in the brief facts that we gave in our article on " Aircraft Cabin Furnishing " pub lished in FLIGHT, October 6 last: — ' There appear to be two mis-state ments in this article, the first with respect to the composition of Elek tron, and the second with regard to its mechanical properties. The Elektron used for the well-known tubular con struction of aircraft furniture is of the alloy ' AZM ' which has the follow ing approximate composition : — Magnesium ... 92.5 percent. Aluminium ... 6.0 ,, Zinc 1.0 ,, Manganese ... 0.5 ,, The mechanical properties of AZM tubes of the size used in the tubular construction referred to can be judged from the following test figures taken at random from our records of tests on these sizes: — 1 % Proof Stress Maximun Stress K. , Tons Sq. Inch. Tons Sq. Inch. ^'ong. /„ 12.4 20.8 10 16.2 21.92 10 15.8 19.35 11 12.9 19.3 10 14.2 20.65 12 If you will be good enough to com pare these figures with those quoted in the article referred to above you will see that the published figures are by comparison most unfavourable to the material, and we should be greatly obliged if you would be good enough to correct this impression." THE D.H. " FOX MOTH " IN FLIGHT for September 30, in the *• Industry Section, a description was given of a new booklet describing the D.H. " Fox Moth." Applications for this book should be made direct to the de Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd., Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware.
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