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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 1218.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 24, 1932 JfaJtiduUn/ SELF STARTING VIOBODY will regret the day when *^ self-starting the engine from the cockpit is a feature in every type of aircraft. It is an inevitable develop ment, and when completely in vogue it will considerably add to the comfort of flying. " Swinging the airscrew " has always looked a formidable opera tion, even when expertly handled, and although, fortunately, we now hear of few mishaps resulting from it, it re mains a dangerous feature of aviation when the ground is muddy. It especi ally looks obsolete with a modern luxurious touring aeroplane. Every consideration now directed towards the problem of self-starting is therefore welcome. A leaflet has been issued by the Automotive Products Company de scribing their Heywood High-Pressure Injection Starter, which is manufac tured at their Leamington works. This unit comprises a single-cylinder two- stage air-cooled compressor, driven from any convenient point of the en gine, with a compound distributor as an integral part. There is also a small air receiver or bottle, provided with an automatic non-return valve, which enables pressures up to 400 lb. per sq. in. to be conveniently carried. Completely installed, the weight of the unit is approximately 30 lb., and is suitable for any number of cylinders. In operation, a valve is opened by means of a starter push-button or a similar means of control, and com pressed air from a small storage tank flows into the distributor on the front of the starter, which is timed and rotates with the engine. Part of the compressed air enters the cylinder or cylinders, which are on the explosion stroke, and forces the piston down. Simultaneously a lesser amount of com pressed air is released and passes through a carburation process, being mixed with petrol. The resultant mix ture is distributed into each cylinder as it reaches compression stroke in cyclic order. As the stroke is com pleted instant ignition follows, and the explosion forces the piston down wards, accelerating engine rotation and causing sufficient vacuum in the induc tion manifold for continued carbura tion in the normal manner. The company's address is Brock House, Langham Street, W.l (Tele.: Langham 1373). MICRO-RAY FOR CHANNEL AIR SERVICES A " MICRO-RAY " equipment giv- ^^ ing radio communication on the shortest wavelength employed at any radio station in the world, has been ordered by the Air Ministry for use in connection with cross-Channel fly ing services. This equipment will be manufactured by Standard Telephone & Cables, Ltd. Eighteen months ago the first demonstration of practical radio telephony on a wavelength be low one metre was given by the Inter national Telephone and Telegraph Laboratories of Hendon, working in co-operation with the Laboratories of Le Materiel Telephonique, Paris. On that occasion radio telephonic com munication was established between Dover and Calais on a wavelength of approximately 18 centimetres. The equipment now ordered will operate on an even lower wavelength—in the neighbourhood of 15 centimetres. For communication on this minute wave length, transmitting and receiving aerials less than 1 in. long are used. Micro-Rays oscillating at a rate of about 2,000,000,000 times a second are. generated in a special " Micro Radion " tube. These oscillations are led to the tiny transmitting aerial and are then concentrated by a combina tion of mirrors into a fine pencil of rays, which are thrown into space from a circular reflector, about 10 ft. in diameter. This reflector is focussed on to a similar reflector at the receiv ing station. The equipment ordered by the Air Ministry will be located at Lympne Airport, near Hythe, and will operate in conjunction with a similar equipment ordered by the French Air Ministry to be situated at St. Inglevert aerodrome, nearly seven miles south-west of Calais. It will be used for announcing the arrival and departure of aeroplanes that are not fitted with radio, and for routine ser vice messages. An extremely interest ing feature of this new service will be the use of teleprinters for both receiv ing and transmitting messages. In this way typewritten messages will actually be sent across the Channel by radio, thus providing a permanent record at each end. The use of tele printers will also help to overcome the language difficulty, since it is easier for a man to understand a written message in a language with which he is unfamiliar than a spoken one. Mes sages can also be received on a tele printer during the temporary absence of the operator. A great advantage of the use of Micro-Rays is the fact that they are almost entirely unaffected by atmospheric conditions. Another advantage is that on this extremely low wave band there is practically no interference from congestion of the ether or from nearby machinery: It is expected that the station will be in operation early next spring, and its use will relieve the volume of traffic at Croydon and Lympne wireless stations very considerably. The Air Ministries of both countries are to be congratulated on their enterprise in adopting this revolutionary means of communication, which will undoubt edly still further increase the efficiency of the cross-Channel flying services. ADCOL OIL TEST | NTERESTING results on the running of the Napier E.97 inverted six- cylinder-in-line of 150 h.p. engine on Duckham's Adcol N.P.5 Aero Engine Oil is contained in a report from D. Napier & Son, Ltd., and issued by Alexander Duckham & Co., Ltd. Air- work, Limited, fitted the Napier into a Spartan fuselage, which acted as the flying test-bed, and the report mentioned runs as follows: '' Total time run on test in the air was 228 hr. 1140 25 min., and on the ground 17 hr. The aircraft was equipped with special instruments and during the test nearly 20,000 readings were written down by the pilots on a special tape paper. Many of these were particularly to note the state of the lubricating oil under various conditions. " The machine was flown at alti tudes to nearly 20,000 ft., and in temperatures down to 25 deg. below zero C. Four hundred and fifty take- offs and landings were made, and the engine did approximately 27,600,000 revolutions. It was also climbed at full throttle, and the lowest possible air speed for long periods in order to induce overheating, if such a condi tion were possible. " All these factors provided a very stringent test for the lubricating oil, which was only changed twice during the test. The oil filters also were only cleaned twice. Upon stripping, the engine was found to be in excel lent condition. Bearings and pistons showed practically no measurable wear, and sludge was practically non existent." Incidentally, in the November issue of Links, the house journal of Alexan der Duckham & Co., Ltd., there is an interesting article on the history of the D.H. " Gipsy " engine, sketch ing in the improvements in design and outstanding performances of each successive type. A notable coinci dence in this history is that both the " Gipsy I " and the " Gipsy Major " glorified their public appearances by winning a King's Cup Race, testifying to the merits of both the vertical and inverted types. FOREIGN AGENTS •"FHE most hopeful sign about the * future of our aircraft industry is its initiative in the world's markets. The common taunt against the general lethargic attitude of British industry to its foreign interests is certainly not justified in the case of the aircraft section. Most of the aircraft firms are now ably represented in all the potential markets abroad. One of the most important of these markets is Japan, and here our industry is gain ing a firm footing. FLIGHT is con stantly receiving notification of the appointment of agents for our aircraft industry in that country, and is always pleased to record the news. Our latest item of this nature is that the Japanese agents for Lodge Plugs, Ltd., are Mikuni Shoten, Inc., No. 3, Gokencho, Kanda, Japan. THE "BRISTOL REVIEW VJT7E have received engine issue No. 5 " of the Bristol Review, published by the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd. It is one of the best produced house organs that we are favoured with. Well printed and neatly illustrated, the present issue contains an excellent article on the new world height re cord of 43,976 ft., set up by Fit. Lt. C. F. Uwins on the " Vespa " (" Pega sus "), a sound article on supercharging and another on the testing of super charged engines. There are some in teresting details about the " Pegasus " Pusher engine, and among the illus trations of special value is that of the 1933 model of the Bristol " Bulldog " fitted with the " Mercury I.V.s.2 " engine.
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