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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 1088.PDF
FLIGHT, NOVEMBER 30, 1933 neither of which could have been realised had the machine been of metal construction. In the " Leopard Moth " similar structural principles have been employed, although the fact that the machine is a strut-braced monoplane has necessarily led to certain detail changes. The fuselage of the " Leopard Moth " has a light skele ton of spruce, with a covering of plywood. The sides are flat, but the deck and bottom are cambered. The bottom of the primary fuselage structure is fiat, but under it run lengthwise two floor bearers or stringers, which project below the level of the longerons. The outer covering of the bottom is fabric, and here and there in the fuselage bottom are large inspection holes. The fabric is laced on in the vicinity of these holes, so that a portion of it can be turned back and the fuselage structure inspected through the holes in the plywood bottom. The space between the longitudinal bottom stringers is made use of for housing the controls, which are thus readily accessible for inspec tion and adjustment, but protected by the inner plywood bottom and the outer fabric covering. The fuselage is built in two sections, which meet on a solid bulkhead behind the cabin, and are joined together by bolts through the longerons. Cupped steel washers are used under the bolt heads and nuts, so that the wood can shrink quite an appreciable amount without slackness developing. In the wing construction also spruce and plywood are the chief structural materials. The two spars are of box type, with spruce flanges and plywood walls. The leading edge is covered with plywood, and the inner half of the wing is covered with plywood on the lower surface, from the wing root to the wing strut attachments. The wing ribs in the inner portion have spruce flanges and solid plywood webs. The drag member is in the form of a stout spruce beam, some 2 in. square, which runs from the inner end of the rear spar to the wing strut attachment on the front spar. This strut lies at the bottom of the wing section and is glued to the under surface plywood covering. The petrol tanks are placed in this part of the wing. Bracing of the wing is by streamline-section steel-tube struts, hinged at their lower ends to the fuselage and attached to the wing by steel fittings. In order to " bury " the joint of the struts to the wing, plywood " boxes " are taped on after the wing fittings are in place, and " gaiters " with curved upper ends fair the struts into these " boxes." The wings are designed to fold, and the locking device on the front spar is illustrated by two photographs. When the locking catch has been turned, the locking pin is with drawn by means of a cable lying inside the wing and terminating at its outer end in a ring which projects from the lower wing covering where the wing struts join the wing. From this position the pilot is well placed for folding the wing when the catch is released. To permit the folded wings to clear the top of the fuselage, the inner portions of the trailing edge are hinged upwards. The undercarriage of the " Leopard Moth " is of the divided type, the vee struts being hinged at their upper ends to fittings on a stout wooden member on the bottom centreline of the fuselage. The telescopic legs are hinged to the sides of the fuselage, and are used as air brakes by THE CABIN OF THE LEOPARD MOTH " : Comfortable seating is provided for two passengers side by side. The rear set of controls is removable. (FLIGHT Sketches.) 1192
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