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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0487.PDF
FLIGHT. MAY 17, .1934 C.I. ENGINE REACHES 28,000 Ft. A Bristol "Phamix" Engine in a Westland "Wapiti " has climbed to greater heights than any other com- pression - ignition heavy - oil engine in the ivorld NCE more the Bristol and Westland companies have, between them, made aviation history. On Friday last Westland's test pilot, Mr. H. J. Penrose, took a Westland " Wapiti " fitted with Bristol " Phcenix " compression-ignition engine to an alti- tude somewhere near 28,000 ft. The two recording baro- graphs have been handed over to the .Royal Aero Club, whose representative, Capt. Winters, acted as official observer of the flight. In due course the barograph records will be submitted to the F.A.I, for official homologation. In the meantime it appears quite certain that the " re- cord " for altitude with compression-ignition engines has been beaten by several thousand feet, and it is believed that the actual figure is close to 28,000 ft. Mr. Penrose reported that the engine behaved perfectly throughout the flight, and that it maintained its power at height even better than had been expected of it, in spite of the fact that air temperatures as low as —40 deg. C. were encountered. At the greatest hf-ight reached there was little sign of any sudden failure to burn the fuel properly, although at the " ceiling " the density can only have been something like 40 per cent, of the ground level density. The flight was undertaken as part of a development pro- gramme which the Bristol company has had in progress lor some time in collaboration with the Westland Aircraft Works. The engine used was generally similar to the '' Phoenix '' which was demonstrated in public for the first time at the R.A.F. Display last year, but a moderate degree of supercharging has been introduced. This is the first time a British aero engine firm has supercharged a compression-ignition heavy-oil engine, and the success achieved promises well for the future development of this type of engine. In his altitude flight Mr. Penrose used a " Wapiti " of the type supplied in such large numbers to the R.A.F. and other Air Services. It will be recollected that the two aeroplanes which flew over Mount Everest were of similar type, and were fitted with Bristol "Pegasus'" engines. While testing one of these Mr. Penrose attained a height of 35,000 ft. The petrol engine was, however, fully super - THE PROTOTYPE : The Bristol " Phoenix " engine from which the supercharged version used in the altitude flight has been developed. charged, while the latest " Phoenix " is, as already men- tioned, only moderately supercharged. In place of an observer, ballast was carried on the " record " flight. Special precautions had to be taken to avoid excessive cooling of the oil, and the tank was covered with felt. Needless to say, Mr. Penrose used oxygen apparatus, with electric heating to prevent moisture in the oxygen from freezing at the reducing valve. ALTITUDE RECORD FOR GREAT BRITAIN : The Westland " Wapiti " (Bristol " Phoenix " compression- ignition engine), in which Mr. H. J. Penrose attained a height of nearly 28,000 ft. ,
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