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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0827.PDF
AUGUST 16, 1934. FLIGHT. 829 The Outlooks World's RecordsF ROM the official list of world's records published this week (see pp. 844-845), the somewhat sad fact emerges that not a single world's record is now held by Great Britain. British engines (Bristol "Pegasus") have, it is true, played their part in establishing the pure altitude record and the record for height with a useful load of 11,000 lb., and a Siddeley "Genet" has a light plane record, but no British aircraft now holds a world's record. It is perfectly true, of course, that many of the seventy- odd records are footling, but a good number are worth while. Some, such as the pure speed record and the long- distance records, entail expenses rather beyond the capa- city of firms and private individuals, but there are still quite a number of records worth going after, and a good many which British aircraft could beat. For some years the French policy was for the French Air Ministry to offer monetary rewards to the French constructor whose machine established a new record. We would not suggest that our own Air Ministry should do the same, but there seems to be an opportunity here for some wealthy British sportsman to come forward with an offer. The Copenhagen Aero Show / T is to be hoped that the attendance, particularly that from other countries than Denmark, will be consider- able at the Copenhagen Aero Show which opens this Friday, because British aircraft manufacturers are, together with British accessory and aero engine manufacturers, fill- ing a considerably larger portion of the Forum than anyone else. Twenty-seven firms form the S.B.A.C. exhibit out of a total of twenty-eight exhibitors. Some of these are collective exhibits, but nevertheless ours should be a "brave" show. Apart from what will be seen in the Forum, several firms are sending aeroplanes and pilots to the Kastrup aerodrome at Copenhagen, so that visitors may actually see the machines demonstrated during the show. It is a pity, perhaps, that there is not greater par- ticipation on the part of foreign aircraft manufacturers. Competition is a good thing, and we are confident that our products can safely stand comparison with those of any other country. Apart from the Czech engine firm of Walter, collective exhibits by the French Air Ministry, the Civil Aviation Administration in Moscow, and a German firm, all the exhibitors other than British are Danish. A De Havilland Achievementr HE facts that Messrs. Reid and Ayling failed in their attempt on the distance record and that their Atlantic flight was actually the twenty-fourth from West to East, do not reduce the interest in the latest " record " flight. They themselves were the first to admit that the show was a failure as such, though it was actually the first non-stop flight from Canada to England. We have always imagined that the D.H. "Dragon," besides being almost the first civil machine to be capable of making a profit for itself, was theoretically capable of coming very close to the distance lecord provided that an overload chance was taken. The machine carried 612 gallons of fuel and took off in a virtual calm in a matter of 1,600 yards. Apart from the special tankage arrange- ments and general economy tuning, the machine was stand- ard in every respect. The De Havilland Company is to be ccrgratulated.qn such a worthy standard production. A Fighting " Pterodactyl " A TTENTION was first drawn, in Flight of August 2, /-\ to the production by the Westland Aircraft Works, of Yeovil, of a machine incorporating features likely to modify the subject of air-fighting tactics. The "Pterodactyl V," as the machine is called, is shown in the photograph on the opposite page. It will be observed that it retains many of the features of previous '' Ptero- dactyls," such as swept-back wings and undercarriage wheels in tandem. It differs, however, from the earlier models in that the engine, a Rolls-Royce steam-cooled " Goshawk " of some 600 h.p., is mounted in the nose of the short fuselage, while pilot and observer are situated behind the wing, from which position the view in all essen- tial directions is exceptionally good. The gunner occupies the rear position, and has an uninterrupted field of fire over the whole hemisphere behind the machine. It is interesting to note that the designers, Capt. Hill and the Westland technical staff, have chosen the biplane, or at least the sesquiplane, arrangement. The reason for this would appear to be that with the undercarriage wheels in tandem it is necessary to provide means for steadying the machine on the ground, and the short lower wings form convenient supports for the outboard wing tip skids. Flying controls consist of trailing edge flaps which, when worked in unison, act as elevators, and when worked in opposite directions perform the functions of ailerons. Direc- tional control is bv rudders on the wing tips. The rudders, when worked together, form very effective air brakes. Autoslots are provided on the outer leading edge of the main wing, so that the '' Pterodactyl V'' has made use of all the latest aids to aerodynamic efficiency. A feature which should make the machine very useful as a military type is the manoeuvrability. The short length results in sensitive elevator control, and the wing tip rudders give a drag tending to slow down the wing on the inside of a turn, so that directional control is also very powerful. A Melbourne Race Scare ^ OT long ago we drew attention to the importance of fuel and oil supplies in the England-Australia race, and pointed out that the result of the race might well be influenced by the organisation of those supplies. That our view was in no way an over-statement is proved by the report that some of the American entrants are in- vestigating the problems of providing their own supplies, and have, so we are informed, already spent considerable sums to this end. Apart from this, many competitors have had a great deal of special apparatus installed in their machines, which will have cost them a large amount of money, so what with this and other expenses which must at this stage have been incurred it does seem likely that undue importance need not be given to the report that most of the American entrants are withdrawing their machines from the race because they find the expenses too high. We are informed by the Royal Aero Club that there has been no official intimation of these supposed with- drawals. It has been obvious from the start that the race would be an expensive event, and as we pointed out when the race was announced, the first prize will be worth only about ^7,500 outside Australia, and what with a fuel and oil bill of between £600 and ^700, as it may be for a large machine, special equipment, laying out special supplies, insurance, freight to. England, and finally the cost of the machine, the total expenditure is likely to exceed this sum.
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