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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0913.PDF
.SEPTEMBER 6, 1934. FLIGHT. 915 CLEAN DESIGN : Note the wheels in tandem and partly enclosed. The wing is thinned down in the centre • - • to improve the view forward. (Flight Photo.) was wheeled out, and hand-holds on the lower wing tips conjured up visions of running and perspiring helpers doing their level best to keep up with an aeroplane being taxied at a fairly good pace. Instead of which, when the en- gineers had run up the "Goshawk" to prevent it from shivering in the rather cold wind, Mr. H. J. Penrose, West- land's chief test pilot, ^calmly turned the machine side to wind and taxied off, later turning to the wind what would have been the tail if the machine had had one, until the far side of the aerodrome was reached. The machine was remarkably steady on the ground, and the undercarriage arrangement which has been evolved for it seems to answer very well. It consists of two main wheels in tandem, working on the bogey principle, of which the front one is steerable, while the rear one is provided with brakes. To support the wing tips two slightly complicated skids are used, each carrying a small wheel. These two skids not only prevent the machine from leaning over laterally, but act also as tail wheels, there being no wheel or skid under the stern of the short central fuselage or nacelle. When it could be seen that Mr. Penrose had given his engine full throttle, one watched carefully for any ten- dency of the machine to give a landplane imitation of high- speed "porpoising." There was none. The springing of the main wheels must be very good. After quite a short run the machine left the ground, as near as one was able to judge, with all wheels simultaneously. It never got its tail up, or the equivalent in a "tailless" machine. (The introduction of these unorthodox aeroplanes plays havoc with the pleasant habit of using aeronautical slang under the impression that it is quite good English.) During the next half-hour or so Mr. Penrose put the "Pterodactyl V" through its paces. I do not mean that he did loops and rolls, etc., but he flew past at high speed s THE TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE " PTERODACTYL V " : Mr. H. J. Penrose, test pilot; Sir Ernest Petter, chairman of the company ; Capt. Hill, designer; Mr. Mettam, in charge of the stress department; and Capt. Keep, general manager. (Flight Photo.)
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