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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1207.PDF
NOVEMBER 15, 1934. FLIGHT. 1209 r SARO "A.27" Two 580 h.p. Bristol " Pegasus " Type : General Purpose Flying Boat. Length : 5(5 ft. C in. (17,2 m) Wing span ... 80 ft. 0 in. [24,4 in) Height 18ft. 9 in. (5,7 m) As the machine is an experimental type and the property of the Air Ministry, no weight or per- formance data may be given. SAUNDERS-ROE LTD. Several years ago Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe and his old friend and partner, Mr. John Lord, took over the boat-building business of S. E. Sounders. Since then they have developed, under the name Saro, a progressive flying-boat business. A SMALL civil four-seater flying boat,the "Cutty Sark," was the first type to be produced several years agoby Saunders-Roe. Since then the firm has added to the range, and a whole"family" is now available. Of these we can refer here to but two, The"A.27" and the "Cloud." The Saro " A.27 " *s a twin-enginedall-meta.1 general purpose flying boat de- signed to an Air Ministry specification.The machine is an unequal-span biplane, with an '' Alclad '' hull having straightsides and a straight vee bottom. The two 580 h.p. " Pegasus " engines are mountedin streamline nacelles below the upper wing, where they are well clear of spray.Beyond the fact that the machine has a wing span of 80 ft. (24.4 m.), it isnot permissible to publish data. Two standard versions of the Saro"Cloud" have been produced, one with two 340 h.p. Siddeley " Serval " engines,and the other with two 340 h.p. Napier "Rapier" VI engines. In addition, the'' Cloud '' can be supplied either as an amphibian or as a plain flying boat. Inthe former tlvi pay load is slightly smaller, and the performance not quiteso good, but of course the machine is able to operate from either land, orwater, sometimes a very great advan- tage. The "Cloud" can be equipped inseveral ways, according to the use to which it is being put. As a civil type it can have passenger accommodationfor up to eight passengers. When used, as it has been by the British Royal AirForce, for training flying boat pilots in flying and navigation, wireless, etc., thecabin equipment is, of course, adapted to the particular needs of the moment. The machine is of composite construc-tion, with a flat-sided hull having "Alclad" planking. This planking isprovided with fore-and-aft corrugations, which form of construction avoids theneed for internal stringers and greatly simplifies the construction. The wing isof wood, with plywood covering. Apart from its other uses, the landundercarriage is very USftful when pick- ing up moorings in that the wheels,when lowered, form a very effective drogue. Where a beach or slipway isavailable, the machine is simply taxied up under its own power. Wheel brakesare fitted, so that manoeuvring on the ground is readily carried out even inconfined spaces. | SARO "CLOUD" 1 Two 340 \ Type : ff-7-p:iss i Length Wing span ... • Wing area ... 1 Tare weight ; Disposable load I Gross weight Max. speed Cruising speed Climb Ceiling Range (with 8 h.p. Napier " Rapiers " \ •nger Amphibian. j 41) ft. Din. (lo,17 m) \ (H ft. Oin. (19,51 m) i 050 sq. ft. (G0,,V) >»*) : 0,450 lb. CJB28 k'g) j 3,250 Ib. (/ 47 S kg) \ 9,700 lb. (J 11)3 kg) ! 121 m.p.h. (1M kmlh) j 102 m.p.h. 11(14 kmlh) \ 809 ft./min. y,0S ml sec) '• 15,000 ft. (4500 m) \ passengers) 408 miles (Q56 km) \ PERCFVAL AIRCRAFT COMPANY CapT. E. W. Percival came to England some years ago from Australia, where he had had considerable experience of air transport and aviation generally. He has now established himself as an aircraft designer and constructor. WOOD construction has been adoptedall the machines designed by- Mr. Percival, being light for its strength ' and easy to repair by almost anyone incase of damage. In aerodynamic design Mr. Percival favours the low-wing mono-plane as giving low drag, and the per- formance attained by his machine indi-cates the soundness of his choice. The "Gull" is a high-performance. three-seater intended for the private owner, for taxi services, and so forth.The pilot sits in front with the two pas- sengers behind him in slightly staggeredseats. A cabin roof is provided, having sliding windows the whole length of thecabin on both sides. Behind the rear seat there is a luggage locker fitted withdoors which give access from the cabin during flight or from outside when themachine is on the ground. The cabin space is entirely free from control rods and cables, so that passengers need notworry about placing their feet. An undercarriage of the "split" typeis fitted, the wheels being carried oft semi-cantilever legs, and enclosed in'' spats.'' Wheel brakes are fitted as standard. Various power units can be fitted,such as the "Gipsy Major," the "Gipsy Six," the "Cirrus-Hermes IV," and theNapier "Javelin." The performance varies slightly according to the type ofengine, but is always high. For storage purposes the wings arearranged to fold, the hinge being on the rear main spar. A machine with even greater perform-ance is the Percival " Mew Gull," which
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