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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0063.PDF
JANUARY IO, 1935- FLIGHT. 3i 9 ' B wt ' Wm mm mmr r > | (Left) Looking aft in the " Envoy " Cabin. Let into the bulkhead is the Plessey A.C.44 wireless set. (Right) A view forward into the pilot's cockpit ; the handle on the right of the seat is for raising or lowering the undercarriage. (Flight Photographs.) has been done, like that of so many of the well-equipped and comfortable aircraft nowadays, by L. A. Rumbold and Co., and in the model we tried the seats were very comfortable indeed. The general equipment is very full, with small folding tables and an ash-tray for each seat. A Plessey A.C.44 wireless set is let into the after bulkhead of the cabin in a very neat manner, the remote control being contained in a very small box and mounted close by the pilot's right hand. Behind the after bulkhead is a spacious luggage compartment. The internal arrangements of the cabin can, of course, be varied to suit any individual operator's wishes, but the arrangement just described is one which should have a wide appeal for those whose flights are likely to be upwards of 400 miles. In the air the '' Envoy '' had all the attributes of a fairly heavily loaded high-speed machine—that is to say, in bumps the movement was comparatively hard, short, and sharp, but without producing any particularly disagreeable sensation in the passengers. Flaps have not been fitted, as the manufacturers feel that not only are the take-off and landing adequately short without their use, but that their incorporation would entail an increase of structural weight which would result in an undue decrease of pay- . . vv load. The take-off, con sidering that no flaps are fitted, is good ; and, in the matter of landing, it must be remembered that the undercarriage, when in the lowered position, acts to a certain extent in the same manner as would flaps— that is to say, it increases the drag very considerably, and steepens the glide of the machine appreciably. Thus, although the "En voy is a clean machine with a high performance, it is still possible to land it off a steep approach over high obstacles. We did not, on this occa- Sir Alan Cobham (right) with his pilot, Fit. Lt. H. C. Johnson, who is flying the "Envoy" to India. (Flight Photograph.) sion, have the opportunity of piloting the machine, but from what we saw, and from the opinion of pilots who have flown it under both good and very bad conditions, it is clear that it retains all those most desirable characteristics which were embodied in the Airspeed "Courier," which was described in Flight of March 23, 1933. There is, of course, the usual tail-trimming gear, con sisting of a screw-operated mechanism which alters the position of the leading edge of the tail plane ; and, in addi tion, a rudder bias gear is fitted which enables the machine to be flown hands off with one engine cut out. Another refinement which many pilots will like is the aileron bias gear, whereby lateral trim can be altered, not only for single-engine conditions, but also to allow for the idiosyn crasies of pilots, the majority of whom fly with one wing slightly lower than the other. It is difficult to imagine any aeroplane which allows a better outlook from the pilot's cockpit. The deep, vee- shaped windows are at such an angle that they do not collect fine rain or snow, and are low enough to permit the pilot to look almost vertically below him. The large window in the front on his left-hand side is also split ver tically, so that when the visibility is really bad half the window may be slid to one side, leaving an opening through which he can see clearly. About the operation of the retractable under carriage we need say very little, as this has been de scribed very fully in con nection with previous Air speed machines; the pump handle at the right-hand side is easy to work. This particular " Envoy " has been built for demon stration in India, and it left this week, via Spain, where Sir Alan Cobham, who was accompanying it, hopes to demonstrate. It will be flown by Fit. Lt. H. C. Johnson. A series of difficult tests was brought to a conclusion last Saturday, when Mr. R, A. C. Brie repeatedly alighted on and flew off from a 33ft. wide platform temporarily rigged on the Italian cruiser Fiume. The tests took place off Spezzia, while the vessel was steaming at 24 knots. Mr. Brie had previously flown on and off the platform while An Autogiro at Sea the vessel was stationary. His take-offs were rendered more difficult by the fact that the funnel was just ahead of the platform, so that a climbing turn had to be made each time. The Autogiro used by Mr. Brie was of the C.30 direct-control type, fitted with a SidJeley seven-cylinder " Oenet Major" engine.
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