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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0080.PDF
42 FLIGHT. JANUARY IO, 1935. One cf the working cylinder units. The weight is approximately 30H). On the right is the pendulum which initiates aileron control. are of the double-acting type. The oil is under pressure (three atmospheres), and the pressure is applied to one side or the other of the piston by a special valve. The three working cylinders, for rudder, elevator, and ailerons, are substantially alike, and the principle upon which they work may be understood from a reference to the diagram. The system is thrown into gear or out of gear by closing and opening a short-circuiting valve in the main oil reser voir. Apart from the lever which controls this valve via a Bowden cable, the pilot has it in his power to switch off the electric supply, either by a master switch, which operates all three control systems, or by individual switches which switch off any, or all three, electric circuits. Fur thermore, for emergency cases, when very quick action may be necessary, spring couplings in the control rods enable the pilot to over-ride the action of the automatic pilot. It will thus be seen that there is no reason to fear that the " robot" pilot will " take charge" uninvited. Apart from the three controls already mentioned, which have for their object to keep the aircraft in rectilinear flight, there is also a unit which enables the aircraft to make turns of different radii, including very short turns in which a change-over of the control functions is carried out automatically. Turns as sharp as ten degrees per second can be made, and can be maintained whether the aircraft is in horizontal flight, gliding, or climbing. It might have been thought that this would exhaust the possibilities of the Siemens "Autopilot." This is not, however, the case. In addition, an automatic engine speed control can be fitted independently of the "Autopilot." This consists of a small electric motor actuated by a special altimeter statoscope. Any variations in altitude are thus corrected. If altitude has been lost, this apparatus opens the throttle until the altitude for which the control has been set has again been reached. Conversely, if the air craft climbs with the particular throttle setting and eleva tor control setting, the automatic apparatus closes the throttle until the desired altitude is reached. To prevent ice formation on the pitot tube, with conse quent failure of the elevator control, provision is made for heating with a 40-watt current. During the development period the Siemens '' Auto pilot '' has already been flown for some hundreds of hours, and it has been found that the sealed portions of the system can be counted upon to run for 100 hours without atten tion. After that they should be inspected by a specialist. No information is available concerning the degree of accuracy which the '' Autopilot'' will give in bumpy weather. On a calm day the rudder control will maintain the course to within ± 2 deg., the speed is kept within ± 1.9 m.p.h., and the altitude to within 1 mm. of mercury. The one serious drawback to the " Autopilot " at present is its weight. This amounts to no less than 257 lb. The makers point out, however, that by fitting the apparatus there is no need to carry a second pilot, and that in cal culating his weight one should take into account not cfcily the weight of the man himself but also that of his equip ment, parachute, dual controls, dual instruments, and so forth. It may be argued, against that, that a second pilot should be carried in any case, because the chief pilot might be taken ill, in which case the automatic pilot would not save the machine. From a technical point of view, the Siemens "Auto pilot" is extraordinarily interesting, and it is to be hoped that an arrangement may be made to demonstrate it at Croydon in the near future. GLIDING IN INDIA I N a talk broadcast recently in India, Mr. A. N. Moos, chairman of the Indian Gliding Association, made a strong appeal for Government recognition of, and support for, motorless flight in that country. After giving a history of the science of gliding, Mr. Moos dealt with its development in India. He said that during the past ten years the progress made in Europe had been astounding, but it was not until 1931 that it was introduced to India by a private enthusiast, Mr. P. M. Kabali, who was the first Indian to attempt a solo flight by aeroplane to India. While in Europe taking his pilot's licence Mr. Kabali made a special study of gliding in Germany, and soon after his return to India he called a public meeting to inaugurate the Indian Gliding Association, which has headquarters in Bombay, and of which the D.C.A. in India is president. Without any financial assistance whatever from the Government this organisation forged ahead and ordered three gliders, one from America and two from Germany, for the training of its members. lit August, 1931, the Association was affiliated to the British Gliding Association. A training ground was procured in the hilly country of Aundh, about 200 miles distant from Bombay city. The Ruler of Aundh very kindly placed a large tract of ground at the disposal of the Association, and also provided, free of charge, the neces sary hangars and a labour force. These arrangement* were all completed by January, 1932, and in the first year of working eleven pilots were trained by the Association, which granted them "A" licences. Mr. Moos said that steady progress had since been main tained, though they were badly handicapped by lack of funds. He mentioned the grant of £5,000 per annum for five years offered by the Air Ministry to the British Gliding Association, and cited the State support given to gliding in various European countries. He added that Lord Sempill, when he visited India last November, had suggested that it would be a good thing were the Government of India to pay an ade quate subsidy to the Indian Gliding Association, p rticuiarly to enable it to improve its instructional courses.
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