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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0480.PDF
236 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY 28, i935 Correspondence The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents. The names and addresses of the writers not necessarily for publication, must in all cases accompany letters intended for insertion in these columns. ICE FORMATION [3011.] In your interesting article, in Flight of February 21, on the formation of ice on aircraft, it is stated " why it is that super-cooled droplets remain in liquid form has never been satisfactorily explained, but since it actually occurs the fact must be accepted." I should like to suggest that the reason for the difficulty experienced in freezing water in the form of a mist, compared with that of water in bulk, is because the droplets of water in the mist are subjected to a pressure far greater than that of the atmosphere in which they are floating. This pressure is due to the surface tension, and it is not difficult to compute the lowering of freezing point which must result. I will not tire you with the details, but the result is to show that the additional pressure due to surface tension in a drop of water 10—6 cm. in diameter will lower the freezing point by 2.20 C. The lowering of the freezing point is inversely pro portional to the diameter, so that a water droplet of 10—' cm. diameter would freeze at —22.2° C, whereas the freezing point of water in bulk is, of course, o° C. N. A. DE BEUYNE. Cambridge. HARNESSING THE PASSENGER [3012] There appeared recently in Flight a letter [3010] lauding the American habit of fastening passengers to their seats in bumpy weather before taking off and before landing. Why this curious custom survives over there is interesting. In Europe it seems to be as dead as that other primitive habit of fixing each passenger personally into an inflatable lifebelt before crossing the Channel by air. Flown at the right height and properly handled, the big aeroplane of to-day suffers so little from bumps that not one of the European companies finds it necessary to use safety belts for passengers. Landing and taking off are as much without incident on the air routes as the departure or arrival of express trains, and it is incomprehensible that any neces sity can exist for placing passengers in strait waistcoats at these times. Imperial Airways, Ltd., do not even fit safety belts to the big machines, and K.L.M. have them tucked away out of sight, in case of some such rare emergency as a burst tyre and consequent rough landing. Experience has shown that these gadgets are primitive and unnecessary with big aero planes. Why, then, must we copy the Americans in this matter and put our passengers to an inconvenience bound to give them an impression of possible danger which actually does not exist? Incidentally, there is a vast difference between travel in a machine such as Heracles and some of the smaller aero planes on internal lines, where high flying to avoid bumps may not be practised. In such flying, safety belts would be a boon in rough weather, because, instead of having to hang on to his chair with both hands, the passenger could use them to hold his book or newspaper. Possibly the writer of the letter to Flight had no experience of "air liner" travel as distinct from "air taxi" travel. A. VIATOR. London. [Although we agree in principle with "A. Viator's" state ment that safety belts should be unnecessary and that they may produce the we-are-about-to-have-an-accident complex, they are at least a great comfort in smaller passenger machines. Has " A. Viator " never split his skull on a luggage rack on a really bad day? At reasonable heights the bumps are few, but devastating when they do occur—over the coast, for instance—and an aeroplane, in any case, must be flown through the bumpy part of the atmosphere either before or after a stratospheric journey. Incidentally, D.L.H. still con sider that safety belts are useful.—ED.] PETTY C. OF A. REGULATIONS [3013] During the past few years I have heard of a hundred and one good reasons why ownership figures remain com paratively low. May I stress one of these once again at a time of the year when a number of prospective owners are reconsidering the question ? Two years ago a friend of mine who is, at the same time a very capable automobile engineer, altered, for his own com fort and using the best of materials, various purely auxiliary control details. When the time arrived for the C. of A renewal he was forced to replace all the improved fittings of his very obsolescent machine with " approved " parts de signed some years before. He sold the machine and ceased to take more than an academic interest in aviation. With very little further discouragement, another owner friend of mine will be throwing the whole thing up in disgust During this year's C. of A. the inspector stated that a metai strut, which required a fairly simple reconditioning repair, must be returned to the makers. Now the firm in question is much too busy on the production of commercial machines to be bothered with a small machinin' job, and probably it has been sub-contracted. Here, again, the firm may be busy on repetition work, and will not feel like setting a mechanic and a few machine tools aside for a small job, and there the offending part remains. In one case I know this particular part was held up for thirty-two days! Meanwhile my private owner's machine is out of action, Not a very serious matter to him, but terribly serious for a school or club in the same circumstances. Is it wholly necessary that all these parts should go back to the original makers—who have long lost all interest in them—just because there is some petty regulation in force? I cannot see why a firm carrying out the C. of A. should not also be allowed to do the reconditioning work and have it passed by the A.I.D. or Lloyd's inspector. AIR WORTHY. London, S.W.3. HORSE-POWER RATINGS [3014] As it seems that we may be treated to an Aero Show on the lines of the Motor Show, judging by what has been read in your columns recently, may I suggest that, as civil aircraft will receive greater publicity than they have ever received before, engines cease to be known in terms of b.h.p., and terms of nominal h.p. used instead ? I make this suggestion since it is my firm conviction that the public are completely led astray as to running costs How many of them realise that a Gipsy Major has a capacity of under eight litres ? D. A. VARLEY. Wokingham, Surrey. NEW COMPANIES SANDOWN AND SHANKLIN FLYING SERVICES LTD. Capital£500i»lj shares. Objects: To adopt an agreement with Ernest H. Byrne for the purcnasen the business of Sbanklin Flying Services, carried on by him at Shanklin, I.o*. together with two aeroplanes and spare parts and accessories, equipment an hangars; and the right to take a lease of Lea Farm Aerodrome for 21 years. rK first directors are:—Ernest H. Siyrne (permanent managing director), " Ankenrf; Clarence Gardens, Shanklin, I. o W.: Wm. A. Andrews, 59, Newport Road, ug I. o W.; Mrs. Violet A. E. Byrne, " Ankerdine," Clarence Gardens, Shanklin, l-"™ BOURNEMOUTH AIRPORT LIMITED. Nominal capital of £20,250 inStf" ordinary shares of 1/- each and 25,000 6% preference shares of £1 each. lne°"> are to adopt an agreement with F. C. Fisher and H. Clive Smith, to ^"jLg lands and other properties; to lay out, adopt and develop any lands as aerc" ^ air-ports, athletic or sports grounds, racing tracks, pleasure grounds ana „. . and recreation grounds ; to cany on the business of aerial transporters °< tV^ merchandise, produce, mails and goods, organisers and maintamers ot ai^nJDj engineers, owners, licensees and hirers of air and road transport in Great u ^ ^ elsewhere, aeronautical engineers, instructors in aeronautics, mamitactu . -^^ dealers in aeroplanes and aircraft of every kind, etc. The subscribers (eacu.....^ ordinary share), are :—Francis C. Fisher, 150, Imperial House, Repent wn* . ^ air pUot; Havelock Clive-Smitb, 150, Imperial House, Regent Street, •" gineer. Solicitors: Birkbeck, Julius, Edwards & Co., 49, Moorgate, b c* <S> <£> <S* O CHANGE OF NAME E.C* AVIATION DISPLAYS LTD. (Salisbury Square House, Fleet Strae . ^ Name changed to Jubilee Air Displavs, Ltd., by Board of lraae 1* February 5, 1935. <s> «3> O <S>- - AERONAUTICAL PATENT SPECIFICATION ^ Abbreviations: CM. m cylinder; i.e. = internal combustion i"^^w (The numbers in parentheses are those under which the speciti<- printed and abridged, etc.) APPLIED FOR IN 1933 Published February 28, 1935. 18435. IHVIV, L. L. Harnesses or the like for parachutists. (423,) 23355. ELETTNER, A. Aircraft. (423,371.) APPLIED FOR IN 1934 212(55. BOULTON & PAUL, Ltd. Aeroplanes. (428,866.)
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