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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0632.PDF
3io FLIGHT. MARCH 21 J935. that imminent improvements in various directions would make roof landing a perfectly safe manoeuvre, and he could say that they were ready to study from now onwards any form of application involving flying from small platforms or small enclosed spates. Films were then shown, including those of various events during the last few years and months, such as picking up messages at Hanworth and landing and taking off on the Spanish aircraft transport ship. The most interesting were, however, those showing in normal and slow-motion the experi ments with direct start. The machine seemed to "lift itself by its boot straps," the height reached before steady forward flight was attained being apparently some 8 to 10 ft., and the machine sinking ever so slightly before beginning its normal climb from a height of something like 6 ft. In order to show that the machine does definitely rise straight up, the chocks were left in front of the wheels. TKe Discussion Before opening the discussion, the Chairman expressed the thanks of the audience to His Excellency the Spanish Ambas sador for being present at the lecture. It was very fitting that he should be there to listen to an account of the remark able work by this illustrious son of Spain. Mr. H. E. Wimperis, Director of Scientific Research, referred to the very great compliment which the lecturer had paid to the Royal Aeronautical Society in keeping the secret of the jumping Autogiro until he could divulge it at the meeting of the Society. The direct-start Autogiro inevitably provoked comparison with the helicopter. He recalled that some years ago the British Government offered a prize of £50,000 for a helicopter. Several designs were submitted, but no actual machines were entered. He thought the lecturer might well feel that he had not left very much for the helicopter to do. The direct start was almost equivalent to continued direct lift, because it was the first few inches which mattered in getting away from a rough surface. As regards the ability to hover, the Autogiro did not quite achieve this in still air, but on most days of the year when the machine would be likely to be used there was sufficient wind to enable it to remain stationary in relation to the ground by facing into the wind. In other words, the Autogiro now seemed to do almost every thing that the helicopter could do. Reference had been made to the Autogiro seaplane and the advantage of direct take-off. It seemed to him that there must inevitably be some forward speed during the take-off, because otherwise the machine would merely rotate in the opposite direction to the rotor while the latter was being speeded up. He would like to know what approximately would be the speed before the machine left the ground. Air Commodore J. G. Weir referred to the versatile genius of Mr. Cierva. He wanted to stress the fundamental aspects of Cierva's work, and pointed out that with the rotor a frontal attack was made on the problem of getting a greater mass of air from which to derive lift. He thought it likely that with the latest development in the Autogiro aviation was approach ing a new phase. He thanked the Director of Scientific Research for the support which he had given to the Autogiro from its early days. Lt.-Col. Mervyn O'Gorman admitted that, although F.A.I, did not recognise records for Autogiros, it had e Mr. Cierva the very highest award possible.' Now tht*!'' aeroplane elements had disappeared from the design, he th k there was no reason why autogiro records should not be r nised, and recommended Mr. Cicrva to apply again Mr. R. A. C. Brie said that he was glad to see the inter shown in the film of the direct-start Autogiro, but the film H!I not really do the machine justice. One had to see the mach start to believe it, and having seen it one did not believe'f Mr. E. F. Relf, superintendent of the Aerodynamics Depart' ment of the N.P.L., said there was plenty of problems stII imperfectly understood in connection with the Autogiro H recalled that early experiments in the wind tunnel had be unsatisfactory owing to large scale effect, and expressed the hope that in the future it might be possible to earn- out experiments in some of the larger tunnels now available There were many aspects of Autogiro theory which were still not understood by anyone but the lecturer, and he hoped that Mr. Cierva would soon publish his own theories. He would like to know whether Mr. Cierva was of opinion that no dangerous conditions could arise in flight. Capt. G. T. R. Hill, designer of the Westland " Pterodactyl," pointed out what he called one very serious omission in the references that had been made to praise the work of the lecturer. Nobody seemed to have realised that Mr. Cierva was a bold and skilful pilot. That had been of enormous im portance in developing the Autogiro, and he thought that Mr. Cierva would not have got nearly as far as he had had it not been for the fact that he was himself a pilot. "A Qrasshopper" Mr. E. C. Gordon England said the lecture had been a joy to him and other rebellious spirits who were not satisfied with the ordinary commonplace aircraft. He did not know what the Press would be likely to call the new direct-start Autogiro, but the film shown had irresistibly reminded him of a grass hopper. There was one complaint he had to make, and that was that in spite of the very great technical progress made with the Autogiro the machine did not offer the comfort which the type of man for whom the Autogiro was designed expected from an aircraft. He would like to know whether there was any reason why this comfort had not been provided. Replying to the questions raised, Mr. Cierva said that he thought stationary take-off could be provided in a seaplane if it was considered absolutely essential, but that the speed attained while the rotor was being speeded up would probably not be more than from 10 to 12 m.p.h. In reply to Mr Re«, he said he was not yet ready to publish his theories. Theft were indications that in certain conditions the rotor might slow down at very high forward s-peeds, but so far as they knew at present there was no danger in diving. They had under consideration means to limit the speed at which the pilot could possibly dive the machine. In reply to Mr. Is. 0, Gordon England, Mr. Cierva explained the relative absence of comfort in existing Autogiros by the fact that hitherto tie had been much more concerned with technical problems tm with comfort. He thought Mr. England would soon find mar in new types a greater degree of comfort would be provide- ON THE STOCKS The H.S.T. 10, the new high-speed commercial monoplane described in Flight of November 29th, is rapidly taking.. e noticed. Blackburn works. The point at which the Duncanson single spar for the wing is offered up into the fuselage wi Fitted with two Napier " Rapier VI " engines, the machine is expected to have a cruising speed of 175 ffl'"'
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