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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0754.PDF
360 FLIGHT. APRIL 4, iy35. Where it is desired that the landing area should not be lestricted buildings must necessarily be arranged in " single file " along the perimeter of the aerodrome.. This Flight photograph of Essex airport shows also the extensive car area provided—visitors are definitely encouraged. It is comforting for the small operator and the small munici pality to know that full electric equipment is not entirely necessary, and certainly not for a start, when few machines can be expected to be flying after sunset. A series of red boundary and obstruction hurricane lamps and a flare path, which can be put out on request either directly by wireless or by telephone from a terminal airport, will be ample for emerg ency purposes. Many pilots, in fact, prefer flares to flood lights, though this is largely a matter of habit and the result of the fact that many air-line pilots have been in the R.A.F. It has been proved at Gravesend, which is being used this year for alternative night landings by both K.L.M. and D.L.H., that practice will enable the whole equipment to be put out in a very short time. Improved flares, such as the Gooding, can be wheeled in a trolley on to the aerodrome, and each can be lit from one. The pilot treats the flares as guides rather than as actual lights, and judges his height and position from the shape of the path. Nevertheless, when an airport is being used by a night- operating air line, a full electrical system, switched on and off from the control tower, will be absolutely necessary. A terminal airport requires: (a) an identifying beacon of the flashing or rotating type; (b) boundary lights ; (c) obstruction lights; (d) a ceiling projector; and (e) floodlights. If runways are used these will need to be marked, and an illuminated wind tee—preferably one which will return to a predetermined posi tion in winds of less than, say, five miles an hour—will, of course, be a detail necessity. Last year a British Standard Specification for Aerodrome and Airway Lighting was pub lished with the approval of the Air Ministry. The specification is the result of four years of international meetings, and the colour and other requirements are fully set out therein. Lighting Equipment Probably Chance Brothers and Co., Ltd., of Smethwick, are the best-known manufacturers of lighting equipment. They turned to aerodrome and airway lighting quite naturally after some eighty years of experience in marine work, and are in a position to supply floodlights, beacons, wind indicators and obstruction lights, or submit complete schemes. Their latest type of boundary light is of the pillar form, which gives the pilot an idea of his position and height. Incidentally, lights of this type have been supplied by the Cardiff Foundry and Engineering Co. to Hillman's Airways, and these were de scribed in Flight of March 21. Chance Brothers have also developed a new type of floodlight housing which is made of Laminoid and which enables the attendant to work under cover. The floodlight system itself consists of three units mounted side by side and giving a candle-power of 1,250,000 when corrected for atmospheric absorption. A Chance-Airwork shadow-bar floodlight has been in use at Heston for some time. Floodlight Types Another company specialising in the lighting of airports is the General Electric Company, Ltd., who have recently secured a contract for the installation of eight 6/kw. floodlights at Croydon aerodrome, and these will be in operation in a month. A fortnight ago the company also installed a shadow-bar flood light at Cardiff airport. The normal type contains nine thousand-watt horizontal lights with three tiers of parabolic reflectors, and may either be mounted on a mobile unit or be arranged in fixed series around the boundary, one or another being switched on according to the direction of the wind by the control officer. In the case of the normal floodlight, of course, the pilot lands his machine down the beam, but a single fixed rotatable floodlight can be used so long as a shadow-bar is fitted for occasions when the pilot has to land more or less towards the beam. This system is useful in the case of small aerodromes where the first costs must be kept down to a minimum, but the shadow-bar operator has an equal responsibility with the pilot and must, of course, be with the equipment when an aeroplane is due to land. The General Electric Company produce neon beacons and lighted wind indicators in addition to floodlight equipment, and also a new type of pillar boundary light in which light is cast on to the base. Incidentally, B. Dixon-Bate, of Chester, has introduced a self-contained beacon with a heavy spherical base which causes it to assume a vertical position after being placed on its side. Apart from the "Kelly" effect, this beacon obviates the necessity for laying cables, which is an expensive business. A 70 amp/hr. battery allows the beacon, which is, of course, applicable to' other uses, to operate for 200 hours. During the past two years there has been a greatly increased interest in aerodrome lighting, and the firms concerned can carry out equipment work of any kind. In conclusion it should be mentioned that the Airports Sec tion of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, at 1, Albemarle Street, London, VV.r, and the Aerodromes Advisory Board, at 5, Verulam Buildings, Gray's Inn Road, London, VV.C.i, which established a site selection committee in December last year, are always willing to assist prospective airport operators and to put them into touch with specialists in any particular branch of the work. Britain's New; PERFORMANCE figures relating to the Boulton Paul "Over-strand " "medium" bomber ordered for the equip ment of No. lot (B) Squadron have recently been made known. On the power of two Bristol "Pegasus M" (moderately supercharged) radials the machine has a maxi mum speed of 152 m.p.h. at 5,000 ft. At 20,000 ft (which is 2,500 ft. below the machine's service ceiling) the speed is 135 m'.p.h. The rate of climb, as expected, is exceptionally good, ranging, as it does, up to 1,140 ft./min. at 5,000 ft. Medium " Bomber Both take-off and landing runs are very short, and the "Over- strand " stalls at 54 m.p.h. , These qualities should enable the machine to be operated from confined spaces. It is extremely manoeuvrable (those who saw the combat between the prototype " Overstrand and a flight of " Bulldogs -* at the last R.A.F. display will confirm this) and the bomb load, it is understood, is vasti heavier than that of the " Sidestrand." Service pilots awai the machine with interest.
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