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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0068.PDF
32 FLIGHT. JANUARY 9, 1936. THE BIG BOMBER TO-DAY /fa Relation to Civil Types : New Foreign Designs Re-viewed : Larger and Heavier Types Imminent Bv H. F. KING The experimental Boeing 299 (four Pratt and Whitney Hornets), which, entered in competition with a new Martin and Douglas, was destroyed in a crash—through no fault of its own—some weeks back. It is said that the crash was caused through the pilots taking off with locked controls. According to one report the 299 has been adopted by the U.S. Army Air Corps. T HE potentialities of the large commercial aeroplan:: have been the subject of more than one discussion in Flight. While it is generally agreed in technical circles that its qualities for possible military use have been overestimated by certain organs of the lay Press it is conceded that the great advances made during recent years in the design of high-speed commercial air craft have had a pronounced effect on the development of contemporary bombing types. The performance of the bomber, in fact, has advanced to such a stage that C*tt ji • 'fcMr./l m 1 These two British machines are the subject of large Air Ministry contracts : they are (top) the Handley Page Heyford and (below) the Fairey Hendon. Both types, as at present being built, mount the 600-h.p. Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI, which is supercharged to give that power at 11,000 ft. the design of fighters has been affected and further radical changes in tactics and equipment seem inevitable. In converting a large passenger machine into a bomber it will be found, in all probability, that the design of the fuselage is the greatest bar to efficiency. To cut bomb traps and gun positions in a modern commercial aeroplane is no light task, particularly if the type concerned has stressed-skin covering. What is more, the fuselage is likely to be unnecessarily large. It does seem possible, however, that a nation desirous of employing its air liners as bombers in time of war could standardise a certain set of wings and power plant installation, and provide quickly interchangeable fuselages, one for civil and the other for military duty. The resulting bomber should prove at least considerably more effi cient than would be the case had it a modified civil-type fuselage. Ad mittedly, a study of up-to-date low- wing monoplane bombers indicates that some form of '' belly '' may be desirable for the internally stowed bombs, if the utmost efficiency in lav- out is to be attained, and it might not be possible to embody this during the conversion. Passing over British practice for the moment, and turning first to America, it is found that there the develop ment of the large, high-speed bomber has been concurrent with that of her fast transport monoplanes which have demonstrated such excellent perform ances. The employment of such aid^ as retractable undercarriages, C.P. airscrews, low-drag cowlings, care fully designed wing-root fillets, the efficient placing of power plants in relation to the wing, and the use of fuels of high octane number produced results which have given a severe jolt to military aeronautics. An outstanding pioneer type was
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