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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0377.PDF
FEBRUARY 13, 1936. FLIGHT. 167 The Outlooks A Running Comtnentaiy on Ait Topics The King's Cup r HREE classes instead of two, and an eliminating con test over a 1,240 instead of a 953 miles' course ; these are the main changes in the regulations for the 1936 King's Cup Race announced by the Royal Aero Club thie week. Last year competing machines were divided into two classes according to engine power. This year there will be a third class, including all twin- and multi-engined air craft,* irrespective of power. In view of the fact that the twin-engined type of civil aircraft has gained greatly in popularity, it is logical to include a class for twin-engined and multi-engined machines, but it does not appear quite so logical to lump together all machines of this class with out regard for their power. It may be that to subdivide the twin-engined types into two classes would have added complications, but it does seem a little unreasonable to class, for instance, a Short Scion with two 90 h.p. Pobjoy engines with a Bristol 142 having something like ten times the power. Not, perhaps, that the Bristol firm is very likely to enter the 142, but the comparison does indicate the absurdity of placing on a footing of equality two machines so dissimilar in their characteristics. Last year there was some possibility that racing to a formula might be revived for the 1936 race, but it has ever been a difficulty to evolve a formula which does not intro duce unfairness in one form or another. It is a little in comprehensible that the Royal Aero Club should, for the sake of avoiding what could after all have been a very minor complication only, have thought fit to introduce in a non-formula race a basis which causes more unfairness than any formula would be likely to establish. It may, of course, be argued that the unfairness applies to the chances of getting into the final, and not to the race itself, which is to be a handicap race on estimated per formance. Nevertheless, it will discourage the entry of the lower-powered twin-engined aeroplanes, a tendency which can scarcely be said to be in the best interests of civil flying. Two-control Flying IXfHEREAS it is probably fairly generally agreed that Vy the business of learning to fly might be consider ably simplified if one of the three orthodox flying controls could be omitted, there is no unanimity concern ing which of the three controls can best be abandoned ; w, rather, which of the two, for the elevator is a necessity. Some months ago the subject was dealt with fairly exten sively in Flight, but correspondents were by no means agreed. Some held that the ailerons should be suppressed, others that better control would be attained by retaining the aileron controls but doing away with the rudder. in the case of a normal aeroplane, all three controls are necessary at some time or other. In taking off and land- "*§ the machine may develop a "swing," which needs jK rudder to check it. The view in many types is such hat a sideslip approach is often desirable, in addition to w Qich machines not fitted with flaps or similar devices a V not have a sufficiently wide range of gliding angles a 'W speeds. ; '. • • t-mnnjr an extensive series of tests with a modified ver- '.°n of the Weick W-i pusher monoplane, which was de- ^Sned and built by Mr. F. E. Weick, of the American wnal Advisory Committee for Aeronautics as a private turt\ the opportunity was taken to try out aileron versus rudder control. Mr. Weick and Mr. R. C. Piatt both flew the machine with first one and then the other control locked, and they agree that the best all-round results are obtained by retaining the aileron control and locking the rudder. It was found that landings from straight approaches could be made accurately, and also landings in a cross- wind. (The particular machine has an exceptional three- wheel undercarriage.) When, however, landings from S turns, or off a 180 deg. turn were attempted, the machine was found to skid outwards when entering a turn and slip downwards when it started to straighten out from the turn. When the rudder was locked and the ailerons used, the turns were much more nearly correct, and skidding was greatly reduced, although the machine slipped downwards slightly in a steady turn. These results are interesting, but the lessons to be learnt from them are somewhat obscured by the fact that the Weick is a very unorthodox machine with special undercarriage and a .very unusual form of aileron control. Carrying On F OR some good reason which may be known to the meteorological experts, this winter has been and is being decidedly difficult for transport people, and the early morning newspaper pilots naturally face some of the worst conditions. The fact that they get through, or even start, on a great deal more than ninety per cent, of the mornings suggests that, some day, when de-icers, blind landing systems, and so on, have been fully developed, even the passenger services will be running within a frac tion of a hundred per cent reliability7. Meanwhile, one can hardly expect charter firms, who are not unreasonably blessed with large profits, to fit com paratively expensive equipment such as de-icers and short wave receivers and indicators. Apart from their initial cost, such items reduce a payload which is already small enough from the profit-earning point of view. Altogether, the smaller concerns will presently be competing on some what uneven terms in the reliability battle. Absolute reli ability, in fact, is likely to become an expensive, if essen tial, asset in the near future. A Zeppelin Memory / N last week's Gazette appears the appointment of Sqn. Ldr. S. D. Culley to No. 23 Group, Grantham, for air staff duties. This officer, who started his career in the R.N.A.S., and was stationed at Great Yar mouth, was the hero of a unique exploit in the Great War. The naval force at Harwich was constantly hampered ly the movements of Zeppelins, which kept above fie ceiling of our flying boats and out of the range of shore-based fighter aeroplanes. It was decided to tow a Camel out on a lighter until a Zeppelin was sighted, and th;n to send it up. Lieut. Culley was the pilot chosen, and on August TO, 1918, the Harwich light cruiser force set off for Heligoland Bight, with a destroyer towing the lighter with the Camel. At 8.30 a.m. the Zeppelin L.53 was sighted by Yarmouth flying boats under Major (now Group Capt.) R, Leckie. She was flying at 15,000 feet. Leckie reported to Admiral Tyrwhitt by visual signal, and was told not to interfere. Culley took off his Camel, after a run of only five feet on the lighter, at 8.45 a.m., and climbed for an hour on the sun side of the Zeppelin:. At about 18,000 feet the Camel had reached its ceiling, and was still some 200 feet
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