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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1002.PDF
APRIL 23, 1936. FLIGHT. 419 tffSTON PHCENIX AN ability to carry five people at a cruising speed of more than 125 mph. on the two hundred horse-power of a Gipsy Six engine is the. outstanding feature of the Heston Aircraft Company's Phoenix. All five occupants have the good view which is to be expected with the bjeh-vring layout, and they travel in a state of peace and quiet which is certainly unusually good for »a single-engined machine. From, the design point of view the Phoenix, which is of all-wood construc tion, is interesting by virtue of the mono- coque rear portion of the fuselage and of the Dowry retractable undercarriage which is gathered up into a pair of stub wings irom which the bracing struts run to the wings. The cabin space is entirely unobstructed and the business of entering or leaving the machine would have no difficulties for the most infirm. Comfort has, in fact, been the primary aim of the designers, and the unusual roominess of the cabin will please both fare-paying passengers and others. The control wheel is of the swing-over type, and the essential controls are centrally placed so that the machine can be flown from either of the two front seats. A very large locker in the dashboard is available for maps and for all the assorted material which the pilot usually has to strew on the floor. The undercarriage, which is hydraulic- ally operated, can be lowered in a matter of sixteen seconds. Although the Phcenix has been designed primarily for charter, feeder-line and similar work, the machine's virtues of silence, simplicity and economy should appeal to the private owner who requires something rather larger and more luxurious than usual, yet who does not want the additional complica tion of twin engines. When in the raised position the wheels lie in recesses in the lower stub wings already mentioned. The trenches provided for the reception of the struts are covered by a shield so that when the wheels are up the whole underside is left smooth. This, of course, greatly facilitates Two doors are provided in the Heston Phoenix and the seating arrangements can be modified according to the use to which the machine is to be put. The luggage compartment at the rear has a separate door and, though both are not shown in the diagram, there are two doors for the cabin. LUGGAGE emergency landings with the wheels retracted. A tail wheel of the fully castoring and spatted type is fitted. The specification of the Heston Phcenix is as follows: Weight empty, 2,ooolb.; disposable load, 1,3001b.; span, 40ft. 4m.; length, 30ft. 2in.; maximum speed, 145 m.p.h.; cruising speed, 125 m.p.h.; landing speed. 55 m.p.h.; initial rate of climb, 650 ft./min.; cruising range, 500 miles; price, £1,980. Makers: Heston Aircraft Co., Ltd., Heston Airport, Hounslow, Mddx. HILLSON PRAGA TI7ITHIN the next month or so we should see the first of the '" Manchester-produced versions of the Praga Baby, a machine in the ultra-light class which has interested amateur pilots since it was first shown in this country by the Czecho- slovakian manufacturers last summer. A high-wing cantilever two-seater cabin monoplane, the Praga is of extremely clean design and cruises at something like 80 m.p.h. on a flat-twin engine of about 40 h.p. u S 6aS^ t0 ^ a ^as a con,pletdy harmless stall—so much so that it really appears to be impossible to make it do anything out of the ordinary by misuse of the controls. In- ccfrec* r'gging caused the original demonstrator to be some what heavy on the ailerons, but these were effective enough *<-> make the fact only incidentally noticeable. At his first si h+lPt the pilot would probably find himself overshooting anrt +v °" his aPProach. as the glide path is extremely flat, nice K IS likely.to be the only trouble that he would experi- side V sideslips are not possible, but a most effective crab taSeS 'P Can be neld indefinitely, and the machine, in any stall CaH ^ Sa-t °Ver °r neai the aerodrome boundary at the and sinking rapidly until such a moment as more J.he clean lines and !mPle design of «* Hillson praga *£ apparent in Shn V16W> Whic" *°ws also the for- "** field of view wauable for tne speed is deemed to be desirable for the final hold-off and landing. The side-by-side accommodation is ample for persons of normal stature, and there is a luggage space at the rear of the cabin. The iorward view over the engine is excellent, though there is a lack of rearward view which might, at first, worry the pilot who has been brought up on open machines. Simply and sturdily built, the Praga should require very little maintenance. The wing, fuselage, fin and rudder are entirely of wood and have plywood covering: the engine mounting, undercarriage, tailplane and elevator are of welded steel tubing, the horizontal surfaces being fabric-covered. A Praga flat-twin air-cooled engine giving 36 h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. is fitted as standard. This is of 113.5 cu. in. capacity and is claimed to be extremely economical in the matter of fuel consumption. The main petrol tank is in the wing behind the cabin, the feed being by gravity. The specification of the Hillson Pragais as follows: Weight empty, 5841b., disposable load, 4451b.; span, 36ft.; length, 21.5ft.; maximum speed, 93.3 m.p.h.; cruising speed, 79.6 m.p.h.; landing speed, 37.3 m.p.h.; climb in three minutes, 1,310ft.; duration, 3.5 hr.; price £385. Makers: F. Hills and Sons, Ltd., Trafford Park, Manchester.
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