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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1318.PDF
MAY 21, 1936. FLIGHT. INSTRUMENTAL in Ensuring Air Transport Efficiency : A Typical Control Layout in a Large Commercial Aircraft DRAWING by IN an article which begins overleaf, '' ground control of aircraft is explained and reviewed. A study of this drawing will form a useful introduction to that article, for it illustrates what might be termed '' the pilot's end" of the subject. As an example of really modern equipment we have taken the very first of the De Havilland 86 A's to be delivered to British Continental Airways for their European services. These machines, by virtue of the uses to which they are to be put, are fitted with equip ment which would not at present be of very great value for internal operation, and the instruments are cali brated in the metric system. Nevertheless, the general layout can be taken as that to which the majority of machines used for serious air-line operation will con form in the very near future. The most interesting feature is the actual and virtual duplication to be found throughout the instrumental equipment. In addition to the standard altimeter, for instance, there is a rate-of-climb indicator and a sensi tive altimeter, which, in turn, duplicates to some extent the indications of the short-wave glide-path indicator. Again, in addition to turn-and-bank and pitch indica tors, there is an artificial horizon and a directional gyro —which, with the turn indicator, will assist the pilot in holding his approach course with the short-wave directional needle. Although normal course-flying will be carried out on the directional gyro, the compass forms the base of all navigation. All communication to and from the ground control, up to and after the moment of making the approach, is carried out, of course, by means of the essential two-way radio equipment, in Morse, and with the help of a special international airway code which has been developed. With the ever-present possibility of ice formation, the appearance of an outside-air tem perature gauge is interesting. This particular series of machines have, in addition to the normal trailing aerials and the miniature ultra- short-wave aerials, exceptionally long fixed aerials, so that reception and transmission shall be really satis factory when the main aerial is wound in.
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