FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1936
1936 - 2280.PDF
AUGUST 20, 1936. FLIGHT. the front of the refuelling bays is a taxying lane, running from the windward side of the aerodrome to the leeward side round the edge. It is a one-way lane, and while they are in it the aeroplanes must have a man running at the wing tip—the mechanic or second pilot—to prevent furious taxying. No overtaking is permitted in the taxy- in" lane. The course may be, perhaps, 1,200 miles, with a "circuit of, say, 50 miles, though on these points no decision could be made without experiment. Imagine the start of such a race. On the fall of the flag and the sound of the maroon there would be the preliminary race to fill up with the two-gallon cans. The machines with the longer range would suffer. Power would make its own practical handicap without calling upon Mr. Dancy and Mr. Rowarth. There would be the spectacle of people doing things in a hurry. There would be pressure. Most of the machines would have to refuel at least once. There would be more spectacle, more pressure. And if, after all, the fastest aeroplane won, would it really be quite such a tragic misfortune as the Royal Aero Club seems to think? Objective III For testing the qualities of the aeroplanes a very differ ent kind of race is demanded. In the first place, more than one year's notice of the conditions is essential so that manufacturers who care to do so can build aeroplanes. 1 believe that there is scope for a King's Cup Air Race in 1938 designed to test the qualities of the aeroplanes. But bigger money prizes must be offered if manulacturers are to be induced to build special machines, and even then the race would have to receive the blessing of the British manufacturer's chief customer, the Air Ministry, if it were to be properly supported. Fortunately, it so happens that the bigger money prizes can be reconciled with the Air Ministry's blessing. Lord Wakefield has been extraordinarily generous in his support cf the race, and it would be base ingratitude to ask him for more money. But prove to the Air Ministry that useful full-scale research and technical development are to be stimulated by the race; that it will be an instrument for maintaining that swift technical advance of which Sir Philip Sassoon has often spoken, and Government support would certainly be forthcoming. After all, the Martlesham competitions of—I think—1922, which took place when I was still stationed there, was supported by the Govern ment. How could the race be planned so as to act as a powerful stimulus to technical development? Here is my basis for discussion. Clearly the chief quality in an aeroplane is speed. Whether the machine is military or civil it must be fast. After speed come two opposing qualities: short landing and short take-off. Of two aeroplanes with equal top speeds, the one that can take off and land in the shorter space will be the better. But always the master quality is top speed. Consequently, I would propose a pure speed race, without any time handicap. But I would give the short take-off, short landing machine a slight advantage by means of a special landing and take-off plan. The aeroplanes are lined up for the start along the lee ward boundary of the aerodrome. Along about half of the left-hand boundary, as viewed by the pilots, there is a barrier 20ft. or 30ft. high (which might be of the balloon type used at Martlesham). At the start the aeroplanes must take off (either in pairs or at fixed intervals), turn left, and pass over this barrier before going to the first turning point. At the end of each lap, which would represent a fairly large part of the course, the aeroplanes would be required to approach over the barrier, turn left, land, and run to a standstill. Their times would be taken from the start to the standstill, and an interval would be allowed for the taxying back to the starting line. Observe the effect of this. Without introducing any artificial form of handicapping, it gives a slight advantage to the aeroplane which is capable of short take-off and short landing. That machine has less distance to fly. The jumping giro, to take an extreme case, could start close up to the barrier and be away on its course while the normal fixed-wing machine with very heavy loading would still be careering across the aerodrome getting up speed. Similarly, the jumping giro would save useful seconds by its spot landing over the barrier. It is to be emphasised that the advantage given by this take-off and landing would not, and is not intended to, enable slow machines to win. It is intended merely to ensure that the fast machines have reasonable landing and take-off qualities. The objection that a procedure requiring special manoeuvres at the take-off and the landing would be too dangerous applies if a large entry were expected. But for this kind of race a large entry would not be expected. Half a dozen machines or a dozen would be enough to make it well worth while if special types were designed and built. It is to be noted, too, that by this form of physical handi capping the designer is permitted to use his ingenuity with some chance of reward. There lies the technical pressure. Catapulting (provided the apparatus did not clutter up the aerodrome) and arresting would obviously be per mitted, and they might give notable advantages.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
