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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0175.PDF
JAN. 21, 1937. FLIGHT. c instantaneous release arrangement permitting safe forced alightings on the water. A number of Gourdon- Leseure 810 twin-float seaplanes are used for spotting and reconnais sance. Realising the potentialities of dive- bombing in naval operations, the French Navy has ordered a series of Gourdon-Leseure single-seater dive- bombers of the 432B.1 type. These machines are parasol monoplanes with Gnome-Rhone nine-cylinder radial engines. Their sphere of use fulness appears very limited, for their performance is not sufficiently high to justify their employment as first-line single-seater fighters. Visitors to the Paris Show in 1934 may recall a Levasseur seaplane built for the French Navy, in which the fuselage was, in effect, simply a nacelle containing the engine (a nine-cylinder Gnome-Rhone), the tail being carried on the swept-up ends of the floats. This machine met with an accident, but an im provement, the PL201 is now on test. Twin Engines Perhaps the most interesting pro totype on hand is the Pole? 56E, in tended for tests on the Beam to ascertain the value of twin-engined machines for carrier operation. Land ings will be made with one engine stopped, and observations made of the take-off characteristics. A maxi mum speed of 180 m.p.h. is claimed with two 185 h.p. Potez radials. There is a possibility that an order will be placed for a number of Romano R.90 single-seater fighter seaplanes. The R.90 is a biplane with gull-type upper wings, and is said to be capable of 217 m.p.h. when fitted with an 860 h.p. Hispano In production at the moment is the Loire 130 three-seater spotter- reconnaissance flying boat, a mono plane with a 690 h.p. Hispano X engine mounted above the wing. Italy Flying boats are favoured by the Italian Naval Aviation Corps for over-water operations, and aircraft of this type are used as single-seater fighters, for reconnaissance and spot ting, and as bombers. Italy has no carriers with a flight deck, and naval flying is done from battleships and cruisers and the 5,000-ton sea plane carrier Miraglia. The chief types in use from naval vessels are the Macchi M.18 two-seater reconnaissance flying boat, the CM.A.S.A. M.F.4, also a recon naissance type, the Cant 25 single- seater fighter, and a small variety of other types. The shore-based machines, which are capable of co operating with the Navy, are more numerous and varied. Little has been heard of new prototypes, and, judging from the A Vought Corsair being catapulted from the U.S.S. Arkansas. The central-float arrangement is very popular in the U.S. Navy. (Above) A Fokker C.n-W seaplane of the Dutch Navy departs on its lawful occasions. (Below* One of our own Hawker Ospreys warming up. Flight photographs.)
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