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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1340.PDF
« d FLIGHT. MAY 20, 1937. THE SCHELDEMUSCH PUSHER BIPLANE Span Length Height All-up weight Disposable load Maximum speed Cruising speed Stalling speed Rate of climb Range Landing and take-off run Makers... 40 h.p. Praga B. Engine 22ft. (6.7 m.) 17ft. (5.2 m.) , 8ft. (2.5 m.) 660 lb. (300 kg.) 220 lb. (100 kg.) 85 m.p.h. (136 km.h.) 70 m.p.h. (112 km.h.) 37 m.p.h. (50 Am.ft.) 500 ft./min. (2.5 m./secs.) 220 miles (350 km.) 75 yds. (about) Aircraft Constructions, Ltd., Sidcup, Kent musch turns almost exclusively on the rudder, and the stick is used merely to keep up the nose.. Extraordinarily steep turns can, in fact, be made without touching the stick, and it was interesting to discover that the machine would sideslip to a useful extent, though the speed could not be kept well down in this manoeuvre. However, it is not a very clean machine and any excessive speed is lost as soon as the nose is raised. For this reason the approach should be a very simple matter to the uninitiated; one simply points the machine at the part of the aerodrome where the landing is to be made and levels off, very roughly and in the old-fashioned manner, when the blades of grass can be distinguished. If the hold-off is made high the machine simply sinks into the ground and stays there, and if it is not made at all the results appear to be equally undisturbing. Demonstration Extraordinary Mr. T. E. Slot, the designer, has a very remarkable repertoire of demonstration tricks near the ground which adequately show that the machine—at least with the engine working and in the hands of a pilot who knows it well— can be pushed about the air in a manner which is quite terrifying to the uninitiated. After watching one of these demonstrations I elected to do much the same sort of thing, but at a safe height of 1,500ft. When stalled as far as possible, engine on or off, the nose merely rises and falls against the horizon, and aileron control, though weak, remains there all the time. Within the inevitable reason, the Scheldemusch is foolproof. Probably if a pilot had the temerity to dive it steeply and then pull it up equally violently with full rudder one way or another it could be forced into something resembling a spin—though this, I was told, is merely a controllably steep spiral. The position of the pitot head just above the centre- section in the demonstration machine was not conducive to accuracy, and the readings below 100 km.h. were cer tainly far from correct. The official figures are given in the table on this page. Three minutes' flying without noticeable loss of height on the metric altimeter and at an engine speed of 2,200 r.p.m. showed an A.S.I, reading of " Getatability " : The nose of the Scheldemusch's nacelle is quickly removable to give access to the instruments and controls. (Flight photograph.) about no km.h. (68.5 m.p.h.). The machine, in any case, is designed for safe rather than for fast flying. Arrangements have been made for the manufacture and sale of the Scheldemusch in this country by Aircraft Con structions, Ltd., of Sidcup, Kent, and the price over here will be in the region of ^300. The manufacturers, N. V. Koninklyke Maatschappy " De Schelde," produce a minia ture flying-boat which might interest a few owners. Perhaps in due course we shall see that. H. A. T. (Above) The baggage bag—a rather surprising piece of accommodation disclosed by the opening of a panel in the Scheldemusch. (Left) Mr. T. E. Slot, the designer, in the cockpit of the Scheldemusch. On the left is Mr. R. G. Doig, managing director of Aircraft Construc tions, Ltd., who are to build the machine in this country. On the right is his business partner, Miss I. Robins. (Flight photographs.)
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