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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0297.PDF
FEBRUARY 3, 1938. FLIGHT. TOI the STATES are interested in it are those who have already learnt to fly and certain things must immediately be unlearnt. How- ever, after five minutes or so my feet forgot to clamour for the non-existent rudder control, and a natural instinct to hold off in the conventional manner had already to some extent been overcome in previous tricycle experi- mentations. By way of learning exactly what might happen, I did my best, on the first landing, to pull off a full three- pointer. The Hammond managed a half-hearted wheeler and remained poised with the tail in an intermediate posi- tion for perhaps two seconds; then the outfit sank gently forward on to its nose-wheel. For the benefit of those to whom the Hammond control arrangements are un- familiar, it should be explained that there is no rudder control, turns being made on the ailerons alone, and my interest in the conventional landing was largely that of discovering whether, during the short time in which no directional control was available, the machine would swing momentarily one way or the other. It carried on in a rigidly straight line during those two interesting seconds. Steering Car'fashion The take-off run is normally made with the control ^columns more or less in the neutral position, and the steer- ing is done, car-fashion, with the aileron control, which is connected to the front wheel. One's natural tendency, I 'should imagine, is to over-steer, though I suffered no • trouble from this cause. With commendable caution 1 waited for something to happen before making any wheel Movements. Left to itself and with the trimming crank moved so that the little indicator is approximately in its neutral position, the machine simply runs along in a straight line with little or no tendency" to buck. .;_ For better or for worse, the Hammond will not take Jttself off even when trimmed right back. Having acceler- ated until the A.S.I, shows about 90 km/hr. (55 m.p.h.) the wheel is hauled firmly back almost to its full extent, 'and as soon as.the machine has left the ground it is eased toward momentarily whilst more speed is gathered. The nap lever is not used, nor is the flap pedal, which applies *n'additional 20 degrees to anything already set (or not ^t) by the main lever; apparently what little improve- ment can be obtained in take-off distance is nullified by the additional drag. • ' miSht be asked how, if the ailerons are used for turn- d<*\P1Fp0SeS' bumps may be corrected without a good trol h Unnecessary yawing. The effect of the aileron con- . however, depends entirely upon the way in which Two flying views of theHammond taken during the machine's short visit to thiscountry last year. The one- piece flap extends between thetail booms, which must, inci- dentally, hare given thedesigners food for thought while working on the layoutof the elevator controls. The rudders are fixed. it is used. A gradual, firm and comparatively slow ^notion im- mediately produces an accurate turn in either direction, while a sharp tug lifts a wing without any appreciable deviation from the straight path. In changing from a steep turn in one direc- tion to a similar turn in the other direction, there need be no perceptible skid if a little care !S used, and deliberately care- less handling does not pro- duce any seriously untoward motions. By means of a weaving motion of the aileron control it is just possible to produce a rather feeble skid- ding sideslip which might be useful for losing unnecessary speed during the last part of the approach, though with four-position flaps it is difficult to see any possible reason for such manoeuvres. The approach can be carried out in an almost unlimited number of ways, varying from a flat, unflapped glide (using the flaps, by lever and /or pedal, to get rid of surplus speed at the very end) to a fully flapped semi- stalled glide started practically from a point above the aerodrome boundary. The Hammond's stall is almost en- tirely innocuous, and the worst that happens if the speed Inside the cabin of the Hammond. The large lever extendingfrom the floor boards operates the flaps—a pedal providing an additional 20 degrees of movement for gliding angle and/or speed adjustment. The little crank on the control column provides the fore and aft trim adjustment and this columnmay be swung over for right-seat flying.
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