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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0330.PDF
n8 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY 3, 1938. These two snapshots scarcely do justice to the fine workmanship in Mr. R. F. L. Gosling's mid-wing monoplane, described below. MODELS More First-class Construction : Show Exhibits : Competition Dates by M. R. KNIGHT A Wakefield Model from, the North ONE of the most consistent models built to the 1937 Wake-field formula is the mid-wing monoplane designed by Mr. JR. F. L. Gosling, of the Bradford Model Flying Club. Though it did not win a place in the British Wakefield team, the steady take-off, fiat glide, and average duration of 70 seconds showed it to be as capable of Cup-lifting as most, should it encounter its share of thermals. Distinguishing features are the con- structional system of the fuselage, and the twin-ruddered tail- unit with " dihedralled " tail-plane. The fuselage is flat-sided, but with well-rounded "corners." It is composed of twelve sections of built-up longeron, consist- ing of 3^in. balsa sheet rounded, and reinforced with -rVin- x -r^in. balsa. The parts are assembled with vertical and lateral cross-members of Jin. x-j^in., the flat sides merging into a circular nose 2in. in diameter. Balsa sheet, ^in. thick, is used for the covering as far as the trailing edge of the wings, and Jap tissue for the remainder. Each outer wing-panel tapers in chord from 6in. to 3m., leading and trailing edges converging, and is given 8£ degrees of dihedral. Birch projections plug into a faired centre section, which fits in a groove in the fuselage sides two-thirds of the distance from the bottom, allowing ample variation in fore- and-aft positioning. Small pieces of adhesive hold panels and centre section in position. The span is 50Jin., and the aero- foil section RAF 32, changing towards the tips to a symmetrical section and thereby giving a slight wash-out. The main spar is a length of Jin. x i%in. above a length of £in. xjin., webbed with solid -j^in. sheet for a third of the span, and with holed sheet for a further third. For the lead- ing-edge Jin. x Jin. is used, and for the trailing-edge ^in. x -fain., sanded to a knife-edge. The ribs are holed for lightness, and are ijin. apart. Every third rib is of -^in. sheet and is gus- seted at the trailing edge ; the others are of ^in. sheet. The GUN-FODDER. According to a Japanese correspondent, models of this type, built by the Tokyo Model Airplane Research Society, are to be used for short-range anti-aircraft practice. They are powered by i/5th h.p. petrol engines. The machines are so nicely made that, as with our own Queen Bees, it seems a shame to shoot them down. wing-tips are covered with -^ia. sheet, which also extends from the leading-edge almost to the main spar, on the upper surface. Oval bamboo is used for the undercarriage struts, springing being bv means of rubber bands working in short paper tubes. The 6b sq. in. tailplane is 2oin. in span, and tapers in chord from 4m. to 2in. The section is Clark Y, and the dihedral angle 8J degrees, the same as the wings. A fin 6in. high, 3m. wide, and 15 sq. in. in area, is cemented to each end of the tailplane. The main spar of the tailplane tapers from fin. x Jin. to £in. x Jin., the leading-edge is Jin. x Jin., the trailing- edge Jin. x-rVin., and the ribs ^in. thick. The rudders are of -f^in. diameter bamboo, and their ribs -rWm- thick. An adjust- able trimming-tab is fitted to each. Two 40m. skeins of ^in. American brown rubber, each of 12 strands, turn an airscrew of i6in. diameter and 2oin. pitch. A free-wheel device is fitted. The overall length of the model is 33m., and the weight 8Joz., of which the rubber accounts for 2foz. Altogether, the machine is one of the most attractive and beautifully con- structed which the writer has encountered. It has made flights considerably in excess of its Wakefield Trials average, and has proved very steady in bumpy weather. The Schoolboys' Exhibition T^HE S.M.A.E. had a well-arranged stand at the Schoolboys' J- Exhibition, recently held at the Imperial Institute, South Kensington. Exhibits included two excellent shoulder-wing monoplanes with circular fuselages, tissue-covered, the work of Messrs. R. N. Bullock and E. Chasteneuf. The former secured second place for Great Britain in the 1937 Wakefield Contest, and the latter secured first place in the Wakefield Trials. Mr. S. R. Crow's record-holding Leopard Moth repre- sented scale-modelling. On another stand was shown the magnificent semi-scale Viper fighter, built by Mr. C. R. Moore, and described in Flight of March 4, 1937. S.M.A.E. CompetitionsT HE following are the S.M.A.E. contests from June on- wards :— June 12.—Western Cup, Wakefield models: decentralised.Juno 19.—Ladies' Content fur cup presentee] by Mrs. Tlmrston, fuselage models flown by, but not necessarily constructed by. the entrant,decentralised, but London cluua will fly at Heath Kow during " Northern Heights " Gala.June 26.—Lady Shelley Cup, nearest flight to 4.3 sec. by a seaplane, Danson Park; also flying-boat contest for cup presented by Mr. II. E.White. July 3.—Wakefield Trials, choosing of Briti.-h Waktfield team, FaireysGreat West Aerodrome. July 10.—Model Engineer Cup, aerodynamic efficiency on a formula,Fairey's. July 17.—C.S.S.A. Cup, flying scale models, lin. to lft., decentralised;also F.R.O.G. Cup trials for semi-scale models, decentralised, C best to compete in final at Wimbledon during T.M.A.C. Grand Rally, Sept. 11.July 24.—11 a.m., Bowden Trophy, international, petrol models, 4 p.m., Sir John Shelley Cup, British petrol models; Fairey's. . July 31.—Wakefleld International Contest, Guyancourt, near Pans. (Continued at foot of page 120.)
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