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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1092.PDF
FLIGHT. APRIL 21, 1Q38. Minor, it will be remembered, has a cup at the valve side of the rockers, and in it is held a ball which has a flat on one side. This ball is free to move in the cup and the flat contacts the valve stem evenly during the whole rocker movement.) A run of 440 hours followed the changes, and but foi complaints from the village it might have been more. Running periods varied from 7 to 42 hours non-stop, and the normal engine speed of about 2,300 r.p.m. was maintained. The power output varied between 78.4 and 81.3 h.p., and the fuel consumption was 4.74 to 4.92 pt./h.p./hr. One run of this type frequently indicates other points which need observation and possibly attention. Runs of varying length are, in any case, carried out to observe lubrication generally and the functioning of the electrical equipment. Cylinder temperatures are observed and pro- longed weak-mixture tests are made. Test to Destruction Finally, when an engine has reached the advanced stage and has completed some thousands of hours on the ground and in the air, a "failure test " is carried out in which a unit is run at full throttle with an airscrew until some- thing does break. During the periods of running, normal adjustment is made and oil, fuel, grease, etc., are supplied, but no other work is done on the engine. Cirrus engines have always been produced with an eye to sturdiness even at the expense of additional weight, a good example being the forged Hiduminium connecting rods of large section, incidentally, with a view to simplicity, a one-piece cast induction manifold is being tried on the Minor; this resembles that fitted to the Major. An engine so modified has run for a good number of hours. The Minor has been installed in several light British 'mm Cirrus Minor engines have found their way to many distant lands ; (Top, left) The Latvian V.E.F.J.12, a neat little cabin monoplane ; below it is the Butler monoplane, which hails from Australia ; (Above) The Danish Kramme andZeuthens' K-Z.II has a welded steel fuselage and folding wooden wings. machines, including the C.W. Cygnet, Deekay Knight, a Wicko and, of course, the B.A. Swallow. In addition to the foreign machines illustrated on these pages, the Bucker Jungmann 131, d'Oplinter monoplane and V.E.F.J.8 and 11 likewise mount the Minor. Many Minors are flying in Chilean trainers, both in new machines and as replace- ments for early Hermes and other engines. An important Air Ministry production order for the Major 150 has been received, and several units have already been installed in Miles Magisters. With 150 h.p. avail- able, the Magister is distinctly lively. The foresight shown by the company in producing the Minor—the only British light four of under 100 h.p. in production—should be amply rewarded as the number and popularity of small -private-owner types increases. (Above) A pair of new test houses at Brough. The common cabin is silenced even to the double windows, which are sealed with water between the panes. (Below) Two Cirrus Minor installations ; on the right in a B.A. Swallow and left, showing clearly the engine's small size, in a Blackburn Eluebird used for testing purposes
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