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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0340.PDF
I26 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY 9, 1939 THE OUTLOOK (CONTINUED) this principle be expanded, and other R.A.F. squadrons be similarly earmarked and trained, and let the Air Council plan the air defence of the country on the under standing that it will not be able to use the special Army squadrons unless the War'Office gives special permis sion. Only on those lines can we see a chance of Britain being able to exert her full power if war should unfor tunately be forced upon us. A Record of Achievement S OME indication of the kind of results with sleeve- valve engines which single-cylinder research has proved attainable were quoted by Mr. A. H. R. Fedden in his lecture to the R.Ae.S. and I.A.E. last Tuesday. After making corrections for the fact that the blower used in the tests was separately driven, the figures obtained were: B.M.E.P.. of 276 Ib./sq. in at 2,400 r.p.m., and 245 Jb./sq. in, at 3,000 r.p.m. ; the corresponding powers per square inch of piston area were 5.4 and 6.0 respectively. "The test," Mr. Fedden said, "was inconclusive/because the limit proved un attainable with the supercharger available." While it does not follow that the single-cylinder test results are immediately obtainable in a complete engine, the figures do show how promising is the sleeve-valve field. And they make one realise how great is the debt of grati tude which the aviation community, and, indeed, the nation, owes to the courage of Mr. Fedden and his directors, and to the Air Ministry for its part, for their perseverance in a field of research which has placed Great Britain ahead of all competitors in this particular branch of engineering. That these results have not been come by without effort was brought out by Mr. Fedden's mention of the fact that the Bristol Company has carried out something like 35,000 hours' running with single-cylinder test units, and about 14,000 hours' running on the four com plete engine types, Aquila, Perseus, Hercules and Taurus. And there are still people who wonder why aero engines are expensive! Mr. Fedden admitted in his paper (which we shall be publishing next week) that there are a few engine lay outs to which the sleeve-valve drive cannot well be applied; he foresaw its application to the multi-bank radial, the X and the H formations. As the modern tendency seems to be towards these formations, even with poppet valves, the future of the sleeve-valve appears assured. Too Sensible ? M ONSIEUR GEORGES HOUARD, Editor of our greatly valued French contemporary Les Ailes, has always been a courageous man. What is more to the point is that he is also a very fair-minded man. No British achievement in the air has ever failed to draw from M. Houard its due appreciation; and that was especially so at a time when such appreciation of anything not French was likely to be unpopular in French circles. When Pierre Cot played ducks and drakes with the French aircraft industry and drove out of it such pioneers as the Farman brothers, who refused to be nationalised, Georges Houard warned the French people of the dire consequences. That he was right has been abundantly proved by the lamentable fall in aircraft production which has taken place since. So much so that M. La Chambre, the present French Air Minister, admitted recently that the best monthly French production figures were only 80 aircraft from the whole industry. That figure is probably equalled by more than one British aircraft factory. That France has, in the circumstances, decided to order aircraft abroad is not to be wondered at. M. Houard rather doubts the necessity, but, he argues, if France has to buy aircraft abroad, what would be more natural than to buy them from her old friend and ally England? Fie knows all the objections. In case of war Curtiss and Koolhoven could supply aircraft, Eng land could not. But his answer to that is that in case of war everyone would have to rely on himself for sup plies anyway, and it would not matter whether France failed to get her foreign aircraft from America or failed to get them from England! The suggestion which M. Georges Houard makes is that France should order a few Hawker Hurricanes, have them delivered by air, and set about obtaining the licence and equipping works for their production at the same time. That is an eminently sensible suggestion. In fact, so sensible is it that it is almost certain to be turned down. Any future war would see Great Britain's air arm operating largely from French aerodromes, and the advantages of identity of fighter types in the two coun tries are too obvious to need stressing. And, anyway, we are half-way towards that ideal in that the Rolls- Royce Merlin is likely to be built under licence in France before long. Forthcoming Events Frl., Sat., Fri., 18th. 24 th. FEBRUARY. Frl., 17th Thurs., 9th. R.Ae.S. Portsmouth Branch Lecture : " Atlantic Crossings by Empire Boat," by Capt. A. S. Wilcockson. Frl., 10tn. Lancashire Aero Club : Annual Dance, Grand Hotel, Manchester. Sat., 11th—Sat., 25th. Edinburgh Aircraft Exhibition, Waverly Market. Mon., 13th—Sat.,25th. Glasgow Aircraft Exhibition, McLellan Galleries. rues.. 14th. R.Ae.S. Students' Section Lecture : "Ignition," by F. R. F. Ramsay. R.Ae.S. Isle of Wight Branch Lecture : " Past, Present and Future in Aviation," by Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe, O.B.E., M.I.Ae.E., F.R.Ae.S. Thurs., 16th. R.Ae.S. Lecture* : " Ignition Problems," bv Dr. G. E. Batrsto, M.I.E.E., F.Inst.P. Manchester Civil Air Guards : Dance, Sale Lido. R.Ae.S. Portsmouth Branch Lecture : " Steel Thurs., 20th. Tubes for Aircraft," by Walter Hackett. * All these lectures take place at 6.30 p.m. at the Institution of Mechanical Tues., 28th. Thurs., 2nd. Thurs., 16th. Cinque Ports Flying Club : Annual Dinner and Dance, Majestic Garden Hotel, Folkestone. Rugby: R.A.F. v. Royal Navy at Twickenham. York and Leeming Flying Club: Annual Ball, Harrogate. . D.H. Technical School : Annual Ball, Hyde Park Hotel, Knightsbridge, 9 p.m. Hampshire Aeroplane Club : Annual Dinner and Dance, South Western Hotel, Southampton MARCH. R.Ae.S. Lecture* : " Testing Stability and Control," by Ing. A. G. von Baumhauer. R.Ae.S. Lecture*: " Relative' Merits of Car buretters and Direct Petrol Injection," by J. E. F.llor,F.R.Ae.S.,andF. M. Owner, F.R.Ae.A. APRIL. R.Ae.S. Lecture* : " Possible Steel Develop ments," by Dr. T. Swlnden, F.R.Ae.S. Engineers, Storey's Gate, London, S.W.I.
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