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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0407.PDF
FEBRUARY 16, 1939 FLIGHT. 151 ' Flight " photograph.. THE DE HAVILLAND 95 HEN a commercial machine is J± Medium-sized Transport wn°le story. There are no very in-intrndnred tn airline nnpr- r trinsic advantages in all-metal con struction as such. In fact, for many Design W introduce o oper ators and prospective pur chasers they ask two questions. In the first place they want to know what the machine will do, and in the second why a particular form of con struction or a certain aerodynamic and general layout was decided upon. In the case of the D.H.95 or Flamingo, the first question is easily answered. It has been laid out as a medium-sized civil type with applica tions which are as universal as design considerations allow. It is not a special-duty type, and can be operated with accommodation varying from twelve to twenty seats. While the performance in the matter of speed and range is intended to equal or to better that of any contemporary transport type, very considerable atten tion has been paid to safety considerations. In the present state of aerodynamic knowledge a high cruising speed now inevitably means a comparatively high landing speed, but designers still have it in their power to ensure that the flying characteristics at speeds near the stall are as safe and normal as possible. The need for safe low-speed qualities is all the more noticeable nowa days when airline flying is so often carried out in weather conditions which involve long periods of blind flying fol lowed sometimes by a virtually blind approach to the terminal aerodrome. The reason for the fact that the 95 is of all-metal con struction—actually the first of such construction to be pro duced by De Havillands—might simply, but not too accurately, be explained as the result of demand. Oper ators expect all-metal construction and, therefore, it must be offered to them. This, however, is obviously not the with Wide Applications : The First All-metal Machine from the Hatfield Factory Described : A to the Newest Formula purposes, the older methods have distinct advantages. Only when quan tity orders may be expected is the all-metal machine an economically reasonable proposition, while in such circumstances it is, for production reasons, the only possible means of construction. Changing ideas in the world of air transport on the subject of financial assistance have made the 95 possible. Without the expectation of a fair series of orders for such a type it would not be possible to go to the expense cf laying down jigs for large-scale manufacture. With a very reasonable hope of direct and indirect support and assist ance from our own Air Ministry the 95 prototype has been built and preparations made for the production of a series at a cost which should make it an attractive proposition both at home and abroad. The particular size was chosen by the designers as being that most suitable for general use, while a twin-engined power plant was preferred for its simplicity, particularly as it was possible in the circumstances to provide a really adequate power reserve. This reserve is necessary to ensure a good take-off from high altitude or tropical aero dromes, and from those which are small or with somewhat obstructed surroundings. The power reserve gives an adequate single-engined per formance. The Flamingo is designed to cruise at only .56 per cent, of its maximum power at a speed of 204 m.p.h. At this speed the machine carries 3,505 lb. of payload for 600 miles at a fuel consumption of 64 gal. per hour. The use of large-diameter airscrews, geared to run at
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