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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0808.PDF
286 FLIGHT. MARCH 23, 1939 (Left) " Slottery and flappery " is an important feature of the Parnall's specification. The inner portions of the flaps can be depressed to 45 deg. and the outer portions, which function as ailerons, can be lowered about 15 deg. The other appendages are the numerous inspection doors, shown open. (Right) Mr. B. B. Henderson, the designer, with Mr. J. A. C. Warren, test pilot—whose headgear tempts us to pin a quip on his name. . The tear (instructor's) cockpit may have a sliding coupe roof which is calculated to benefit not only the temper of the occupant but the performance of the machine. A brake cut-out lever is another comforting feature. The particularly neat Perspex windscreens are explained by the company's moulding experience in connection with the Nash and Thompson gun turrets. Thirty-six gallons of petrol—sufficient for a cruising duration of three hours—is carried in two wing tanks, the gauge being under a Perspex window in the wing. The three-gallon oil tank will, in production machines, be mounted in the leading edge. Inspection doors are located over the whole length of the fuselage and at appropriate points in the wing. Data for the Parnall 382 Trainer are : Span, 33ft. 8in.; length, 28ft. ajyin. ; track, 6ft. loin. ; wing area, 155 sq. ft.; wing section, B.H. 5 ; tare weight, 1,655 lb. ; all-up weight, 2,450 lb. ; top speed, 155 m.p.h.; take-off run, 180 yd. Mr. Henderson tells us that, by using the slots and flaps the machine can be flown at 43 m.p.h. with the engine on. The stall is not reached until the angle of incidence is over 30 degrees, eliminating the possibility of accidental stalling on the glide. Mr. J. A. C. Warren, the company's test pilot, has dived the machine up to 265 m.p.h "HUGHES OF FENCHURCH STREET" Celebrating a Centenary FLYING is still regarded by most as a newfangled notion, and a favourite phrase is to talk of it as being " still in its infancy." Wheu applied to flying as flying, the expres sion is certainly not very applicable. But if by flying one means getting from A to B and back again safely, and in a minimum of time, a case can very well be made out for the beginner point of view. Aerial navigation is in its infancy and is the one branch of flying in which we still have a great deal to learn. Fortunately for this country, we have the brains and the mechanical skill to keep in the very forefront in this particular field, and it is, perhaps, significant that at least one firm of instrument makers, whose name has been asso ciated with air navigation since the earliest flying days, cele brated its centenary last week. " Hughes of Fenchurch Street" is a name familiar to genera tions of sailors, whether of the Merchant Navy or of its " younger sister" (as Admiral Sir Edward Evans called it) the Royal Navy. And there were Hugheses (how does one spell that plural?) long before that who made navigation instru ments. Last Friday Henry Hughes and Sons celebrated their 100 years of occupation of No. 59, Fenchurch Street, "in the Port of London," by a dinner at the Savoy Hotel. Sir Robert Burton-Chadwick, Bt., was in the chair and recalled that the name was an honoured one in connection with instruments, and had been handed down from father to sen. He had read, for instance, of William Hughes in the middle of the j8th cen tury, then of his son Jasper, and of his son Henry. The present head was Arthur Hughes, whose son Francis (cries of " Francis, where are you? ") brought the long line up to date. Mr. Arthur Hughes referred to the early navigators and their instruments. In those days navigation and navigation instruments were treated as mysteries, and the secrets were passed on from father to son. Nowadays, fortunately, navi gation was not on the " secret list." Navigation was originally developed by robbers and smugglers and by the Vikings. From Iceland the latter reached Newfoundland, making use of a primitive instrument which consisted of a circular shield with a nail in the centre. After recalling the good work done by early air navigators, Mr. H 1 (;hes paid a tribute to the Government research depart ments, with which he had been proud to co-operate. He said quite frankly that without those departments the perfecting of the bubble sextant would not have been possible. Admiral Sir Edward R. G. R. Evans, K.C.B., D.S.O., LL.D. (" Evans of the Broke "), pointed out that the celebra tion was being held on St. Patrick's Day, a day held in great esteem in the "Royal Irish Republic." He recalled that if the Arctic and Antarctic were classed as additional to the "seven seas," he had sailed all nine in safety, thanks largely to Hughes instruments. He paid a tribute to Captain Oates (of Scott Antarctic fame) and many others who had carried navigation to the far corners of the world. The gallant Admiral concluded by explaining that after having been, as he put it, "a little tin god " as Admiral of the Nore for years, he did not take kindly to an inspection by the Board of Admiralty. He got over the difficulty by borrowing a Short flying boat and taking the Board around the Thames Estuary. When it was pointed out to him that he had an alarming number of great people on board, and the question was asked whether the young man at the wheel really knew his job, he said "Yes, I think so. I call him 'Brackles.' ' The pilot was Major Brackley, flight superintendent of Imperial Airways! Mr. H. E. Wimperis, who replied for the air navigators present, pointed out that one of the difficulties of air naviga tion was that the "tides" might reach a speed of 100 m.p-b- He told an amusing story of some tests at Farnborough with steel darts early in the last war. The darts had been dropped from an aeroplaue and two R.F.C. officers went out on Lallans Plain to mark each dart with a piece of white paper so that the "scatter" could be photographed from the aid. Just as they had finished a cavalry officer came along. He was very intrigued, and the R.F.C. explained, as they thought, the idea of it all. To which the cavalry officer replied: "Well, i would never have believed such accuracy possible." Mr. A. Gordon Smith, chairman of Smith's Aircraft Instru ments, explained the great qualifications of Sir Robert Burton- Chadwick to take the chair that evening, and modestly ex pressed his pleasure that Smiths had been able to co-operat with Henry Hughes and Sons in organising production an distribution of Hughes instruments.
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