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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1070.PDF
APRIL 13, 1939 FLIGHT. 373 (Above) All that the pilots need to look after ; one of the control boxes in the pilots' compartment, with the throttle levers on the left and the trimming controls and indicators on the right, with master controls for the mixture and manifold pressures. On the extreme right is a remote-control panel for intercommunication and radio homing purposes. The photograph on the right shows the size of the engine maintenance walkways in the wing. the flying quarters, and this means that the actual control cabin can be very tidy. In fact, the two pilots merely look after the master engine controls and the various trim ming controls, and have before them duplicate blind flying panels with, in the centre, the Sperry pilot panel and cer tain master engine and temperature instruments. The throttle and trimming controls and indicators are arranged in boxes on each side of the cockpit on the left- and right- hand side of the first and second pilot respectively. The navigator has a large and well-lit chart table beneath two windows, out of which certain astronomical sights can be taken. In the ordinary way these sights are, however, taken through a special cupola which has been built in the roof, and which, in the plan view photograph on the opening page, can be seen at the centre section. The navigator also has a telescopic drift sight and a panel carrying the essential flying instruments. The engineer is seated at a table with, before him, a large panel carrying all the engine, temperature and mixture indicators, with, on its right, the fuel controls with a quickly read "plan" of their operation. The engine head and base temperatures are read off for sixteen different points from a single dial. Beside the engineer is one of the doors leading into the wing itself, from the interior of which the. engines may be reached for minor adustments. When the machine is on the water the engineers normally go out to the engines in this way and out through doors which, when open, become woAing platforms. Ancillary Equipment Ahead of, and below, the control cabin is the marine compartment, with an anchor hatch and- a special door which provides an outside platform for the member of the crew who is picking up moorings. The lower part of the hull is divided into ten passenger-carrying compartments, and the machine is entered through a door beside the port sponson. Incidentally, whatever the aerodynamic ad vantages or disadvantages of the sponson, this does at least provide a magnificent platform for loading and unloading. This Boeing 314 is fitted with Goodrich de-icing equip ment, and the leading-edge shoes must be the largest to be fitted to any machine in the world. For the needs of long-distance oceanic work in particular, the radio equipment is very complete indeed, including two duplicate transmitters and receivers for W./T.—the latter with D/F loop—as well as R/T transmitters and receivers The frequency range covered is very wide, ranging from 330 kc/s to more than 12,000 kc/s ("for Atlantic services), while the definite pre-set operating frequencies include those for keeping contact with shipping. For the lower fre quencies trailing aerials, led out from the bows, are used, but for the higher frequencies the considerable size of the Boeing permits the satisfactory use of the fixed aerials. Two dynamotors provide power for the transmitters, these being fed from the main battery system, which is charged by the engine-driven generators. When on the water a special engine generator unit can be used, while, interestingly enough, kites are carried for raising the aerials from the surface in case of emergency. During the eastward crossing the machine was being flown only in reasonably good weather conditions, and the need for a carefully organised combination of celestial navigation, direction-finding and dead reckoning was prob ably not apparent. As already explained, P.A.A. have installed high-frequency Adcock D/F stations at Horta, in the Azores and at Lisbon. These, with the short-wave D/F stations which are already in existence at Ballygireen, in Ireland, and in Newfoundland, provide the primary means of navigational assistance, with checks from the Boeing's own loop aerial and, more important, from the- navigator's sextant sights. In addition to the land instal lation in the Azores, the company also has two sea-going launches, with-full radio equipment, stationed at Horta. Until further experience has been obtained it is not possible to say by which route P.A.A. will eventually prefer to cover their Atlantic services. With modern machines and equipment—the 314 has a range of 4,275 miles—and with an adequate navigating crew, it is practicable to fly courses which will make the best of prevailing wind and weather conditions. On the Pacific service, for instance, the machines very rarely fly on the great circle course between San Francisco and Hawaii, and it is normal prac tice for the captain to take a route which may be from a hundred to three hundred miles longer in order to take ad vantage of favourable winds, or to avoid bad weather. Imperial Airways and the Air Ministry have been working out weather charts for the Atlantic during the past three years,, and by now it should be possible to gauge the situa tion with very fair accuracy. At the moment P-A.A. apparently show a preference for (Concluded on p. 385.\
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