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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1255.PDF
/ FLIGHT APRIL 27, 1939 however, is harmless enough and aileron control remains to the last. Only when the nose is pulled up quickly does a wing drop, and then the machine certainly feels as though it might start a quick spin if permitted to do so. Given normal handling there is little wrong with the characteristics at the stall, though this arrives somewhat sooner (at 45-50 m.p.h.) and more noticeably with the flaps up. The performance has, to some extent, been obtained at the price of poor forward visibility. Even when flying level the nose is only a little way below the horizon and the screen is so flatly curved that some distortion is inevitable. On the ground it is not possible to see anything ahead without gym nastics or the help of an intelligent and wide-awake passenger. This is a fault which may be serious where instruction is con cerned . On the Qround Another trouble is that the tail appears to be over-light on the ground, so that the brakes cannot be used for stopping purposes unless there is luggage in the locker—and must be used with care when manoeuvring. While taxying down-wind in anything more than a light breeze, the elevator control has to be held neutral or, alternatively, moved in conjunction with the throttle—back when motoring and forward when throttled back. Except for the fact that the simple ratchet pull-on brake lever would not stay in the " on " position, I had no trouble on the ground, and it is possible that the danger of nosing over has been exaggerated. Later models will be heavier in the tail and this should remove the necessity for care. Figures for the Bibi 550 are: Span, 37ft. 8in.; length, 23ft. 7m.; weight empty, 753 lb.; all-up weight, 1,234 lb-> maximum speed, 120 m.p.h.; cruising speed, 105 m.p.h.; land ing speed (flaps down), 36 m.p.h.; climb to 3,000ft., 6 min. 50 sees.; service ceiling, 13,000ft.; cruising range 480 miles; " Flight " photographs. Inside the two-seater cabin. Notice the door entry width and height, and the quaint but practical control column arrange ment. The throttles work downwards to open and a built-in fire extinguisher (right) is fitted as standard. price (in London), £750. Concessionaires: Aircraft and Allied Enterprises, Ltd., 87, Regent Street, London, W.i. H. A. T. Travelling Instruction IN order to give flying instruction in various parts of Southern Rhodesia a new scheme, known as the Travelling Flying School, was started in October last year, the first point of call being Que Que. At present the itinerant school consists of a slotted Tiger Moth, a tent, a box of tools and spares, and half a dozen helmets, earphones and goggles—with, of course, an instructor, Mr. D. D. Longmore (previously of the Leicester Club), and a ground engineer, Mr. T. H. Gundry. At Que Que, the first centre visited, seven members of the local club obtained their "A" licences. From this point the school moved to Gatooma in January, where eight pupils went solo and three, according to latest information, obtained their "A" licences before the seasonal rains started. Incidentally, this travelling school business may not always be as easy as it may sound. At Que Que, for instance, the work was carried out from an aerodrome which consists of two strip runways rooyd. wide and 800yd. long, which have been cut out of the bush. By way of contrast, the landing ground at Gatooma is approximately 1,000yd. square and has an excellent surface. This school has been made possible through the gift of Sir Abe Bailey, and is usefully subsidised by the South African Government. The established training centres in Southern Rhodesia are at Salisbury and Bulawayo. Out-and-Home Record A FLIGHT from Sir Lindsay Everard's aerodrome at Rat-cliffe, Leicester, to West Bromwich and return (a distance of 80 miles), was made on April 7 by Sqn. Ldr. W. B. Murray of the London Gliding Club. This is a British record for out- and-home soaring flight. He was launched by aeioplane-tow at 11.10 a.m., and by 2 p.m. had reached West Bromwich, 40 miles way. Before crossing Birmingham on his outward flight he had to spend an hour near Castle Bromwich aerodrome in gaining height to 4,700ft. C.A.G. in Sweden SOME time ago we mentioned the fact that the Swedish Government had proposed to institute a variation of our own Civil Air Guard scheme, and the details of this have now been published. In general, the idea is to encourage private flying by offering a series—actually 175 in all—of annual prizes. At the estimated' cost of training each prize-winner will be able to obtain a licence at an actual cost of about ^25. According to schedule the scheme should start on July 1 this year, though a further proposal to open a central flying school for professional training is not likely to be in action before the same date in 1940. The Travelling Flying School (referred to above) ready for action with the instructor's car, the tent and the Tiger Moth. The place is Gatooma, Rhodesia
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