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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0372.PDF
FEBRUARY 8, 1940 Semi-monocoque construction is employed in the fuselage of the Spitfire. The use of standard sections has never held back the design of bridges or buildings, and I can see no reason why it should not be the same with aircraft. Lastly, the number of specifications for light alloy sheet and extrusions is unnecessarily large. In each class of material, three general specifications should apply, viz., (1) A low-grade material, cheap, easy to work and easy to obtain. (2) A medium-grade material, still easy to obtain and work. (3) A high-grade material, to be used only on im- portant members, where high strength is of primary importance. The stringers in the hull of the Short boats are closely spaced, and are interrupted at the frames, which are uncut. Most existing specifications could be regrouped to fall into these classes, and the separate manufacturers would not be affected as the material could still be known by its trade name, with an additional note that it complied with one of the standard specifications. These last few paragraphs are put forward as a sug- gestion for improving the present design of aircraft from the production and repair point of view. In most cases the advantages gained by the use of standard sections and materials should far outweigh the slight design limitations imposed. After all, the use of standard sizes of tubes did not in any way interfere with the design of highly efficient girder-type fuselages in past years. Amphibian for Coastal Patrols NOW undergoing tests at U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia,D.C., is the Consolidated Model 28 flying boat in its amphibian version. The company's designation is Model JS-5A, while the Navy number is XPBY-5A. The tricycle undercarriage is fully retractable, the main wheels going into the sides of the hull and bow wheel into a completely enclosed hatch in the planing bottom. Automatic means are provided to eject all water in this hatch before the plane is in the air This boat, now that it is an amphibian, should make a magnificent unit for coastal patrol work. It has a great advantage over a flying boat for such work in that it can be serviced at much less elaborate bases. All that an amphibian needs for a base is a ramp ; it can climb and descend it under its own power. Patrol work on the very long coastlines of Canada and Australia could be done most efficiently with such equipment. Back to England M R. J. H. LOWER, who has been works manager at theShort and Harland factory in Belfast for some three years, will shortly be returning to England, where he will be in charge of another Short factory. In Ireland Mr. Lower found time to form a Belfast branch of the R.Ae.S. He has been .associated with Short Brothers since 1924. WITH ITS WHEELS DOWN : The Consolidated Model 28 as an amphibian.
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