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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0789.PDF
MARCH 14, 1940 TRAINERS Elaborate Equipment of " Crew " Trainers : Biplanes and Monoplanes MOST countries have their own ideas on the trainingof pilots and aircraft crews but modern instruc-tional machines fall, nevertheless, into the following categories; primary or ab initio biplanes and monoplanes; single-seater aerobatic or fighter trainers ; advanced two- seater single-engined trainers; and twin-engined machines which may be employed not only for flying instruction but for training in observation, gunnery, photography, bomb- ing, etc. Although there has been a marked influx of ab initio monoplanes into the Air Forces of the world, the biplane has by no means been entirely displaced for primary instruction. The argument that biplane trainers are being delivered for the sole reason that the availability of jigs permits rapid delivery is not entirely true. The primary trainer is essentially a simple economical machine but its design requires very careful thought. It must be tractable and strong and yet not over-easy to fly. Attempts to adapt primary trainers for more advanced work have been made but not with entire satisfaction. As explained last year, the R.A.F. ordered some proto- type ab initio trainers which were considerably heavier than established machines and would carry more equip- ment, naturally requiring greater horse power. . Such machines have not yet appeared in service ; the standard R.A.F. machines for primary instruction (D.H. Tiger Moth and Miles Magister) having no more than 130 h.p. Germany, with her Bucker Jungman utilises even less power (80 h.p.) and apparently obtains good results. -.. ;,.v;-. Single Seaters -^ >* The specialised single-seater aerobatic or "fighter trainer " has never found favour in this country. Germany uses the little Bucker Jungmeister—probably the most manoeuvrable machine in the world—as the second step ' from the primary two-seater, and the French Government has acquired a number of fighter trainer prototypes which are typically monoplanes of about 220 h.p. with a fairly high wing-loading and a speed of over 200 m.p.h. Should aircraft of this sort be considered necessary the Percival Mew Gull has many obvious merits. Two-seaters of higher power (400-700 h.p.) are being used to accustom pupils to high speeds, the responsiveness which comes with reserve of power and the technical advances which are inseparable from high performance— variable-pitch airscrews, flaps, possibly slots and retract- able undercarriage. This type is exemplifred by the Miles Master, the North American series (e.g., Harvard) and the Curtiss-Wright Falcon. Provision is made not only for normal flying instruction but for instrument flying, gunnery and bombing. The Master is of special interest because it has a liquid-cooled engine of comparatively high power (Rolls-Royce Kestrel XXX) instead of the more common radial. This power plant is an example of how obsolescent Service type engines can be modified and adapted specially for training purposes. As a large percentage of modern military aircraft are of multi-engine design the twin-engined trainer is coming more and more into prominence. There is no better example of the type than the Airspeed Oxford which, with two Siddeley Cheetah engines of 375 h.p., is capable of Some British trainers. From top to bottom they are theDe Havilland Tiger Moth and Miles Magister (ab initio types) ; the rather more powerful Henderson Trainer ; the Reid andaignst twin-engined type ; the Miles Master, an advanced single-engined machine ; the twin-engined Airspeed Oxfordand the Avro Anson.
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