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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2433.PDF
AUGUST 29, 1940 167 THE MIDDLE EAST COMMAND (CONTINUED) While it must be freely admitted that the best Italian pilots are very good—we respect the names and memories of Bernardi, Ferrarin, Balbo, Monte, Dal Molin, Agello, and others—our pilots in the Middle East have no exagger- ated respect for the average Italians. The percentage of Italian losses has been higher than that of the Germans, and in the Middle East we have made 50 per cent, more bombing attacks on the Italians than they have made on us. We have destroyed nearly 200 Italian machines in air combat with small loss to ourselves. We can reinforce, and lately the fighter strength at Malta has been reinforced, and the arrival of Hurricanes in the Command is another instance of reinforcement, while it is not an easy matter for the Italians to reinforce Libya and it is practically im- possible for them to reinforce their men and supplies in East Africa. Their advance into Somaliland must have been for the purpose of impressing the Abyssinians. In Ethiopia the Italians are constantly faced with the fear of rebellion, which will have been increased since the Negus, Haile Selassie, arrived in the Middle East. Constantly they have to use up precious petrol, and also shorten the lives of equally precious aircraft, by flying over disturbed areas and bombing gatherings of Abyssinian patriots who long for the time when British arms will free their country from Italian rule. We can imagine the stimulus given to the patriotic movement when quite lately our bombers ap- peared over Addis Ababa and bombed the aerodrome there. Of course, our evacuation of Somaliland must be a blow to our prestige for the time being, but, after all, it is the final victory which counts, and in the Middle East, as elsewhere, we have no doubt as to what the final result will be. BOOK REVIEWS American Aviation Directory, published by American AviationAssociates, Inc., Earle Bldg., Washington, D.C. THIS useful book gives a great deal of authoritative informa-tion about air transport and aircraft manufacture in America. It is considerably more than a personnel directory,although a very great proportion of the 234 pages are taken up with listing the names of all executives employed by theairlines, factories, financial companies, schools, governmental and other aviation organisations. It also gives factory areas,number of employees, monthly payroll, allocation of personnel to various departments, and value of the " backlog." For theairlines, their routes, route-miles and equipment, as well as number of pilots and other employees, are given. With each division printed in easily readable type ondifferent colour paper, reference is very easy. Not the least of the book's virtues is its circular wire binding which allowsit to open flat and stay open. Number 1 has just appeared and a second edition will comeout later in 1940. Price is $3 per single copy, $5 the two. Flight Without Formula, by A. C. Kermode, B.A., F.R.Ae.S.,M.I.Ae.E. 6s. Pitman. THIS book is thoroughly good. It fulfils its subtitle veryadequately, "How and why an aeroplane flies explained in simple language," and, let it be said, without errors,although there is not an algebraical symbol or formula in the book. Mr. Kermode has dropped the traditional chapter formand subdivides his subject into ioo paragraphs, a very suitable method. His explanations of such things as induced drag,circulation, stability, control, and the necessity for controllable pitch airscrews are entirely satisfying for readers who requirequalitative and not quantitative answers. The book appeared to be so correct that 1 deliberatelysought errors, but was only able to find that " Three-bladed airscrews cannot conveniently be made of wood " (they cannow) and the omission of magnesium alloy as a blade material now in use. The explanation of wing-flutter was the onlyone which appeared to be skated over at all, and one cannot really blame the author for this. But for his explanationsof stalling and the mysterious, blackout-causing " g," he must be awarded full marks, and the book can be recommended tothe air correspondents of our dailies, who have sometimes been known to stumble and falter slightly at these two hurdles. B. McA. F. " Carburettors," Part 1. " Instruments," Part 1. " Landing Legs, Wheels and Brakes." " Airscrews." Volumes 1 to 4 in the Aeroplane Maintenance and Operation Series, edited by E. Molloy and E. W. Knott, M.I.A.E., M.S.A.E. 5s. each. George Newnes, Ltd.T HESE books are mainly of use to personnel who are engaged on maintenance work on aircraft as they deal almost entirely with the routine methods laid down-for the overhaul and repair of the various components mentioned in their titles. Overhaul instructions are to-day deserving of more and more study owing to the ever-increasing complexity of modern airframes and engines. The volume on carburettors starts with a sketchy five pages on the principles of carburation and then goes on to describe the maintenance of ten different types of Hobson carburettors. The last chapter is on the Hobson boost control, including the variable-datum boost control, and the working of thismechanism is explained. The instruments book, volume 2 of the series, is taken up largely with a description of the Sperry artificial horuon, directional gyro and automatic pilot. The working of these instruments, as well as their maintenance and testing, are covered, but one could wish for a little more complete treat- ment of the theory. The precise nature of the phenomenon of precession, for example, must mystify many a mechanic. Of course, as the jacket says, the book is concerned with the " severely practical aspects of installation, operation and maintenance" Valuable sections on fault-finding and ques tions and answers are included. The remainder of the book is devoted to Smith's aircraft instruments. In the landing legs, wheels and brakes volume the main- tenance and repair of Lockheed, Vickers, Turner and Dowty shock-absorber units are described. The fitting and removal of Dunlop tyres and the maintenance of the Dunlop, Bendix and Palmer braking systems are covered. The volume on airscrews deals with the two types manu- factured by De Havillands to the Hamilton patents, the counter-weight controllable-pitch and the Hydromatic feather- ing airscrews. There are, of course, several others and it is presumed that later volumes will deal with these. Drawings are given showing the working of both designs, and all main- tenance procedure is laid down, including wear tolerances. There seems to be some confusion in chapter headings as in the one called " Hydromatic Airscrew " there are many counter-weight type illustrations, while where the page head- ing is " Controllable-Pitch Airscrew " the illustrations are of the Hydromatic. The controllable-pitch airscrews is so recent that very little literature exists on this subject. The Aeroplane Structure, by A. C. Kermode, B.A., F.R.Ae.S.,M.I.Ae.E. 6s. Pitman. R those who have a good knowledge of mathematicsand mechanics . . . many good books are available. . . . But many others have not reached that standard . . . and it isfor them that this book has been written." So says Mr. Kermode in his preface, and, as in " Flight Without Formute,"the job has been well done. The book gives any reader who will take the trouble to read carefully a good knowledge ofthe structure of an aeroplane. The differences between beams, ties and struts are explained, as are yield point, load factorand factor of safety. These last are particularly clearly ex- plained and the sketches illustrating the book are very good.One might perhaps join issue with the author on just how much of an aeroplane is designed by "eye" and whether thegeneral layout is "the creation of an artist." The rather widely-held idea that when "a thing looks right to a goodengineer it usually is right," is not nearly so true as it per- haps once was. Rather is it a designer's genius for successfulcompromise which will put him ahead of other designers pos- sessing the same technical information. And might I beallowed to plead with the author to use the term " nosewheel undercarriage" instead of "tricycle"? After all, the under-carriage to which we have been psed for so long, and which I prefer to call a tailwheel undercarriage, is also a tricycle.But these are minor points and are not even criticisms of what is undoubtedly a good book. B. McA. F.
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