FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0044.PDF
BRITISH N ICi The wing spar is a huge box ofcorrugated Alclad and it is made in one piece, complete with enginemountings. After being transported from its jig by an overhead crane, itis placed on this vertical turntable which allows it to be handled easilyfor painting and other workshop processes. the Whitley was designed some time ago. This work was started in the Armstrong-Whitworth design office in the second half of 1934, at which time it had not been blessed with a name but was referred to in the office under the firm's number of AW 38. Its design conformed to Air Ministry specification B3/34. The Whitley was the earliest modern British example of all-metal stressed- skin design. Its fuselage has no fabric on it in any part but, as is usual in stressed-skin aircraft, the control surfaces of wing and tail are fabric-covered. So also is the part of the wing to the rear of the large box ^ both upper and lower surfaces. The leading edge and surfaces of the top and bottom of the spar are metal- covered, but it is the box spar which carries all the loads, both bending and torsion, and not the light sheet metal of the outside covering. The particular variety of Rolls-Royce engine being ritted to the Whitley is the Merlin X. Giving 1,030 h.p. for take-off, this engine has an international rating of 1,040 h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. and 2,500ft., and another rating (by virtue of its two-speed supercharger) of 965 h.p. at the same r.p.m. and 13,250ft. Maximum ratings at altitude are 1,145 h.p. at 5,250ft. and 1,025 n-P- a* 17.750ft., both at an ""«•««,• Looking forward into the front fuselage during installation.The two upper pin joints by which the front fuselage is attached to the wing spar can be seen ; the two lower are concealed. The corrugated sheet for the wing spar is supported in thejaws of the riveting machine from an overhead track. (Left) The undercarriage retracts backward into the engine nacelle.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
