FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0382.PDF
FIGHTER-CUM-BOMBER : The F.E.2b boasted a Beard-more power plant of no less than 120 horse-power. It did well against the Fokker Monoplane and spent its last daysas a night bomber. No. 20 Squadron was the first squadron to be equipped with the F.E. Speed, 94 m.p.h. D.H. FIGHTER : The D.H.2 was the first single-seater pusherto go into service, and assisted the F.E.2b in destroying the Fokker Monoplane. (The first squadron to have the D.H.2ii flying their produces to-day.) Speed, 93 m.p.h. ALLIED EFFORT : A monoplane in all but name, theNieuport Scout had a bottom plane which was but a single spar to give the advantages of biplane bracing. The enginewas a no h.p. Le Rhone. Early models had one Lewis gun on the top plane and others two synchronised Vickers.Speed, 105 m.p.h. FEBRUARY 13TH, 1941. CHARIOTS FOR THE CLAMOUR BOYS^ (Continued) searcjjsf&is memory for the following notes on this machine, wfaiifi was so far before its time : " The S.E.4 embodied a number of very interesting fea- tures and necessitated a fair amount of research and wind- tunnel work. Our aim at the time was to produce the fastest machine in the world. Many features were, I think, quite original. The wings were designed to have a variable camber so that at top speed the trailing edge could be reflexed slightly upwards to give low drag, and pulled downwards for landing. The difference in speed was found to be within the region of j m.p.h. The flaps ran the full length of each wing anjT'were, of course, used as ailerons. A number of problems arose in making the con- trols such that the pilot coulfl, from tha stick, operate fhe flaps direct and at the samje time use-titem as ailerons. % " The/original undercarriage was a tri|>od on which was ^H at the boljjbom .-6f a car spring, suitably faired, with ^ at each ejnd. This was found to rjte unsatisfactory, as tMe macnine rolled too. much. We then revised this to what is Jnown aiytf " V#e •'-' type undercarriage. All the ^ wefte cagPully faired off in the wheel and into the y fuselage'was a resultj»f careful tests in the old 4ft. wind tunoe|, and a streamline cockpit cover was incor- porate*!. TJns/cover, after a number of experiments, was successfully moulded in transparent celluloid. We could not, howevegf get any pilot to risk flying the machine with -v the cover on, as it was cojasidered too dangerous. ^ \ • tan-cooling W; j 3 •'] " A•4a.rge-ty^»e' spinner was incorporated to give a bettej^ entry to the body and to cut down drag. This spinner made the cooling problems very difficult. To overcome thi? a hole was made in the nose of the spinner, and inside the spinner a fan was arranged between the four propeller blades. This gave adequate cooling. The net result was approximately a form of N.A.C.A. ring. All gaps between controlling surfaces, that is, flaps-to-wings, elevators-to-tail- plane, rudder-to-fin, were faired. The best method of doing this was found after much searching to be elastic net- ting as used for making elastic stockings. This proved quite successful. As no streamline wheels were available we managed to get wheels with hooks set in the walls of the tyres so that a fabric disc could be fitted. '' A scheme of single I struts was developed for both interplane struts and the body struts. As the flap controls had to be taken to the top wings, the centre-section struts had to be made hollow so that wires could run through them. The outer struts were made up of sheet steel encis hammered and welded to shape, with a centre wooded member connecting the metar ends together and fixed into the metal ^afids by special bolts to give a flush finish. The axle was^pecially faired into the wheel, the fairing cover- ing the drastic cord used for shock absorbing. Test flights were gftrried out by NonjMrff Spratt, and the machine was also^fown by Major Jack Salmond (now Air Marshal Sir John Salmond). Both reported on the excellent handling qualities. Its develop- ment came to an end after the machine turned over as a result of one wheel col- lapsing during a landing. It was decided that its landing speed was too high for the requirements of that date, it being in the region of 52 m.p.h. ! The top speed was in excess of 135 m.p.h." ^xr -- The machines which •\yeW first equipped for fighting were Maugp#*|^p'mans, of No. 4 intdniQis it was quite ih g Squadron, but right s q customary to go on reco. unarmed or with EXTERNAL BRACING : The Morane"Parasols" of No. 3 Squadron at La Houssaye in 1916. At the far end is a B.E.2e.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
