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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1078.PDF
334 MAY 8TH, 1941. CURTIS DIVE BOMBER (Continued) 1,156,000 sq. ft. now being erected at Columbus, Ohio, toemploy 12,000 workers. Two other large new factories lor the Corporation are also being constructed at Buffaloand St. Louis. Aircraft designers ot Curtiss-Wright Corporation—whichincidentally developed for the U.S. Navy its first dive- bomber type, known as the Curtiss Hell-diver, as early asX93o—point out that it was this arm which pioneered the technique of dive-bombing now practised in other coun-tries. It was for the Germans to perceive the full military valueot dive-bombing over land, both as a means of delivering an aerial attack on an objective from a low altitude and asan air arm used in conjunction with mechanised and armoured ground troops. Their Ju 87 Stukas have beensuccessful in these types of manoeuvres though at very great cost when met by any resistance. In this countryit was the Hart squadions which worked on the technique for the Royal Air Force in the early 1930s, but as yetBritain has no real dive bomber. ATLANTIC ADVENTURE Perilous Moments in a Catalina When "George" Jammed GNE of the greatest epics of flying is provided bythe feat of Fit. Lt. J. G. Fleming, D.F.C.,and F/O. J. J. Meikle, two Canadians who joined the R.A.F., in bringing one of the famous Con- solidated Catalina flying-boats from Bermuda to Britain. The Catalina carried a crew of six including, besides the two pilots, two flight engineers loaned by the Fleet Air Arm and two Canadian civilian radio operators. The journey started in perfect weather conditions. Sud- denly, when flying at a height of 18,500ft., the automatic pilot jammed. At this critical moment the starboard aileron was full down. The effect was to throw the machine into a spiral dive. Immediately the ailerons began to flutter because of the steep angle at which they were meeting the flow of air. The machine spun from 18,500ft. to only 800ft. above sea-level. During this stag- gering dive the pilots did their utmost to regain the stability of the aircraft. Pressure on the ailerons, however, due to the high speed, was so great that one of them broke away completely. This was the worst moment for the pilots. When the second aileron also broke away they found that it helped to restore the balance of the ship, but nevertheless the plight of Fleming and his heroic crew seemed desperate. In their efforts to regain control they found it necessary to jpttisOii smoke flares, spares and tool kit. Intruded in the tool kit was a £40 outfit, the personal property of one of the flight-engineers. J ust when everyone believed that the Catalina must hit the water, the pilots recovered control. Although they were six hours distant from home, the Captain, confident of his ability now to reach the •coast, refused to send out an SOS. Instead, he simply signalled "Both ailerons gone." The signal was received but no one believed it. It seemed impossible that a great machine like the Catalina could still be flying without any lateral control. The machine was now flying due south. To remain air- borne without lateral control it is necessary to turn very cautiously, as use of the rudder without ailerons is liable to put the machine into the fatal flat spin. Fortunately, Fleming managed to turn the machine very gently until it was on its correct course again. Only fortitude and endurance enabled the pilots to carry on. To add to their troubles, as they approached the British coast they flew into a storm. Despite this, how- ever, they succeeded in safely landing on the water of a British harbour. But they had still some miles to taxi and the sea was rough. This amazing pair, fearing that taxi-ing on the waves would make themselves and the rest of the crew seasick, actually took off again and flew, skim- ; ming just above the surface, three miles nearer to their moorings, • ' HAPPY LANDING : Here is the Consolidated Catalina, photographed after being safely brought into port in a British harbour in spite of losing both ailerons in mid-atlantic as described above.
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