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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1659.PDF
JULY 24.TH, 1941. FLIGHT 49 FRIEND OR FOE? cabin and the very unusual step-up near the tail. The bottom line is also broken by a step-up aft of the bomb bay, where the section of the fuselage is materially reduced. The upper gun turret amidships is partially retractable, and the undercarriage retracts fully into the engine nacelles. The cantilever tailplane is tapered on both edges to round tips, and the fin and rudder are fairly large. Turning now to the Breda 88, this Italian design (which holds a number of records) is well streamlined and would be strikingly handsome were it not for its somewhat cumber- some tail unit. In the writer's opinion, no twin fin and rudder design can compare with the aesthetic grace of a well-proportioned single fin and rudder. The cantilever high-wing tapers moderately to round tips and has a not too pronounced dihedral from the roots. The big radial engines are mounted in underslung nacelles which extend back to the trailing-edge and stow away the retractable undercarriage completely out of sight. The pilot's cockpit is neatly faired off, and at the back of it is a single gun position. The fuselage is rather short—and is made to look even shorter by the aforementioned hefty tail assembly—but tapers nicely to its rear extremity. The tailplane has rounded edges, and the egg-shaped fins and rudders are set in the middle of the half-span, a feature which apparently sacrifices aerodynamical efficiency to ease of construction. Next week: The Mohawk and the Vanguard. AMERICAN BOMBERS and FLYING BOATS Eight Types Which U.S. Factories are Building for Britain - , TIE six heavy bombers and two flying boats describedhere complete the list of American types now beingproduced for the R.A.F. and Fleet Air Arm. Eight fighter types and four dive-bombers have already been described and illustrated, and the complete range is in- cluded on the Flight Identification Chart of American air- craft for the R.A F. and Fleet Air Arm now on sale. Lockheed Hudson (EB-14).—Sharply tapered mid-wing with six flap guides projecting from the trailing-edge on each wing. A modification of the Lockheed-14 airliner, the fuselage is of generous depth and of all-metal semi- monocoque construction, with a power-operated gun-turret well back towards the tail. Wings and tail are all-metal cantilever, the former having Fowler flaps and the latter being fitted with twin fins and rudders. Two Wright Cyclone 9-cyl. 1,000 h.p. engines, with Hamilton Standard Hydromatic airscrews. Undercarriage retracts into engine nacelles. Top speed 284 m.p.h. at 15,000ft. Cruising speed 255 m.p.h. at 19,000ft. Service ceiling 25,000ft. Range 2,160 miles. Dimensions: Span 65ft. 6in. ; length 44ft. 4m. ; wing area 551 sq. ft. ; wing loading 33.6 lb./sq. ft. Douglas Boston (DB-7).—Mid-wing, with moderate taper to rounded tips, is all-metal, cantilever and built in four sections with trailing-edge flaps. Stressed skin, semi- monocoque, all-metal fuselage. Retractable tricycle under- carriage. All-metal cantilever tail with fixed surfaces metal-covered and movable ones fabric. Two Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp SC3-G engines rated at 900 h.p. at 15,500ft. and 1,050 h.p. for take-off. Hamilton Standard Hydromatic airscrews. Top speed 320 m.p.h. Cruising speed 280 m.p.h Service ceiling 17,000ft. Range 1,200 miles. Dimensions: Span 61ft. 4m. ; length 47ft. ; wing area 464.8 sq. ft. ; wing loading 32.3 lb./sq. ft. Martin Maryland (167-W.)—Low mid-wing tapers on both edges to round tips. Upper gun-turret amid- ships retractable. All aluminium alloy construction with semi-monocoque fuselage built in three sections. Fabric covering to rudder and elevators. Two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp CS3-G engines of 1,050 h.p. at 7,700ft. Curtiss constant speed airscrews. Top speed 305 m.p.h. at 14,000ft. Cruising speed 248 m.p.h. at 11,500ft. Service ceiling 29,500ft. Range at cruising speed 1,300 miles. Dimen- sions: Span 61ft. 4in. Length 46ft. 8in. Wing area 538.5 sq. ft. Wing loading 28.4 lb/sq. ft. Glenn Martin (B-26).—High-wing tapers to round tips. Leading edge of fin and rudder well forward of tailplane. Upper gun-turret towards rear of fuselage. Retractable tricycle undercarriagev Two 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp engines giving 1,850 h.p. for take-off. Lighter than the Martin B-26, a new medium bomber, the Baltimore, has two Wright engines of 1,600h.p. each and carries a crew of four. Boeing Flying Fortress (B-17).—Low-wing, with symmetrical aerofoil section and tapered on both edges, is all-metal, stressed skin, cantilever construction with semi-monocoque panels. Split trailing-edge flaps electrically operated. Fuselage is also all-metal, semi- monocoque consisting of bulkheads, longitudinal and cir- cumferential stiffeners and smooth metal stressed skin. Four Wrighi Cyclone engines with exhaust-driven turbo superchargers giving 1,200 h.p. for take-off. Hamilton Standard Hydromatic full-feathering airscrews. Hydraul- ically operated retractable undercarriage and retractable tailwheel. Top speed 325 m.p.h. Cruising speed 270 m.p.h. at 14,000ft. Range 3,500 miles at cruising speed. Dimen- sions: Span 103ft. 9^in. Length 67ft. lojin. Wing loading 26.1 Ib./sq. ft. Consolidated Liberator (B-24). — High aspect-ratio tapered high-wing of aluminium alloy stressed skin built in three sections. Fowler flaps. Fuselage also in aluminium alloy and of monocoque, stressed skin con- struction. All control surfaces fabric covered. Cantilever tailplane with twin fins and rudders mounted on the tips. Retractable tricycle undercarriage. Four Pratt & Whit- new Twin Wasp 1,050 h.p. engines with Hamilton Standard Hydromatic airscrews. Top speed quoted at 300 m.p.h. Range about 3,000 miles, but no further performance figures yet released for publication. Dimensions: Span 11 oft. Length 63ft. No further details released. ' . V -' Flying Boats Consolidated Catalina (Model 28). — Strut-braced pedestal wing of aluminium alloy, stressed skin con- struction; ailerons and trailing-edge fabric covered. Aux- iliary floats retract to form wing tips. Hull of monocoque construction also in aluminium alloy with smooth skin. Cantilever metal tail group with fabric covered movable surfaces. Two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines ot 1,050 h.p. at 7,800ft. Top speed 199 m.p.h. at 7,800ft. Cruising speed 179 m.p.h. Range 4,000 miles. Dimensions: Span 104ft. Length 65ft.2in. Wing area 1,400 sq. ft. Wing loading 19.3 lb./sq. ft. Consolidated-31.—High cantilever wing with rounded tips. Deep narrow hull and twin fins and rudders on tips of high aspect-ratio cantilever tailplane, but no constructional details yet available. Two Wright Duplex Cyclone engines of 2,000 h.p. Top speed 290 m.p.h. Range 2,500 miles. Dimensions: Span 110ft. Length 73ft. Wing area 1,050 sq. ft. Wing loading 48 lb./sq. ft.
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