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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 2298.PDF
Can Design be Improved ? : Three By ExT HE amount of effort put forth by both instructor and pupil and the time expended in raising the pupil to the required standard of ability in elementary flying are both affected by the excellence of the aircraft used. Elementary trainer design is, therefore, an important sub- ject and, though we are well provided with trainers, a sur- vey of the requirements of design is never out of place. The great majority of trainers in use, as most people will know, are light biplanes with engines of about 130 h.p. The type is, broadly speaking, common'to most countries. It is characterised by reliability, sturdiness, reasonable ease of maintenance, and viceless simplicity of control. All the makes were, however, designed nearly ten years ago and one is bound to wonder if our progress in design has been so slow in the intervening period that these machines, with a few minor improvements recently added, are all that can be desired. It is true that we have at least one monoplane trainer of modern conception in use in our schools, and it is also true that our most generally used biplane trainer is an excellent little aeroplane; however, there is room for improvement. For teaching flying we have at present in service tandem biplanes with in-line and radial engines, and a low-w"ing tandem monoplane. Of these the Tiger Moth biplane is the bLde-by-side Cabin Types Compared R.F.C. best known and most widely used. All had open cockpits. In passing, attention may be drawn to the fact that the great majority of the types for which pilots are trained are monoplanes with enclosed cockpits As mentioned earlier, one of the limiting factors in train- ing will be fatigue of both pupils and instructors. If pupils could be taught to fly in greater comfort, in aircraft in which normal conversation was possible, and with the mini- mum of heavy garments, straps, tubes and the like, the task would be greatly simplified. Rightly or wrongly, there seems considerable prejudice in this country against "cabin trainers." The Hornet Moth might justly have expected a better reception in the schools. "Indicator" admits (or some time ago admitted) a very soft spot for the Hornet. From the point of view of the nation's pocket, the effi- ciency of modern small engines makes 90 h.p. adequate for an elementary trainer. There are other possible economies which will be mentioned later. Sufficient has been said to show that there is room for a small trainer of more modern design. The United States have probably made the nearest approach to the ideal type. No doubt there will be many different opinions as to the layout for this ideal trainer. The author believes that a high-wing cabin monoplane with side-by-side seating and an engine of about 90 h.p. would form the basis of the ideal type for present require- ments. It may transpire later that tricycle undercarriages, slots, etc., or even some form of helicopter may so revolu- tionise flying that trainers will require entirely different characteristics or even be rendered unnecessary. There are many pros and fewer, less important cons in connection with the above basic specification, some of which, for the sake of clarity, may be roughly tabulated. STANDARD TRAINER :Every Royal Air Force pilot will remember his trainingdays when he sees a Tiger Moth.
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