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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0348.PDF
/ FLIGHT FEBRUARY 12TH, 1942 LUNAR SPACE VESSEL successful manoeuvre. The B.I.S. design, therefore, provides six shock absorber, retractable landing legs for this purpose. Exit to the luna* surface is pro vided through either of two airlocks situated at each side of the ship. Whilst on outside duty, the crew would be provided with pressure suits equipped with air regeneration, or reservoirs, and with means of con trolling internal pressure and tem perature. Return Trip Before departure for Earth, the crew would disconnect the under part of the vessel, so that it would become, in effect, a launching cradle, from which all that is required may be pro jected. Owing to the low "Release Velocity " of the Moon, no very great degree of directional accuracy is re quired, as tine' possible velocity error component will be" small and easily corrected. A further great saving in weight is effected in the B.I.S. design by the provision of an outer shell to the pres sure cabin, which will withstand the T[E external similarity of the Dornier 217E to the Do. 17Z and Do. 215 is misleading, since it is much superior in load-carrying capacity, range and all-round perform ance. Moreover, it can be readily adapted for operation as a dive- bomber. This particular machine is one of the E.i series. It differs from the later E.2 model mainly in its lack of a gun-turret. The primary duty of the Do. 217 series is bombing, dive-bombing up to a fairly steep angle being possible when a special diving brake is installed in the tail. It is also possible to use the air craft for torpedo dropping, while its speed obviously suits it for strategical reconnaissance. » Differences in Detail The Do. 217E resembles a scaled-up Do. 17Z or Do. 215, being a twin- engihed, shoulder-wing monoplane with twin fins and rudders. The wing is thicker, and the fuselage, which is proportionately '' fatter'' than on the •earlier Dorniers, extends behind the tailplane. The wing, like the fuselage, is mafle in three parts, two spars be ing used throughout. Slotted ailerons are fitted and the flaps are of the split type; these are interesting in that they have a shaped nose cap. Each portion of the eleva tor has two tabs, one for balance and trimming and the other for automatic recovery from dives. An interesting aerodynamic feature is the incorpora tion of fixed slots in the leading-edges pressures and temperatures generated in the latter moments of the passage through the atmosphere in the ascent. This enables the inner shell to be quite light, as it has only to contend with one atmosphere internal pressure. The outer shell is jettisoned directly the ascent thrust is completed. It is proposed to construct it of fused Aluj»«rum, suitably reinforced, and it is calculated that it will weigh two tons. The presence of this outer shell will make it necessary to make the ascent without external observation. This is no great hardship as it would be wise to make any required adjust ments of trajectory after the com pletion of the predetermined thrust period. It is assumed that ground observation would establish the com ponents of the trajectory effected and would communicate the required cor rections to the crew by Photo- telephone, as "wireless" radiation is not to be depended on beyond the " ionosphere." Observation ports are provided in the B.I.S. design axiaaly forwards, rearwards, and radially. A special optical system has been developed to provide an apparently stationary image of the field of view that would be revolving relative to the crew. of the fins. These probably give im proved rudder control when flying on one engine. Probably the most notable feature of the aircraft is the power plant, which comprises two of the new B.M.W. 801 I4<ylinder two-bank radials with fan cooling. Each of these engines is rated at 1,480 h.p. at 14,700ft. and 1,600 h.p. for take-off. The engines are enclosed in remark ably clean long-chord cowlings with frontal annular air inlets. Entry of air into the cowling is accelerated by a fan driven through gearing from the airscrew shaft. The oil cooler is in stalled under the leading-edge of the cowling and consists of finned seg ment-shaped tubes. A very elaborate internal system of ducts and baffles assists cylinder cooling. Each engine has two air intakes, both of which are entirely inside the cowling. Another novel feature is the exhaust system. Thece is no collector ring, but instead there are six exhaust stubs on top, and four on each side of the engine cowling, projecting outwards over the nacelle. The four stubs on each side of the cowling discharge under the wing and the six on the top over the wing. Three-bladed wooden airscrews, utilising a hub of a new type, and having a pitch range of 86 degrees are fitted. Bomb Loads On the machine examined, four racks, each capable of carrying a 500- kg. bomb, were fitted in the bomb com- This system, which is really a slow motion stroboscope, has been de> monstrated satisfactorily at South Kensington Museum. Whether the intensity of cosmic radiation met with outside atmosphere is the final "no" to space-flight, ex periment alone will tell. Preliminary rocket flights up to and beyond the limits of the atmosphere are the only practical means of finding this out, and for that reason the atten tion of all '' astronautical'' experi menters must necessarily be focused upon the successful development of this prerequisite of space-conquest. Its Object The B.I.S. space-ship is not an attempt to put the cart before the horse. It is intended as a means of obtaining a bird's-eye view of tha problem as a whole. Stringfell^p^' Maxim, Langley, to mention a few, did not wait for the barrel engine or the multi-row radial sleeve-valve air- cooled diesel—or four-stage variable- pitch contra-props! ! ! ... they got on with the job. I admit that I would not care to dive-boqib a flak-ship in a String- fellow '' Skinflint"... or, for that matter, I do not expect to have to fly the B.I.S. space-ship either. partment, which is 20ft. long. Various combinations of bombs are possible when internal and external stowage is used. For example, it is thought that one or two bombs of 1,000 kg. could be carried inside the aircraft, while two 500-kg. bombs can be slung ex ternally under the wings. Alterna tively, at least one torpedo can be carried. Armament and Armour In the transparent nose, on the star board side, is provision for a further gun of unknown calibre, and firing for ward through the bottom of the cock pit is a fixed MG 151 of 15 mm. calibre. Mountings are provided for four lateral MG 15s (7.9 mm. calibre), but on the machine examined only the rear pair was installed. There are three notable features in the armour-plate installation. Behind the pilot's seat is a screen of half- octagonal form, the thickness of the plate being 8 to 9 mm. ; the dinghy re cess in the top of the fuselage is armoured ; a large piece of semicircu lar form is laid on the outside of the back of the fuselage immediately be hind the cockpit. There is another external section of armour-plate laid flat on the outside of the roof of the cockpit slightly to » the rear of the pilot's head, and the bottom of the pilot's seat is protected. There is, however, no armour-plate for protection of the engines. A picture of the Do. 2r7E is on page r3i. DORNIER Do. 217E. Familiar Appearance but Performance an Improvement on Earlier Types
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