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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0603.PDF
MARCH 19TH, 1942 FLIGHT 255 POWER" PLANTING excellent forward view of the old pusher, but the machine did not go into production. When two engines did not provide sufficient power, and as a safeguard against hurried forced landings in case of engine failure, the three-engined arrangement came into vogue for a time. The usual method was to mount two engines on the wings and one in the nose of the fuselage. A good many machines of this type were built, but it was often held that the nose engine, particularly when fitted on a fuselage of large cross-sectional area, was barely worth *f'its keep. It added drag by blowing the slipstream over ' the surface of the fuselage, which was thus always in a wind velocity greater than the speed of the aircraft by the amount of the slip. Another disadvantage was that it caused a lot of noise and vibration in the cabin. In this country the three-engined type did not survive for long, although abroad, notably in France (Dewoitine) and Italy (Cant), it is still in use. Variations on the general three- engined theme are shown in the pictures. The Modern Formula The argument in favour of several engines, plus the need for more and more power, led to the development of the four-engined class of aircraft. As an article on this subject ("England's Fours") was published as recently as our issue of February 19th, 1942, it is hardly necessary" to go into detail. The arrangements possible were: two pairs of tandem engines ; two engines on the top plane and two on the lower ; and finally four engines in line abreast. As the cantilever monoplane wing structure came into favour because of the clean design which it made possible, the arrangement of the engines was settled almost auto matically. The leading edge of the wing was the obvious place, and the main differences in design were caused by other considerations. For instance, the low-wing arrange ment became popular on account of the short undercarriage which it makes possible. There have been high-wing canti lever monoplanes, but the undercarriage legs must neces sarily be long, and retraction becomes rather difficult. In large flying boats the high-wing arrangement is logical because there is no undercarriage to worry about, and the hull is deep so that sufficient water clearance is provided for the airscrews. In smaller boats, however, that would not be so, and for that reason some of the Saunders-Roe flying boats (Cutty Sark, Cloud, and Windhover) the engines were placed on "stilts" above the wing. The arrangement was open to criticism because of increased drag and offset thrust line, but it worked fairly well. A -variant of the engines-on-the-leading-edge theme is provided by the American Bell Airacuda. In this machine the engines are over the wing and drive pusher airscrews through extension shafts. In front of each engine is a gunner's position. The arrangement is obviously chosen from military rather than aerodynamic considerations. Finally there is the twin-engined arrangement in which two overgrown tail booms form a continuation of the engine nacelles, the pilot sitting "in a "blister" in the middle of the wing. The Lockheed Lightning is of this type. It seems doubtful, however, that the drag is any lower than that of the more orthodox arrangement, and the fighting view is probably not too good, as the pilot is not ahead of the engines. ART IN THE SERVICES H AVING no means of estimating what proportion of Flight's readers possess an appreciation of the finer points of art, it will be safer to approach a review^-*" of the Forces' Exhibition at the National Art Gallery frxwn the four pictures of Beaufight raid shelterer^_hy,.A/C.2 P. F. Wilson viewjed««ff6frf"several feet distance hen there is the interesting contra which is best the angle of the visitor who is interested to see what our soldiers, sailors and airmen do in their spare time, rather than from the viewpoint of the connoisseur. Irfdeed, about the first thing that strikes one, on enter in: of paintings, sketches, sculpture, models sfnd what you, is" that our Home Forces must ha, plenty of time on their hands, though it quite likely that some of the larger model exhibited—such as the destroyer and locomo fives seen in the adjacent picture—are peace time achievements brought from home speci ally for this occasion. There are a number of things in this exhi bition of especial interest to Flight's readers, not the least being L.A/C. Newman's excel lent balsa wood model of a Sunderland (also seen in the picture), the intricate workman ship of which will delight the enthusiastic modeller. There are also models of the Miles Falcon and that gallant veteran, the Fairey Swordfish, both executed with a highly commendable attention to detail and " finish." The array of pictures will doubtless be re garded by those who know more about aviation than art (which includes the writer) as very much of a mixed bag, and it may J^ell be a case of abysmal ignorance to say that some of them, especially the pencil sketches and water-colours, display more en thusiasm than skill on the part of their creators. But there are some which even the complete tyro cannot fail to appreciate, as, lor example, the clever "charcoal" impres sion of Aldwych station thronged with air- IVs and Hudsons respecth Bowld^ which are remark style between Blenheim TT flight)'!^ Sgt. W. A. their clear-cnj precision, three Both MILITARY MODELLERS : Some of the exhibits in the Forces Exhibition now staged in the National Art Gallery, Trafalgar Square. The locomotives and the destroyer display admirable workmanship, while the "stripped" Sunderland and the model of Big Ben in his tower show equal skill in delicate woodwork.
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