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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1699.PDF
AUGUST 13TH, 1942 FLIGHT 177 KHC£ STER is set rather high on the fuselage prob ably also helps, and the use of a fairly thin wing section (18 per cent, at the root) must also be of material benelit. Control surfaces of the Lancaster are of fairly orthodox design. The ailerons are fitted with balance tabs,- and, in addition, the starboard aileron only has a trimming tab. The ailerons are fabric covered. The elevators have one balance tab and one trimming tab each, and are also fabric covered. In addition, the elevator is slightly un usual in that its primary structure includes very light ribs of steel. The rudders are metal clad and each has a trimming tab on the trailing edge. Horn balances at the lower end are used instead of tabs for the rudders. The fins are attached to the extreme ^gads of the tailplane. Trailing-edge flaps of the plain split type are used, but their operation is interesting. A hydraulic jack is placed centrally in the fuselage, with its cylinder lying spanwise. Operating rods (actually tubes) run from the jack along the fixed portion of the wing, and from them at short intervals slope inwards and downwards short hinged links, the other ends of which are secured to the flaps. When the jack draws the operating tubes in towards the fuselage, the links are pushed downwards with a toggle action, and the flaps with them. For take-off the flaps are lowered about 30 degrees, and for landing they are, of course, right down. The Lancaster is, however, extremely docile, and pilots report that even a so-called balked landing (a landing during which an obstacle suddenly looms up ahead so that it becomes necessary to give full throttle and take off again) holds no terrors. The Internal Layout Turning from the structure of the aircraft to the accom modation and equipment, the fuselage is entered through a door near the tail, on the starboard side. The ground clearance, even at the tail, is considerable, and for greater comfort a short ladder is used. This is stowed inside the The outer ends of the centre-section spar?. Note the very simple construction. Ttie joint between centre-section and outer wing spars is shoyrn on m*p?if ^ TAIL WHEElZ COLUMN Mounting of the tailplane spars in the rear fuselage portion. The tail wheel does not retract. The dorsal turret of the Lancaster is, like the other turrets, of Frazer Nash design. It carries two Browning .303 machine guns. door when not in use. The floor in the rear portion of the fuselage is level and straight, and there is ample head room. The fact that the wing is set fairly high on thy fuselage, and the depth of the bomb bay is very consider able, has resulted in rather scanty headroom in the region of the wing centre section. It is also a little difficult to step over the front spar, but once that has been negotiated and the forward part of the cabin reached, there is little stooping to do. The Lancaster differs from other four-engined bombers in that there are no dual controls. This is something of an innovation, but the operation of changing pilots is so quickly performed that there seems little reason for retain ing the second set of controls, which always get in the way and also add a certain amount of weight. Crew's Stations As regards the layout, this is orthodox, with the nose gunner above the prone bomber's position below, followed by the pilot's cockpit, the navigator's cabin, and the wire less operator's position. These are all to port, with the gangway on the starboard side. The Frazer Nash power- operated gun turrets are in the usual positions (nose, tail, mid-upper and mid-lower). The crew is, however, smaller than normally carried in aircraft of this type, viz., six instead of seven. It consists of captain, second pilot, observer (navigator/bomb aimer), two radio operator/air gunners, and an air guniur. The flying controls are of normal type, with a wheel on a pillar for ailerons and elevators, and hanging pedals for the rudders. The pedal adjustment for leg length is extremely
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