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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1995.PDF
SEPTEMBER 24TH, 1941 6 FLIGHT 331 INTERCHANGEABLE POWER PLANTS Advantages of Standardisation : The Increasingly Important Role of Engine Manufacturers NORMALLY there may be ,many reasons for the choice of a liquid-cooled power unit in preference to an air-cooled unit. The reverse may equally ^well apply; for example, such reasons may be due to the equipment available at the factory from which the aircraft originates or possibly the available equipment of an air force or operating company for which the air craft is intended. On the other hand, the reasons may be purely technical, such as maintenance problems, or from an economic point of view. _^———' No longer, however, do we dwell irj.4Wrrnal times. In- war every possible feature mus|^be" introdtj«^d not onfy to produce aircraft engines a,t"an hitherto undreamed of rate of production, but also to ensure that ncwaircraft in the R.A.F. or British aircraft in the serviife? of ou cai|se of a Allies can be '' grounded ' that requires overhaul or much to remedy this condi plant whereby not only th complete with cowling and less the bulkhead, as a unit The bulkhead is likewise standardised not only the fixing points fof"TrWi for liquid-cooled or air-cooled i tions for pipes, electrical co power p^ m |fy ardisj^ tallation 'e supplied anufacturer. the ex re common tj^ations, but connec- ngs, pneumatic and ountinsf, etc y the engin ' ) hydraulic controls are also arranged for ready inter- changeability. One of the most enterprising and important develop ments in the aircraft industry was when, a year or so before the war, the changed attitude of the authorities permitted the aircraft engine manufacturers to get to gether and through their installation design departments Vvlop the complete power unit upon a standardised jasis which also permitted r,apid interchangeability of type. Thus the Air Ministry and also the S.B.A.C. A completely cowled Merlin XJJ>ffower plant on an inboard nacelle o£i*rteL.ancaster. realised the grea>?f3vantages of this scheme of standardi- n, shojjjerwe find ourselves at war, not only as a great aigj^o production but also to maintenance in the fielder opsrations. It has since been proved conclu- y that this policy has been of the greatest value and, a result, much valuable time normally required by 2 aircraft manufacturer to design and produce just Iter engjne mounting and cowling (very similar to e rkst bu/ not quite) can now be saved entirely by accefmng/for the prototype aircraft a standardised unit complete, developed and produced by specialists of the engiife manufacturers themselves. Thus the engine .^^frianufacturers' contribution to any aircraft is a larger one than is generally appreciated. A Problem lor Specialists The development of a power unit from the experimen tal stage to the production model is a long and tedious business, involving the solution of a large number of intricate problems step by step, and research and experi ment are demanded on almost each individual compo nent. Furthermore, the protracted testing in flight of the complete unit is necessary under the critical observa tion of skilled technical observers and engineers before the complete unit. can be said to be satisfactory for operation in the Services. The aircraft-engine manufac turers must necessarily, therefore, have at their dis- (Left) A threequarter rear view of a Merlin XX port inboard power unit. (Right) An outboard power plant of the Lancanter with side and top cowlings removed. • '
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