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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1025.PDF
APRIL 22ND, 1943 FLIGHT 4*5 is obviously not very satis- factory. The brake pedals attached to the rudder pedals are easy to operate and the brakes themselves are smooth and effective. A parking brake lever is fitted on fhe star- board side. The rudder ii operated by separate pedals moving fore and aft rather than the less comfortable centrally pivoted rudder bar. Many elementary trainers have in the past been pro- duced with particularly poor Heath Robinson-like elevator trimming devices. The Cornell, however, has a good and effective trimmer, the only slightly weak point of which is the position indica- tor. A very small opening in the casing around the sprocket makes visible red or black numbers depending upon the position fore or aft of the neutral position marked O. These small " messily " painted figures are rather hard to distinguish and therefore difficult to point out and explain to an elementary pupil. It is admitted that this is a fairly unimportant point on the type, but correct trimming and use of trim is an important item in a pupil's training from the earliest stages. Front and rear cockpits are similarly equipped and the aircraft can be flown solo from either one. A sensitive altimeter, vertical speed indicator and primary blind flying instruments are fitted, and provision is made for Sperry's. Comfort, the value of which cannot be overestimated, must be judged high on the Cornell. Already room, visibility, adjustable seat and rudders have been appraised ; in addition, the blind-flying hood is effective and can be raised and lowered quite easily. The enclosure can be opened and closed without difficulty. The fuel gauges on top of each tank can be read without any trouble by look- ing over the side of the cockpit. A four position fuel tap is fitted on which both lower segments are '' off.'' There is no reserve position and no provision is made for a reserve supply of fuel. Cockpit Heater One poor characteristic can sometimes go a long way towards offsetting a number of good points making for comfort. The Cornell has one which is common to many trainers, namely, the cockpit heater. It seems almost inevitable that the temperatures experienced during a Canadian winter shall be underestimated. For thirty minutes or an hour if outside temperatures are not unusually low, the Cornell is not uncomfortably cold when full flying kit is worn. Instructors, however, must often fly two and three hours at a stretch and five or six hours in a day. For this the heater is not really adequate if the temperature is below zero, and, what is more, it seems in many cases to produce fumes which though not dangerous are definitely unpleasant and bring on early symptoms of sore throat and fatigue. Intercommunication is by a simple speaking tube system and due to the comparatively quiet cockpits instructors will find that hearing is well above the average on the Cornell. This, of course, presupposes that the tubes are well installed and undamaged on the particular aircraft. The remaining equipment not so far mentioned speci- fically includes a rear-view mirror, a map holder, baggage space, and one small hand-operated fire extinguisher mounted on the back of the engine bulkhead and accessible from the front cockpit or through a small door from out- side . Provision is made for night flying and a wind-driven generator is located centrally beneath the centre section. The Cornell in the air seen from another aircraft in formation. It cruises at about 95 m.p.h. The Power Unit The engine is a six-cylinder, air-cooled Ranger, neatly cowled and driving a fixed-pitch wooden airscrew. It is said that the airscrew fitted does not suit the Ranger engine as well as did the McCauley ground-adjustable, metal type fitted to the original Fairchild. This is given as one reason for the difference in performance between the two types. Certainly the Cornell has a rather reduced performance as compared with makers' figures for the Fairchild. This mark of Ranger engine, the L-440-1, is rated at 175 b.h.p. at sea level. Other engine data are listed on page 413, with some aircraft dimensions and performance figures. Characteristics of the engine include its neat undeihead camshaft, which, by eliminating push-rods and casings, makes for a clean-looking exterior. The cam- shaft is driven through a vertical drive at the front of the engine. Starting is by hand through reduction gearing, a priming pump being located beside the socket for the crank on the rear port side of the engine. The pilot keeps up fuel pressure with the wobble pump and starts up on port ignition system. Flying Characteristics Although its performance is quite commonplace, the Cornell flies easily and pleasantly. The take-off is fair and -the climb quite good, and both climbing and griding are taught at 80 m.p.h. Normal cruising speed is 90-100 m.p.h. and top speed 110-115 m.p.h. The stall occurs gently and is usually accompanied by the dropping of one wing, as often as not the right wing. The stalling speed • of about 58 m.p.h. is on the high side for the type and there is little alteration of stalling speed with flaps lowered in that their primary effect is as an air brake to increase the gliding angle. With flaps up, the Cornell can be side- slipped rather unsatisfactorily, but with a small increase in rate of descent. With the flaps down, sideslipping is ineffective and is not easy to prolong with speed under control. In an emergency, height can be lost quickly on a slipping turn. Weathercock stability is good, and under cruising con- ditions accurate turns can be made with feet off the rudder pedals. Spinning is normal and recovery rapid. In this as in some other features the Cornell resembles the Harvard II, and it is therefore a splendid elementary type for pre- Harvard instruction. To quote a particular instance, on taking correct action for recoverv from a spin, the Cornell may momentarily tighten and speed up in the spin, as does
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