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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2218.PDF
2Q2 FLIGHT SEPTEMBER gTH, 1943 GERMAN AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES rivets in each, so that butt joints are formed. The other stringers pass through clearance holes in the integral formers and there are no gussets between the stringers and formers. The plating-former combination is evi- dently a pressing, and to com- bine such fabrication in one operation is of considerable ad- vantage tor large-scale production. Fig. 7 is a photograph of the inside of the Me 109 rear fuse- lage, which employs an identical type of construction, and Fig. 8 shows the form of one of the plating-former pressings. Ju 88:—The Ju88 fuselage is FIG. 6 Integral fuselage panel and formers. quite different and more complicated. In addition to a large number of stringers formed from strip, there are also four T-section extruded longerons. There is a total of 45 stringers, and the average spacing is about 3^in. The stringers are all continuous, and they are attached to the skin by two rows of rivets each. The frames are cut out for the stringers, which, how- ever, are not connected to them. The construction of the Ju 87 fuse- lage is similar, except that the frames are connected to the stringers by angle brackets. The J u 88 frames are riveted to the skin with a rivet spacing of 2 to 3 inches. The large number of stringers of this shape and method of attach- ment leaves very little unsup- ported skin. This result, while approaching a condition which is desirable theoretically, in- at least twice the normal num-Vvolves the use of ber of stringers and about three times the normal of rivets. * (To be concluded next week.) Accessory Before the Fact D.P.E.A. Holds Exhibition at M.A.P. HE idea that a series of exhi- bitions held fortnightly within the headquarters of the M.A.P. would serve a useful purpose by edu- cating the staff generally, and also contractors' representatives visiting the Ministry, emanated originally from the Minister for Aircraft Production, Sir Stafford Cripps. These exhibitions have been a great success and highly appreciated by the staff, who have already gained a much clearer concep- tion of the exact nature of the work conducted by the various Directorates and its importance to the war effort. The most recent of these exhibitions is in connection with the Directorate of Production, Engine Accessories. The enormous responsibility of the P.E.A. Department is at once apparent from the numerous exhibits on view which, by the way, are not a fully representa- tive collection by any means, for accessories still regarded as secret for obvious reasons cannot be included in the display. Amongst this wide variety of exhibits are some outstand- ing examples which hint of progress being made by the British aircraft industry in certain directions behind those veils of secrecy. The compact Rotol compressor for air conditioning a pressure cabin at altitude arranged side by side with a Rotol auxiliary gear box were the first exhibits to attract our attention. A further interesting exhibit was a sectioned electrically driven immersed fuel pump, very similar to the German type of pump. Next to this, and obviously of entirely dif- ferent design, although not sectioned for obvious reasons, was the latest type of immersed fuel pump which, we gather, is a distinct improvement on the earlier design. Prominent among the carburettor exhibits was a sec- tioned S.U. carburettor, negative G type, as fitted to the Merlin XX, and the S.U. carburettor, as fitted to the Napier Sabre II. Numerous magnetos were exhibited, including B.T.H. and Rotax types. One of very special interest was the M.A.P. Exhibition.(Engine Accessories) (Centre) Mr. W. A. Davenport, Deputy-Director of Production , (left) Mr. J. Howland, assistant director of the same directorate. Simms F.S.T. 14/S magneto for high-altitude flight. The section devoted to sparking plug exhibits included the complete "breakdown" ef an A.C. plug assembly. Ignition screening harness for the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine was prominent in this section. The ignition screening harness for the Napier Sabre II correctly assembled upon a '' mock-up '' was also displayed adjacent to the main exhibits. Numerous other accessopies included compressors, engine- driven fuel pumps, vacuum pumps, hydraulic pumps, Coffman starters, voltage booster, header tank relief valves and fuel tank pressure control valves, the latter being .%. sectioned. The pre-war demand for any one of these accessories on view would have been in the region of 250 per month. This figure has risen until it now exceeds 10,000 per month, which gives one some idea of the business involved in pro- viding the R.A.F.'s engine accessories, to which should be added experimental and research work entailed in provid- ing for future requirements.
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