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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2331.PDF
SEPTEMBER 23RD, 1943 FLIGHT 347 DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUPERCHARGER turbo-blower produced in that country,does not appear to have been a suc- cess. In Germany, too, the exhaustturbo-blower would appear to be the most popular type, and the earlyJunkers was interesting in that it em- ployed a step-up gear between theturbo wheel and the impeller, kater V.D.M. patents also incorpor>rfe thisfeatuie. The characteristics of the exhaustturbo are quite different from the mechanical supercharger and, gener-ally speaking, much better. Its merits are not derived alone from the facili-ties for speed variation, in itself a great advantage, but also from the fact thatthe means of driving the compressor ate obtained from a hitherto untapped urce—the latent power in the ex-ust gases. These advantages, giving increased power and economybelow the rated altitude, are somewhat offset, in the case of military aircraft, by installation requirements, loss ofexhaust thrust effect and inability to flame-damp and silence the exhaust. However, the installation on theThunderbolt shows a great improvement from Ule aesthetic, flame-damping and silence points of view over the earlierinstallations, such as the Boeing B-17C with its totally exposed turbo wheel. # Due to the high operating temperatures of the exhaustgases (up to 1,100 deg. C.) it is necessary to supply some means of either cooling these gases or the working partsof the turbine itself. The American system is understood to employ "gas cooling" by the expedient of exposingthe exhaust manifold to the airstream, and in the earlier case referred to above, by also -exposing the turbo wheeland its casing. In Germany a number of patents have The exhaust-driven G.E.C. turbo-supercharger on a Wright Cyclone of a Fortress. been taken out covering/" mechanical cooling"; that is,cooling the actual tuj#5o components by means of an air- stream applied to hollow rotors and blades.Finally, it is interesting to note that the demand tor increased pressure ratios has been largely due to, and,dependent on, the rapid development of aircraft fuels. Also, granted the demand, the majority of obstacles in thepath of these higher tip speeds have been constructional or metallurgical. Most of the design features that havelent added efficiency during recent years were well under- stood at the time of the inception of the supercharger, butwere not practicable at that stage of the art due to material or production difficulties. Any further advances will haveto be accompanied by parallel aircraft development, since greater operational ceilings than those alrqiray in reach willcall for the use of pressurised cabins on all types of aircraft. Newfoundland and Aviation f I '^HE value of speedy communications between New-\ foundland and Canada was given dramatic em- 4**- phasis when the Knight of Columbus Hut in St.John's was destroyed by fire. For the relief of the many injured in that catastrophe large shipments of plasma forblood transfusions and other medical supplies were rushed by Trans-Canada Air Lines from Montreal, Toronto, Win-nipeg and other centres. Going by air express, the emer- gency materials were in St. John's at noon the day follow-ing the night they left. Put into effect by treaty arrangements between theGovernment of Canada/and the Newfoundland Commis- sion of Government ni a wartime measure, the Canada-Newfoundland service inaugurated by Trans-Canada Air Lines a year ago has proved successful. It arose out <.fa demand for a closer contact between the island and the mainland, and from the beginning aircraft have been carry-ing capacity passenger loads ' " waiting lists of reservationsthree weeks in advance. > • f The passenger load factor, 84 per cent. f</rhis" almost every monmade sometimes t 1942 onthsexpress loadspgighest on the TCA sj^tem. During five • '- was better than 90 per cent. Air mail anhive also been'satisfactory. V»^ Machines now leave Moncton, New Brunswick, daily at7 a.m. and 10.40 a.m., reaching St. John's at 12.20 p.m. iind 4 p.m. In the opposite direction aircraft depart from^t. John's at 1.15 p.m. and 5 p.m., landing at Moncton at 5-45 P-in. and 9.30 p.m. Connections are made with aircraft to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and westward in the transcontinental service to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto.Winnipeg and Vancouver. The route, 730 miles, is by way ot Sydney, Nova Scotia, 223 miles from Moncton.This flight takes five hours, as compared with 65 hotns by rail and steamer, when connections are made. Between 70 and 90 per cent, of the travellers using theair passenger service are on military duty, or are contrac- tors or men actively engaged in war work. Extension or 'die TCA service to Newfoundland has brought the island even more closely into/the orbit oWStnaja JMjL the U.S. Either through air rfail or jrasoaqel ^j|iW*jt*Ts possiblefor the NewfoundlaMer to-dmrtp dftrafrlete important war- time businessfin\a^actioiy<*4(mrtirne previously needed.This develoryeA/jrflpr' ifaffne importance in the future development wOTJewfoundland. It is. apparmt that ,after the war Newfoundland willhave Wich 1# gain by maintaining this new relationship and the United Stated. To develop thes resources will require substantial capital, for some hich/at least, it will probably be necessary to go t:>islajrcl's near neighbours. asy availability of Newfoundland by air as cora-the rail and water routes will mean an increase ofoutside interest in the island, and the rapid travel facili-ties available to and from the country will serve to spread acquaintance with its potentialities. Introduction of the TCA service has, in fact, given manyislanders visions of the future where passengers and freight will be swiftly conveyed by air to inland and distantcoastal points as well asjarther abroad. \\ u
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