FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0761.PDF
APRIL I3TH, 1944 FLIGHT 397 Technical Training Command as M.T.U.96. It is, perhaps, the most complete and elaborate outfit introduced -so far. M.T.U.96 is contained in two trailers towed by a lorry. It is attended by nine men, in cluding six sergeant instructors and a Douglas field service representative, all expertly trained specialists in the operation of the engines, the hydraulic and electrical services, the instru ments, the automatic pilot, radio, de-icing and fuel and heating systems of the C-54, and the hydromatic airscrews. Designed to teach main tenance engineers, pilots, air crews and engin eering officers of the Air Transport Command and Troop Carrier Command, the unit visits bases and training fields, giving intensive courses which last from two weeks to two months. The "classroom" comprises chiefly the mechanical devices and instruments, mounted on polished birch panels. These panels hinge together to form the sides of eight large boxes, small caster wheels under the boxes facilitating the unloading and loading of the boxes and .their transport to and arrangement in the ' hangar or room used for the demonstrations— unless these are held in the open. Since M.T.U.96 went on tour, Douglas engineers have installed similar equipment on panels to be carried in Douglas C-47 transports for training men overseas. This airborne unit includes a full-size sectioned engine. Forming the "key" to the unit is a half-model of the Skymaster, built in Plexiglass. This is completely trans parent, and is about 6ft. 6in. long. It contains all the functional systems of the Skymaster in miniature, and switches at the top of the panel turn on the various navi gation, recognition and landing lights, as well as all the individual lights inside the aircraft. Thus all electric leads can be traced from their batteries or generators to the points they serve. One of the boxes contains an exact replica of the instru ment panel, and all the engine instruments work as on a t pre-flight engine test. '' Trouble-shooting'' as well as engine runs can be taught. A second box contains a complete hydromatic airscrew with blades clipped. A Plexiglass dome covers the hub, and the student can see the whole operation of the governors and how to adjust them. On one side of this display are the de-icing systems for the airscrews and car- Final check-over of the Skymaster functional half-model in Plexiglass. The switches operate lights throughout the model, which contains all the operating lines and systems of the C-54. burettor. Transparent pipes show the flow of the fluid. A third box contains the entire hydraulic system, show ing how the wheel- retraction is done, the operation of wheel brakes, cowling gills, etc. On the electrical display panels are the switches and operating gauges of some 20 circuits of the C-54. Here, too, is shown the working of the undercarriage warning system, emergency alarm bell warning for baling out, and electric warnings of flames in an engine or cargo com partment. Other panels show how the fire extinguishers in the engine nacelles work, the functioning of wing and tail de-icers, and the nose heaters. Engine specialists can study the actual flow of fuel (red in the demonstration set-up) through transparent pipes, and can follow its course from the tanks through the strainers, boost pump, firewall shut-off valve and engine- driven pump to the carburettor. Every aspect of aircraft maintenance and servicing is covered, and each of the dis plays also includes such other aids as sectioned mechan isms, drawings, charts and wiring diagrams. INTERCHANGE of TECHNICAL INFORMATION like 3^ h.p. For extending the blades the power required is. AT the request of Mr. Oliver Lyttelton, Minister of Pro- •^ duction, Mr. Geoffrey Smith, M.B.E., Managing Editor of Flight and Aircraft Production, is proceeding to America in connection with the interchange of technical press information. A Captain in the R.F.C. and R.A.F. during the Great War, Mr. Geoffrey Smith, who is a director of Iliffe and Sons, Ltd., has served on-dpur Government committees in the present war, including committees of the Ministry of Information on censorship matters. He is the author of the first book to be published in .Britain and the U.S.A. on jet propulsion now brought to a practical stage of development by the British engineer, Group Capt. F. Whittle, C.B.E., R.A.F. THE CAMERON ROTOR PLANE FOLLOWING publication in our issue of March 30th, 1944, of the article on the Cameron Rotor Plane we have received from Mr. Cameron certain additional information con cerning this highly original aircraft. It will be recalled that one of the special features is the the use of retracting rotor blades. There is, Mr. Cameron informs us, no need for engine or hand operation of the retraction, the blades of a 38ft. rotor, for example, developing approximatelv 64 h.p. when auto- t rotating, and the power actually required being only something of course, even smaller. When the rotor blades are extended, the ailerons are opera tive by virtue of the fact that they are in the slipstream from the two wing-mounted airscrews, the wing being-vertical during helicopter ascent. Since these airscrews rotate in a direction opposite to that of the main lifting rotor, they counteract the torque reaction from it. • NOVEL U.S. SUGGESTION A " VOICE from beyond " is under consideration to cut down on airline accidents, according to our contemporary. American Aviation. The Civil Aeronautics Administration is discussing the installation in each passenger aircraft of a re corder to preserve every word spoken in the pilot's compartment. It is hoped by this means to learn the causes of crashes such as a recent one in which both pilot and co-pilot were killed. The recording device would be enclosed in asbestos and placed in the tail of the aircraft. So long as the pilot lived, he would have exclusive possession of the record of his con versation. But should his aircraft crash in flight, this record would be turned over to Government authorities. It is pointed out that present ground-air communication between pilot and control towers is not always satisfactory when an aircraft gets into difficulty. Both pilots then are too busy to give the control tower a running account of what is transpiring, but their own conversation might give a tip-off to what was happen ing. This information could be invaluable to both Governmeni and industry in preventing future accidents.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
