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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1589.PDF
AUGUST 3RD, 1944 FLIGHT I2r / cA ends of the tubes are rolled in a rectangular section and bolted between steel plates, thus following the Hawker Patent method of construction evolved under the direction of Mr. Sigrist in 1925, and uj«d for the first time on the Heron. This Hawker metfiod of construction has now been used on no less than 29 different types of Hawker aircraft. This type of con struction was adopted by Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith instead of welding because it eliminated the possibility of corrosion sometimes found under neath such joints. All the panels of the mounting are tubular braced except the bottom rear adjacent to the centre section front spar, which is wire braced. The engine itself is car ried on four duralumin blocks, the rear pair being slightly offset inboard from the main structure on two subsidiary struts. Besides supporting the engine, the mounting carries numerous pieces of equip ment and engine accessories. On the new Mark 11D it was found possible to armour the engine by attaching the plating direct to the mounting, as protection against small arms fire from the ground. The, weight of the mounting of the Hurricane Mark 11C isp&ib. and it supports the 1,400 lb. of the Merlin XX. The Typhoon The mounting on the Typhoon is the logical develop ment of that of the Hurricane. Although designed for the 2,000 h.p. and 2,500 lb. of the Napier Sabre, it is only slightly heavier than that of the former, with a weight of 100 lb. The distinguishing beard radiator is slung from the members of the two side panels between which the engine is cradled—another example of the strength and versatility of the Hawker method of con struction, for with sufficient "g" this radiator can weigh 3,000 lb. or more. The mounting is a detachable unit and is bolted to the centre fuselage, or rather the front spar. The rear engine feet are actually located on the top boom of the front spar, which at first sight appears to pass right through the engine. This is due to the rear ward position of the air intake aperture and the fact that it extends downwards for a considerable distance. All the panels are braced and the mounting is rigid wjjtfout the engine. Although the bracing increases the tf'eight, it is probable that had the engine been strengthened to take the stresses carried at the moment by the bracing, even more would have been added. The whole unit lends itself for quick production by semi skilled workers in some of the many '' garage factories '' dispersed throughout Britain, being basically a sort of Meccano assembly job. Mounting of the Sabre in the Typhoon is a logical development of the Hurricane Merlin mounting. ENGINE MOUNTING POINTS WING SPARS' m> The Mosquito The Mosquito seems to be well on the way to becoming one of the Great Aircraft Types of this Second World War, in the same way that the D.H.9 was one of the finest machines in the first one. Why is the Mosquito the success it is, and why is it so fast, are questions often asked? To answer the first, many factors would have to be taken into account, including the fact it is a delightful machine to/iffy—a point only appreciated as it should be by the Mosquito pilots of the R.A.F. The high speed is un doubtedly due to its excellent aerodynamic qualities and superb external finish. The De Havilland design staff, although faced with the problem of harnessing more than 1,000 h.p. to a wooden wing as cleanly as possible, encountered no serious struc tural problem. An indication of the success achieved is the remarkably small frontal area of each nacelle. The position of the engine is such that the top of the cowlings is in line with the top of the wing, thus favouring air flow over it. The whole mounting is entirely welded and thus suitable for mass production once the jigs have been made. Welding presents serious problems due to distortion, but these were succesfully overcome by knowing what allow ances to make, dj»€ to the long experience De Havillands have had with/It on this type of construction. Each mounting weighs 87.8 lb., and picks up the main structure at four points—two at special fittings forward of the bottom boom of the front spar, and the other two at points well below the wing contour, which also incorporates the undercarriage pivot bearings. f~—v- •jQQiD COOlEO ENfrNg £3ASH_AgCH iBSCgew agpuc-non (p. r, V- WINS 5*">RS &EEHL ?«<-. -EXTtfUDE.0 V*gL£S SECTION THRO SlRD£R5 AT ENGINE Unlike most mountings, that of the Spitfire (left) has a transverse "horseshoe " member. In the Airacobra (above) the engine is located well back in the fuselage, with resulting change in mounting system.
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