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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 2151.PDF
OCTOBER IgTH, I944 FLIGHT 421 HANDLEY PACE HERMES luggage, freight or mails. There is one in front of the cabin, one aft of the cabin, and two under the floor. Three of these compartments are accessible during flight. The total luggage compartment capacity is 630 cu. ft. The flight deck is very spacious and is included in the pressurisation. First pilot has the port seat, second pilot the starboard. Behind the first pilot is the wireless opera tor's station. The flight engineer is on the starboard side, separated from the second pilot by the navigator's chart table. Until more powerful engines become available the loaded weight of an aircraft is pretty well dictated by the power of existing engines. It would, of course, be possible, to use six instead of four, but the extra complication, and added interference with wing efficiency, introduces problems which still need investigation. To make use of existing wings and engines, the Hermes gross weight has been limited to 70,000. With four Hercules engines of 1,650 h.p. each this gives a power loading of 10.6 lb/h.p. As the wing area is 1,408 sq. ft., the wing loading works out at just under 50 lb./sq. ft., a figure which indicates that the machine will be expected to operate from airports with long runways. Other figures which give an idea of the impressive size of the Hermes are: wing span 113ft., overall length 81ft. 6in. The four Bristol Hercules engines drive de Havilland hydromatic fully feathering airscrews. The maximum fuel capacity is 2,570 gallons giving a range of 2,000 miles at an economical cruising speed of 240 m.p.h. The maxi mum weak-mixture cruising speed is 289 m.p.h., and it is estimated that the top speed will be 340 m.p.h., so that there is a good margin for fighting head winds. In connection with the supercharged cabin there will. CIVIL FORTRESS of course, be adequate heating and air conditioning 90 that the temperature in the cabin and crew's compartment can be maintained if desired up to 70 deg. F. even when the outside temperature has dropped to — 40 deg. F. Full de-icing equipment has been provided for wings, tail surfaces, engines and airscrews. The U.S. Government have lent Sweden five Flying Fortresses, three of which have been rebuilt for airline traffic and placed at the disposal of the Swedish A.B, Aerotransoort Company.
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