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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1271.PDF
JUNE 28TH, 1945 691 TUDOR I [h~speed, High-altitude, rer Aircraft : i Quality Wing Span- l20?t Length - 79ft. 6in. Height - - 22ft. Four Rolls Uoyce Merlin 100 engine; TO'LET BAGGAGE LADIES' V^-COMPARTMEN DRESSING ROOM NIGHT MMODATION RETRACTED TAIL WHEEL WARDROBE TOILET GENTLEMEN'S DRESSING PORTHOLE AND ROOM ESCAPE HATCH PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DAY ACCOMMODATION CRASH PROOF FUEL TANKS A special Flight copyrightdrawing of the Avro Tudor I, which is the first of ourpolt war civil airliners to fly. As will be seen from thiscut-away drawing and the photograph in the left-handcorner, the Tudor follows the orthodox modern lay-out of a low-wing mono- plane. Being so wellproportioned it is difficult to realise its large dimen-sions and weight. writer, tor one, has con-fidence that this aircralt will prove to be thefirst practical large volume example of apressurised cabin. The eyes of the aeronauticalworld are on the Tudor— may it carry the British technical standard on to aneven higher plane. The Outline ROTOL •FEATH€RING "ORAULIC URSCREWS operation is a worthwhile proposition. Thu- the Tudor I has been designed to operate at a rated altitude of 25,000ft., and for this purpose the whole of the fuselage is pressurised. For normal opt ra- tion a differential pressure of 5$ lb. /sq. in. has been decided upon this corresponding to a cabin pressure equivalent to K,ooolt. for flight operation at 25,000ft. Interior atmosphere is wholly conditioned, and passengers should enjoy a state of cabin aspiration unapproached by aircraft designed to fly at lower levels. It is very well worth stating here that despite the great amount" of talk there has been about pressurising intentions, no aircraft manufacturer either here or in the United States has yet succeeded in efficiently pressurising a large volume fuselage. Small cabins have been pressurised with success, but no large-scale venture has yet been a practicable proposition, doubt that A. V. Roe will ' in making the Tiidor I a There can be little In general appearance the machine is very graceful, and has beautifully clean lines. As with most other contemporary civil aircraft of its class, the Tudor 1 has a parallel central fuselage trunk which fairs gracefully to coned extremities, and this is supported on a low-positioned wing of similar plan form to the Lancaster's (although the dimensions have been scaled up—the span being 120ft.). Due to pressuris- ing, the openings in the fuselage have been kept to a minimum, and those that do occur have for the same reason been kept of as small an area as is tenable. Externally, the most impressive feature of the aircraft is the skinning, which we have not the slightest hesitation in stating is the finest we have ever seen. This problem was tackled realistically from considerations of pressurising, and it was decided to use single panels 33ft. long by 3ft. wide in unbroken lengths, so incurring as few joints as possible. In its turn, this brought about curvature difficulties, but by evolving a revolutionary system of panel stretching the problem was successfully solved, and the result is a skin plating calculated to make other manufacturers envious ; although it is to be hoped that it fires them with the resolve of emulation. On the construction side A. V. Roe have generated a system whereby the building ot any circular - section fuselage, of any size, can be facilitated simply by setting • their special roll ing machines to produce frames ot a given size and radius, and stringers of a given size and length. This is production of the "sausage machine" order. Truly the Tudor I fuselage structure is simplicity itself, for it con- sists merely of lipped channel-section circular frames to the outer peripheries of which the top-hat-section stringers are directly bolted, the external skin panels being riveted to PORT NAVIGATION. LIGHT
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