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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 2102.PDF
OCTOBER 25TH, 1945 FLIGHT 441 LPAN - HEIGHT - LENGTH - - 115ft. - |8.8ft -80.25ft. 4,500 much as possible cf the wing capable of laminar flow. Both the outer wings and the wing tips are detachable. Built into the structure are the necessary ducts to carry the de-icing hot air. Briefly, the extreme nose of the wing forms an air pipe line, with the entire leading edge surface in sandwich form to enable this hot air to be distributed uniformly before it is led away to convenient points in the trailing edges. Three combustion heaters are used in the system, one in each engine nacelle, feeding the wings, and one, in the aft section of the fuselage, to feed the tail surfaces. Isolating them from the stresses following a heavy landing, the fuel tanks are out- board of the interchangeable power nacelles and integral with the wing qpar, thus increasing the latter's stiff- ^ ness in torsion. Covering twenty-five per cent, of the chord, the flaps are of the conventional split trailing-edge type. The ailerons are sealed and gear-tabbed, and are in three portions with universal couplings. Pressurisation In order to deal effectively with pres-1 surising stresses, the fuselage is ap- proximately of circular cross-section, with a larger radius used in the arc below the floor level for obvious reasons of practicability. With the high wing layout the interior, judging from an inspection of the mock-up, should be remarkably unobstructed be- tween the cockpit and the rear pressure bulkhead. The prototype, which will not be pressurised, will be a 36-seater version. In this layout, taken from front to rear, there is a hinged nose- piece to take luggage and ancillary items; the pilots' and radio operator's cabin; the steward's galley and pas- senger luggage compartment; the pas- ,isenger cabin ; the two lavatories ; and the aft luggage com- partment. The passengers' compartment is well aft of the airscrew discs and, since these also have a low cruising tip-speed, the noise level should be comfortably low. The pressurised, heated and ventilated area includes the pilots' compartment and, of course, the toilet rooms and main luggage compartment. Two engine-driven blowers maintain the fuselage pressure to that equivalent for 8,000ft. when flying at 20,000ft. of delivering sufficient pres- sure by itself, with automatic relief valves to make the neces- sary allowances. Before being fed to the superchargers, the air is passed thrdugh heat ex- changers to maintain an even temperature, -and provision is made both for air-conditioning on the ground and for emer- gency ventilation in the un- likely event of complete engine failure. The unpressurised prototype is being made with large windows, but the area of these must naturally be some- what more restricted in any pressurised layout; even so, AIRSPEED AMBASSADOR (AS-57) (CONTINUED) possibly HEIGHT 20,000 FEET RANGE 1,000 MILES STILL AIR (NO ALLOWANCES EXCEPT FOR CUMB) with the help of a high-wing arrangement, the view from the passengers' seats is likely to be better than average. —; The tail unit carries triple fins and rudders. These are interconnected, and that in the centre carries an adjust- able spring-servo tab, enabling control to be directly main- tained on the rudder immediately after engine failure and ensuring lightness through the whole movement. The use of such a spring tab, coupled with the ample power reserve, gives the Ambassador its unusual single-engine per- formance. An interesting feature of the control system is the way in which those for the elevators and rudders are geared down in the control cabin and geared up again aft, so that the effects of fuselage contraction and expansion will b.e reduced to an absolute mini- mum. In Electric Power general, the auxiliary 1.000 80 «5 50:95 fo f05 DIRECT COST PER PASSENGER-MILE PENCE) (EXCLUDING OVERHEADS) A graph showing the direct cost per passenger/mile in relation to utilisa- tion. The 40-passenger version is used in this comparison. Each blower is capable Wing Area 1,200 sq. ft. services are electrically operated—the flaps directly by electric motor and screw jack, and the undercarriage by motor, hydraulic punjp and three hydraulic jacks, one for each unit. Ther« is obviously no point in arranging for a separate electric-hydraulic power- centre for each undercarriage unit since the failure of one will be as serious as the failure of all three. The legs lower in a rearward direction so that the action is completed by air- drag forces assisted by gravity, and the complications of an emergency system are unnecessary. In order to keep the weight down and to reduce the overall capacity when retracted, all three undercarriage units are of the double-wheel type. Interestingly enough, the nose-wheel is arranged to be steerable through an hydraulic system, which gives an irreversible action and removes ground-to-rudder shocks. Since the Ambassador is designed to fly on one' motor almost from the start of the take-off, considerable atten- tion is being paid to means of reducing the overall drag of the aircraft when the undercarriage is down. The exposed legs are faired, and doors will be arranged to cover the undercarriage-housing gaps in the nacelles. Each main wheel is fitted with two pneumatic brakes. Good reports have already been unofficially heard of the performance of the civil ver- sion of the British Centaurus which are at present being de- velopment-tested by B.O.A.C. in a Warwick, and these en- gines, at least during the first period of production, will be fitted to the Ambassador. The Centa»rus 57 gives 2,580 h.p. for take-off, with an inter- national rating of 2,200 h.p. and a consequent power-load- ing of 8.75 lb./b.h.p. at take- off. Each engine, with cooling systems, tanks and all acces- sories, is a self-contained "power egg," interchangeable from port to starboard and Engines : Bristol Centaurus 57 sleeve-valve radials.
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