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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 2107.PDF
444 FLIGHT OCTOBER 25TH. 1945 THE GLOSTER METEOR This part - sectionedview shows how the Rolls-Royce jet unitsare installed in the Meteor and also givesa good idea of the extremely strongstructure. The Mark IV "Record" Type Described : Aerodynamically Conventional Design THE fact that a British firm should be able to attackthe world's speed record so soon after the end of thewar is a matter for congratulations to all concerned. One aspect which appears to have escaped general notice is that the Meteor is quite an orthodox aircraft. It could be simply described as a twin-engined, single-seater low- wing monoplane of all-metal construction and with tricycle undercarriage. One looks in vain for features which aie now deemed necessary in really fast aircraft, such as laminar-flow wings with razor-sharp leading edges, very pointed and slim fuselage with no excrescences, and so forth. In general design the Mark IV looks what it is in its workaday guise, a nice, not particularly small, single-seater fighter, which will be a very useful addition to the equip- ment of the R.A.F. It differs externally from the well- known %leteor III mainly in having longer power nacelles. The fuselage is identical with that of the Service version, built to house pilot and armament, and not tailored to fit the pilot like a glove. In view of all these things, we feel that Mr. W. Q. Carter, its designer, is entitled to a pat on the back. It is no mean achievement to have demonstrated that an aircraft of strictly utilitarian design, with room* in its fuselage for pilot, armament and full Ser- vice equipment, and wings thick enough to house the retracted undercarriage, can be pushed up to such speeds without running into trouble with shock waves and the like. Span. 43ft Height, 13ft. For the record the two Meteors are, of course, relieved of their military load, generally cleaned-up so far as surface finish is concerned, and structurally strengthened here and there to guard against any unusual stresses that might be set up by flying at some 80 per cent, of the speed of sound. That the speeds are attained very largely by a prodigious output of power is obvious. The Rolls-Royce Derwent jet unit is fully described in this issue, but it goes without saying that for the record a good deal of extra thrust is demanded. It may be of interest to make an estimate of just how much that thrust is likely to amount to. The figures must of necessity be approximate, but they should serve to give some idea of what is involved in establishing a new record. Thrust Required From the fact that the Mark III Meteor weighs just over 12,000 lb., and bearing in mind the more powerful jet units of the record machines and the structural strengthening that has taken place, it appears reasonable to assume that the loaded weight is about 13,000 lb. The L/D of an aircraft at the top end of its speed range is very low, the maximum value occurring much closer to the stalling speed than to the top speed. It may bet assumed that in the case of the Meteor the value is in the neighbourhood of 1.75, and if this figure is reasonably correct, the drag would be 7,430 lb., which would there- fore be the thrust demanded from the power units. A thrust of 3,715 lb. from each unit is high, but by no means impossible. Jet propulsion is still something of a novelty, and few people have become used to thinking in terms of thrust, so that the statement that a certain jet unit develops 3,715 lb. of thrust (in view of the high specific consumption it is sometimes referred to as " thirst" !) does not convey
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