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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0853.PDF
MAY 2ND, 1946 FLIGHT 439 Goblins at Munich D.H. Jet Units Tested in B.M.W. High-altitude Chamber A LTHOUGH Munich and its environs were heavily bombedU\ on several occasions during the war, and the Bayerische A. \. Motoren Werke at nearby Oberveisenfeld were heavilydamaged, a special high-altitude engine test plant situated on the northern edge of the B.M.W. factory site was found to beserviceable when the area was overrun by the American Army. Building had been commenced in May, 1940; heavy bombdamage sustained in May, 1944, had been repaired by October. From then until the war ended, the plant was in regularservice. By agreement with the American authorities the Ministry ofAircraft Production arranged for the use of the engine test plant by certain British manufacturers, in particular the deHavilland and Rolls-Royce companies. In July of 1945 plans were made to test the Goblin I atMunich, and later, in view of the valu- able data obtained with this unit, aGoblin II was also tested. There is no other test equipment com-parable with the B.M.W. plant in existence. The test cell is 12ft indiameter, is sealed and can be evacuated to pressures equivalent to an altitude of50,000ft. Air can be supplied to the intakes at a speed of 550 m.p.h., and temperatures down to — 650 C maintained.It took twenty-one days to produce a special mounting and to make all the adjustments required to adapt the Goblin tothe test plant, and a further fourteen days to install it. A series of calibrations were then completed uneventfully at variousspeeds at altitudes from ground level to 43,000ft. It is interesting to note from a report on the tests that aftercompletion of the first period of running the German engineers assisting with the operation of the plant asked whether theyshould open the cell so that the engine might be inspected. They were amazed that this was not considered necessary, asthey had no previous experience of a jet engine that would run for more than five hours without attention. The particularGoblin was not examined until the whole series of tests, 42 hours' running in all, had been completed. The engine wasre-calibrated on return to England, and the output was found to be substantially unaltered. Examination after strippingrevealed the presence of a great deal of dust and some super- ficial damage resulting from the inhalation of dust-laden airfrom the heavily bombed area surrounding the test plant. The second series of tests, comprising 71 hours of trouble-free running with a Goblin II unit, included observations of A de Havilland Goblin withspecially adapted mounting installed in the 12 ft. diametercell of the B.M.W. high-altitude test plant at OberveisenfeldAustria. combustion and flame stability at altitude. Quartz windowswere inserted in the flame tube, and in place of the normal periscope arrangement in the side walls of the test cell, windowswere cut in the explosion doors on top of the cell. Engineers from the Lucas company, who co-operated in these tests, tookgas samples from the exhaust. In order that engine thrust could be measured, it was found necessary to supply glycol tothe sliding joints to prevent them freezing-up During tests the inside of the cell was brilliantly illuminated, and fog and iceformations under high-altitude conditions could be observed. The D.H. Ghost Basically similar to the Goblin, although it differs in out-ward appearance, the Ghost, second pure jet type to be produced by the de Havilland company, is already giving anoutput of 5,000 1b static thrust at sea level, an equivalent of 8,000 true sea-level thrust horse-power at 600 m.p.h. TheGhost embodies the same single-sided impeller design, single rigid rotating assembly and single-stage turbine as the Goblinseries. It is claimed that if installed in a Vampire the Ghost would give a higher speed and rate of climb, and greaterm.p.g. than any other unit, because it has a lower installed drag and weight per pound thrust than other engines. RODWELL BANKS BACK WITH ETHYL AFTER serving in the R.A.F.V.R.since the beginning of the war, Air Commodore F. R. Banks, C.B., O.B.E.,was demobilized at the end of April and is returning shortly to his old firm, theAssociated Ethyl Company, as technical manager. Rod Banks tried to cheat his way intothe R.F.C. in the first world war, but his youth was discovered, and he ultimatelygot into the Navy. Between the wars he concentrated on engine research andspecialized in fuels for high-duty aircraft engines. He was responsible for the fuelused in the Supermarine Schneider winner, the Italian Macchi-Castoldispeed-record holder, and in many suc- cessful land and water records.Early in the last war Banks joined the R.A.F.V.R. and was posted to the A.and A.E.E. at Boscombe Down as squad- ron leader. He had not previously hadan opportunity to get his "wings," but qualified at the C.F.S. When France fell, T Self portrait by Air Comdre. Banks. Banks was told by Lord Beaverbrook to get more and better engine acces- sories," which he did. Eventually he was made Director-General of Engine Production, in which post he was re- sponsible not only for engines but for airscrews and engine accessories. The task of placing production on a firm basis completed, Banks was transferred and, with the rank of Air Commodore, became Director of Aero Engine Re- search and Development. In this post he was, for more than two years, respon- sible for piston and turbine engines and also for the development of airscrews and engine accessories. Rod Banks has done a good job in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, and as " Ethyl Banks " he will have much to do with fuels for the future. There may be special fuels for turbines, and anyway the piston engine will be with us for quite a time.
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