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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0963.PDF
MAY I6TH, 1946 FLIGHT 493 HUDSON AND VENTURA (CONTINUED) tional American toe-operated brakes, but in the earlier versions a Ford car-type hand brake, with simple ratchet gear, was moved in and out of the central control pedes- tal. Taxying in a cross-wind could be quite a height of hand feat—done best, perhaps, with the left hand on the throttles and the right hand on the lever. In theory, at least, differential rudder action could be obtained by- applying the brake to the extent of a couple of notches, but, in fact, one seemed to find thsft the brakes were either on or off and it was necessary, for results, to "saw" away at the lever most of the time. I hate to think of the risks which were taken in the earlier, ferrying days when Hudsons were delivered by a crew of one—the pilot—and with the undercarriage recklessly retracted. Although hydraulic failure could hardly be expected, any necessary emergency operations would have been difficult if not impossible without the help of an assistant to operate the emergency hand pump. I cannot remember the exact details of the "drill" in the case of such failure, but I know that one lowered the flaps and flew at 80-90 knots. At the critical moment one would suddenly close the throttles, while holding the control column well forward, so that the deceleration would cause the undercarriage legs to swing towards the "down" position; at that critical moment, neither before nor after, the emergency pump was vigorously pumped to lock the legs home. Appar- ently, if this action was not carried through with proper accuracy, the legs were liable to jam themselves in an intermediate position. By way of ending at the beginning, I wonder how man - Hudson or Ventura pilots could guarantee to start the engines single-handed. It could be done, but the movements had to be planned as carefully as those of any Bidaux-organized factory operation. There were two buttons, one for the starter and one for the booster, with a tumbler switch to select the required engine. While depressing these, the doper had to be used, the wobble-pump below the throttles w;orked, and the cut- out released as soon as the engine fired. Then there was the job of keeping the cold motor going while still depressing the booster button. Quite an affair. I tested my last Ventura three years ago, and memory is an unreliable guide—so I shall duly expect castigation from the real Hudson-Ventura experts. But, at least, my impressions may be entertaining. A New Single- Plate Brake "THE GOODYEAR TYRE AND RUBBERJ- CO. (GREAT BRITAIN), LTD., has just introduced a new single-disc wheel brake foraircraft. The brake comprises a single cast housing, slotted to receive, a steel disc whichis keyed to and rotates with the wheel. The housing contains brake lining segments, whichbear against both sides of the disc when the brake is operated. The outboard portion ofthe housing contains the actuating mechanism of the brake (one or more cylinders in the caseof hydraulic operation). Most wheels for this brake are of the split type incorporating in-board and outboard halves bolted together. The flange of the inboard half is extended CYLINDER HEAD The Goodyear single-disc wheel brake. In thephotograph is shown one type, with three hy- draulic cylinders, while the sketch shows a singlecylinder. AXLE. slightly, and hardenedsteel drive-keys are in- stalled to accommodate-the slots of the rotating sleel disc. When the brake isapplied, the outboard lining is moved againstthe face of the rotating disc. As the disc *s freeto align itself in tin- wheel, it moves inboardsufficiently to make con- tact with the inboardlining. As the brake pressure increases, therotating disc is clamped more tightly between tin1linings, and its rotation is arrested by suchclamping action in pro- portion to the hydraulicpressure applied. Brak- ing torque is transmittedto the wheel through the disc-drive keys in thewheel drive flange. Rapid heat dissipationis achieved by the rotat- ing steel brake disc beingmounted in the inboard side of the wheel in avertical position a n d flush wit h the edge of thewheel drive flange. Since only a small portion ofthe disc is blanketed by the brake linings and brake unit, mostof the disc is exposed to the flow of air past the wheel. But little heat is con-ducted into the wheel, and thus the likelihood of tyre and tube failure frombrake heat is reduced. One of the advantages of the single-disc brake is that it combines a great capacity for energy absorption with lowweight for a given wheel size.. Ease oi maintenance is another. No liningclearance adjustments are required, since these are achieved automatically. Re-placement of linings is very quick.
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