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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1442.PDF
FLIGHT JULY 25TH, 1946 NAPIER FLIGHT DEVELOPMENT lar circumstances, suffered severe damage to engine installa-tion and radiator. Vulnerability in combat has also been investigated, and an M.A.P. report is being jgrepared on theeffect of firing tests on a sample cast cowl used as a bullet deflector.Temperatures for a Tempest using the annular radiator but no cooling fan show tropical suitability for both oil and coolantunder climb conditions, while the underslung installation has equivalent coolant suitability but is unsuitable on the oilside. Ground cooling for the annular installation was tested by prolonged taxying and running-up, and proved satisfactoryfor a normal taxying run of over a mile and for running-up at 3,000 r.p.m., for up to three and a half minutes.The effect of the installation on handling from the pilot's point of view as compared with the standard Tempest V is tolengthen slightly the take-off run probably due to the smaller airscrew diameter. In level flight the aircraft is more direc-tionally stable, more "sensitive to elevator control, and as a tesult of the stability, increased, rudder effort is required inturns. Elevator and rudder control are improved on the glide, £ind the landing characteristics are better, due to a certainamount of float after flattening out, which permits tail-down landings to be made at will.Following experience with the annular installation for the Tempest, two similar Sabre Vis were fitted to a Vickers War-wick C. Mk. III. The major difference in this case was the provision of -engine-driven cooling fans in view of the loweroperational speeds. The Warwick was also found to need long exhaust pipes to protect the wingsfrom the hot gases. This addition reduces its speed to a little over 300 knots, the figure towhich the fabric coverirug limits the aircraft. The size of the aircraft enables more detailedinvestigations of engine conditions to be made, and in this connection a special automatic camerarecorder is carried which accommodates 115 instru- ments. The majority of these are altimeters usedas pressure gauges to investigate airflow conditions iu and around the annular radiators. The War-wick looks and feels good with Sabre engines and the positive surge of power on take-off or onopening the throttles when cruising is most pleasant. A comparison of power plant weights for theoriginal Double Wasp (without starter) and for the Sabre engines (with Coffman starter and breech)is given below. One of the most ingenious features on the annu-lar installation is the cowling which can be re- moved and replaced within two minutes. Twoseparate large panels abcne and below the exhaust pipes on each side are each attached by twoNapier quick-release toggle fasteners. For the Wjrwk-k in^riiilption the lower panels hinge On the left is seen the standard Napier-designed ignition tester, while right is the new airborne version which weighs only 15 lb. ' downward, and supports enable the panels to be used as plat- forms for engine maintenance. A special light ladder has also been designed for use with the cowling platforms. Ignition Testers In 1942 the first Napier ignition tester was designed andmanufactured by the English Electric Company. Develop- ment during the intervening years has culminated in the oro- On the Warwick annular Sabre installation the lower cowling section is designed for use as a platform. The specially-designed and extremely light ladder should be noted. Left to right, Messrs. F. S. Lester, Flight Test Engineer ; H. Ball, Chief Ground Engineer ; C. F. Vickers, Chief Installation Designer; and C. L. Cowdrey, Chief Installation Engineer. The Napier test pilots on the tarmac at Luton are, left to right: H. K. Cartwright, M. Hkndrup (Chief Test Pilot), A. Sutcliffe, and J. F. Olver.
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