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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2270.PDF
5*8 NOVEMBER 14TH, 1946 MILITARY AIRCRAFT T A pointer to the design of future single-jet fighters is provided by the Vickers-Armstrongs (Supermarine) E.10/44 Some Thoughts on Possible Developments in the Near Future FOR the greater part the British military aircraft sur-veyed on pages 523 et seq are of wartime design.This implies no recalcitrance in the Ministry olSupply, responsible for directing our technical develop- ment, nor lethargy among British manufaqturers, whohave the choice of translating official specifications more or less literally, or of interpreting them freely as "PrivateVentures." Some of the types are indisputably more efficient thancomparable machines of other countries—comparable, that is, in duty, date of design and state of development—and those which can hardly be termed "world-beaters" are the equals of foreign counterparts. Beyond Air Marshal Coryton's pronouncement that allfuture fighters for the Royal Air Force will be jet-pro- pelled, little or nothing has been declared which mightserve as a guide to current British policy as it affects Service aircraft development. In particular, enquiries con-cerning the nature of future R.A.F. bombers—their size and weight,whether of flying-wing, tail-less or conventional layout, if jet or turbine-airscrew-propelled, armed or un- armed—remain unanswered. 'How often the question is put, " Isthe big bomber obsolete? " and how- trying it can be to arrive at what isimplied by "big." Many people do not readily comprehend that bulk is,or should be, determined first by the radius of action demanded (this ismanifested as fuel load); next by the hypothesis that the bomb load shouldbe commensurate with range (there being little point in flying a great dis-tance to drop a small bomb); and finally, by the armament and/or crewprovision to ensure safe delivery of the load over the prescribed distance. Questions of the same order are"Which is better—the single-jet or multi-jet fighter? " and "How manyguns should a fighter have? " While avoiding undue controversyit is possible to set down some of tht major problems now besetting designers and some possible solutions which suggest themselves, and thusarrive at the probable characteristics The world's fastest fighter with twinpiston engines, the D.H Hornet com- bines long range with exceptionalperformance. of aircraft which might reasonably be expected to materialize within two to five years. This will be done with particular reference to British intentions, so far as they are known, to British gas-turbine power plants now available for installation in "development" aircraft, and to material shown at Paris. Concerning fighter development, it has already been pointed out in Flight that operational requirements are not likely to be immediately and radically revised, and that the demand will persist for two basic classes—a single- seat day fighter and a multi-seat machine for night and bad-weather work. This classification is, of course, elemen- tary and at present embraces most of the so-called special- ized designs, e.g., army-support and low-altitude fighters, high-altitude intercepters, naval fighters and intruders. Emphasis is likely to be placed on the development ofturbine-jet-propelled intercepters, at present exemplified by the peerless Meteor Mk. IV, displayed at Paris both by theR.A.F. and by the Gloster company. These fighters may have supplemen-tary liquid-rocket propulsion for climb and in some instances are likelyto depart considerably from the lay- out of the familiar Meteor, amply asthis has justified its designer's confi- dence. Many and varied possibilitiesare offered the designer of the future multi-jet fighter. A typical twin-jet fighter four orfive years hence may well have twin axial-flow power plants of 5,000-6,000 lb thrust apiece mounted in- board, and if the designer makes thebest use of aerodynamic expedients—- for example swept-back surfac^speeds close to 70b m.p.h. may be realized. It will be noted that axial-flow unitshave been specified for such an air- rraft. Present indications are thatthis form will be favoured and that the larger-diameter units with centri-fugal compressors, at present exempli- fied by the Rolls-Royce Nene and deHavilland Ghost, will be adapted mote readily to single jet fighters thepossible design of which is already expressed in the SupermarineE.10/44 A machine on the lines of
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