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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0145.PDF
JANUARY 3OTH, 1947 FLIGHT 107- Ambassadorial Ingenuity Interesting Features of the Airspeed AS-57 : Aerodynamic Cleanliness •s Without Loss of Accessibility : Designing to an Ideal WHEN the prototype AS-57 Ambassador has flownin the late spring it will be time enough to dealwith this Brabazon 2a type in complete detail. In the meantime, however, it will be interesting to show the way in which, during the past year of development work, some of the various design and structural problems, large and small, have been successfully solved. There is no doubt that, in many ways, the AS-57 is one of the most ingeniously conceived and executed pro- jects we have yet seen. In Flight of October 25th, 1945, this post-interim transport was described in some detail, and the various features of the design were outlined. At that time, the aircraft itself consisted of little more than a few specially fabricated test wing sections and similar items, and, though the design had already been planned in detail by Mr. A. E. Hagg, the chief designer and tech- nical director, and his assistants, practical experience often causes considerable modifications to initial ideas. In fact, there have been very few divergencies from the original conception. Which says much both for the essentially practical nature of the conception—to be expec- ted from a team led by one with such a long background of experience—and for the efforts which have been made during the past year. The first prototype is now nearing completion, with the fuselage and centre-wing structure finished, and the iaminar-flow outer wings ready for attachment. The last provide evidence of a considerable engineering achieve- ment with such a thin-section, high span-thickness ratio design. An unusually thick skin is used, this taking care of bending and torsional loads while retaining an absolutely smooth surface. Each of the root ends of the outer wings forms 500- gallon integral tanks, while there is provision in the centre wmg—which actually forms part of the fuselage—for the installation of two separate 300-gallon tanks. Incident- ally, these integral tanks are not only accessible on all sides, but the immersion-pump motors are outside and may con- sequently be removed and replaced without draining and delving in the inspection manhole. The fuselage, which is in three sections, is of near-per- fect aerodynamic form, and it is only a pity that pressur-ization, in the case of the second prototype, will demand the use of mushroom-headed rivets here in place of theflush-riveting of the first aircraft. Otherwise the entire structure has an appearance of academic perfection. Someprice must, of course, be paid for this in manufacturing man-hours and consequent cost, but this should be re-turned in operating economy both in the air and while on the ground. There are no signs that efficiency has beenobtained at any cost of maintenance accessibility—in fact, Attachment points of wingto fuselage at the rear spar on the starboard side of thecabin. The front spar ar- rangement is similat.
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