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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0435.PDF
MARCH 27TH, 1947 FLIGHT 265 THE BRABAZON I. nominal size was adopted, and the rivets then issued with the appropriate drill Jlor the particular batch of rivets sup- plied, so ensuring that every rivet was a satisfactory fit in its hole. Additionally, ratios of stem length to diameter were established which gave the best head form, and these were closely followed by the riveters. In this fashion an effective insurance against pressure leakage is made by what can be termed purely structural methods. Reliance on pressure-sealing is, however, vested in the covering of all joints between skin panels with a rubber-base solution, Peratol, which is sprayed on and cures, or hardens, after contact with the air. All trans- verse skin joints are made as butts with an internal strap ; all longitudinal joints are lap-type. Fuselage Construction There are three main longerons in the fuselage, one on the roof centre-line and the other two low down on the base curvature. The "ridge-beam" is made up of two light rolled channels placed back-to-back to form an I-beam ; but the bottom longerons are L-section extrusions, the lower arm of the L being curved according to the skin contour. Above and below the windows run extruded channel stringers-cum-longerons. The floor runs at much the same level throughout the Detail of joint between roof"ridge-beam" longeron and the front - spar frame. fuselage except (i) at the flight deck and tail end, where it is raised a few inches, and (ii) in the central trunk portion, where it is raised to a height tangential with the wing centre-section top surface. Beneath this central floor, and forward of the centre-section front spar, is the galley (or kitghen perhaps in an aircraft of this size), whilst above is the bar lounge. The floor structure is simple and very light, comprising transverse channel beams forming a chord of the fuselage frame arcs, and made up of plate webs with extruded angle flanges. These beams are spanned by rolled Z-section fore and aft intercostals riveted to the beam webs with shear cleats. Each alternate transverse beam is supported by vertical tubes picking up at the foot to a frame and stringer. Five bulkheads divide the fuselage. The first occurs at the rear of the flight deck, and is stabilized on both faces with large extruded members, those on the forward face being of channel-section and those on the rear face Z- section. Vertical posts of channel-section—which become i-secrjon lower down—are fitted on the rear face and pick up to the side walls of the nose-wheel well. These side walls are diaphragms which pick up to the vertical flanges of the main longerons and are finished at their top edges with L-extrusions forming T-booms. The nose-wheel well extends back about 11 ft from No. 1 bulk- Longitudinal skin joints are all lapped downward, whilstvertical joints are of butt-type to an internal strap. head, and one frame aft of the well's rear transverse wall is the second bulkhead to which the side walls of the well extend. No. 2 bulkhead has a flush forward face, the vertical and horizontal Z-extrusions for stabilizing being on the rear face. However, channels which blend into I- sections are fitted vertically on the front face to pick up the nose-wheel well side-wall extensions, and about 7ft 6in above the floor an extruded lintel member of Z-section is also fitted on the forward face. The third bulkhead is a fairly light structure stabilized with vertical and horizontal rolled Z-strips on its after face, and fitted with square-section hollow extruded door frame- posts of light gauge. Immediately aft of this bulkhead is a staircase leading down, port and starboard to the galley, and a central staircase leading up to the bar lounge. Special Spar Webs About halfway along the fuselage trunk portion, where the front spar passes through the body, it is formed with a diaphragm web for pressure-sealing purposes, and this web is carried up on each side in crescent-like arms to form a "horseshoe," the tips of which are brought together on the roof centre-line. The periphery of the member is bounded by a solid extrusion of large dfmensions which, of square-section centrally on each side, is progressively machined away to an L-section at top and bottom.. The interior profile of the horseshoe is bounded by a channel- Stringer joint at rear pressure diaphragm showing '' swordfittings piercing the diaphragm periphery.
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