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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0516.PDF
O"" 308 FLIGHT APRIL IOTH, 1947 (Left). At the spar frame in way of ventilating duct the bracing struts carry faired cappings. Details of floor structure, chine reinforce- ment, fuselage frame and stringer arrangement, etc., can be discerned. AIRSPEED AMBASSADOR rather than four entails smaller aerodynamic penalties. Having decided upon what must be regarded as a high- efficiency aircraft, there came the business of designing a structure within the boundaries laid dpwn. It is at this poin,t that, more often than not, battle is waged between the claims of performance and production. In this case there was no battle; the claims of production were not , allowed to obtrude. To evaluate and reach a judgment on such a case as this would need a deal of space. But 'perhaps it is sufficient to say that, since the aircraft is unlikely to be produced in great quantities, the decision not to prostitute the design by compromises for ease of produc- tion is undeniably a right one. Economy is Efficiency It should not be assumed from these remarks that the aircraft is particularly difficult to make; it is not. But it certainly cannot be classified as a " production " machine. If, for example, an order for 50 Ambassadors is placed, the initial cost is likely to be a little higher than would' apply were the aircraft less refined. But, by the same token, a "coarser" machine would not have the Ambassador's qualities to offer. Just as Kelvin's dictum "science is measurement " is a truism, so also can it be postulated that economy is efficiency; on this basis we feel that Airspeeds have taken the right course, for although the AS.57 might COst slightly more initially than a rival aircraft, the greater efficiency should pay for the higher first cost in a fairly short time, and the best is, as with almost every other commodity, cheapest in the long run. In aesthetic terms the Ambassador is a very beautiful airciaft indeed, its quality of line bespeaking the thorough- bred with that indefinable something which, however in- tangible, is immediately recognizable. (Right). Starboard rearspar frame showing typical wing/fuselageattachment by high- tensile steel strapfittings for lift and side loads. (Left). Detail oftypical window showing strength-ening box struc- ture and sectionsof units. The large amount ofstiffen ng isneces- sary since thewindow area is relatively great. One of the first nociceable things that strikes the observer - when examining the aircraft is the relative paucity of extruded sections used in its composition; there was, how-,J ever, no deliberate intention to avoid the use of suchf*' members and the fact is merely noted with interest. \ Viewing the machine as a composition, the wings ana i fuselage can be broken down into quite separate units which are joined by very simple attachments at the centre section. Taking the fuselage first, the initial impression one obtains is that of a basically orthodox structure of frames and stringers, seemingly complicated by the rather elabor- ate stiffening provided at the window and door cut-outs. This is a case in point of the lack of extrusions; quite obviously where cut-outs of relatively large area occur in a stressed fabric they have to be surrounded by some- what heavier structure to balance, and this is usually pro- vided in the form of extrusions. In the Ambassador case, however, a rather complicated boxed fabrication is em- ployed. This may possibly be lighter than a comple- mentary case using extrusions. Without going into the details very fully it is not possible to judge, but it is details like this that preclude the aircraft being assessed as a "production" machine.
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