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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1213.PDF
July z^th, J947 INING CABIN 32 SEATS LOUNGE & BAR GENTS' DRESSING ROOM LADIES' ON STARBOARD SIDE MAIN ENTRANCE FOYER « CLOAKS REAR ENTRANCE & CLOAKS cot ltd brobozon, are designed to carry 100 passengers at high altitude, non-stop from London to « general layout of the cabins and compartments, but no attempt has been made to indicate the final tor, and the production aircraft, powered with eight Proteus airscrew turbines, may go into service In (950. First full-scale pressure tests are scheduled to be carried out during the next few days. Previously a complete nose section has been tested with satisfactory results. The particular date for these first pressure tests of the complete fuselage has been chosen to coincide with the works' holi- day week, as it would be inadvisable, in view of the possi- bility of a panel blowing out, to have people working in the. hangar. It is intended with the use of outside compressors, to "blow up" the 25,000 cu ft fuselage to 5.5 lb/sq in MMKNOEM(HUrtmtm Nil til DM^ ' no.ooniit CMtntNtt•WED (MaiMium) omniDus, grown w scale, gives an astonishing indication of the size of the Brabazon and an Empire flying boat. above atmospheric pressure, and the capacity of the com- pressors is such that this pressure should be reached in 15 minutes. Expansion of a fuselage of such tremendous size presents no small problem, and although an internal pressure differ- ence of 5.5 lb will cause an increase of only $ in in length and £ in in diameter, the effect of extremes of temperature (between -60 deg C and +40 deg C) would be a length- wise expansion of no less than 4^ in. A special test ob- servation room has been built on the outside of the hangar wall, and these preliminary tests of air tightness will be observed through a reinforced window in the wall. One square inch of leakage area over the 30,000 square feet of skin is permitted. In flight, pressure will be maintained with the aid of Nonnalair blowers. Move to the Awembly Hangar The first movement of the Brabazon I is expected to take place in September or early October, when it is transferred to its specially built T-shaped assembly hangar, which has a total capacity of 33,000,060 cu ft. A turntable will be •built into the floor of the present constructional hangar to aid in the removal of the airframe to its final assembly site, and by planning every movement inch by inch it has been found unnecessary to move any of the buildings on either side of the path taken by the airframe, although at first it was thought that this would be essential. Some idea of the enormous size and capacity of the 167 series may be gained from the accompanying outline draw- ings upon which are superimposed silhouettes of the familiar Empire flying boat and of a London omnibus. If all goes well the first B.O.A.C. 167 should be ready for North Atlantic service in 1950, but it is much too early to discuss plans for operating the machines or to know whether they might be considered for use on other routes. Four years from now, American operators will be flying air-
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