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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1882.PDF
494 FLIGHT OCTOBER 30TH, 1947 Proposed Fulfilment Turning now to the general design of the aircraft, I feel that Sir Roy Fedden's first suggestion of putting two engines in the nose, with a bent shaft driving twin air- screws, is not the ideal layout. First of all, there would be considerable noise from the engines in front; secondly, the bent shaft with universal joints would probably cause trouble at the wrong time, and it would, at any rate, be heavier than straight shafts. Thirdly, I do not feel that two airscrews are really essential. Furthermore, the pas- sengers would be over the wing, if not slightly behind it, and their view would be considerably obstructed. The second suggestion of the twin boom is better, but there again I do not consider two airscrews are necessary, and the twin tail boom arrangement is needlessly expen- sive. In a study I have made of an aircraft of the size suggested by Sir Roy Fedden, it seems to me that the single fuselage with the two engines located approximately on the e.g., with all the passengers and pilot forward, and with the two engines driving one airscrew through two clutches and a gear box, gives the simplest and cheapest arrangement. Other advantages of this are that the passengers are in the best position for obtaining an un- obstructed view of the countryside. Secondly, they are in the place where there is the minimum of noise and, lastly, this arrangement lends itself to very simple construc- tion. By making the aircraft in magnesium, the fuselage and the wings can be of pure monocoque construction, so that the total number of parts required is reduced to the very minimum, and a structure weight of about 25 per cent of the all-up weight can be obtained. Again, this aircraft, which has no bulbous projection for a windscreen as the upper portion of the nose is made of Perspex, gives mini- mum drag and maximum view. The new magnesium mate- rials which have been developed, such as the magnesium zirconium alloy, not only have considerably increased the physical properties of the previous alloys but, at the EARLY last week the British ElectricTraction Company, Ltd., in co- operation with Westland Aircraft, Ltd., staged a helicopter demonstration at Dungeness for the Elder Brethren of Trinity House and the Committee of Management of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The denySnstra tion was divided into three designed to show that the helicopte not only a practical flying machine, but that it is capable of performing sterling service in coastal and marine rescue work. Mr. Alan Bristow, flying a Westland- Sikorsky S.51 (top speed 103 m.p.h.), first showed the handling charac- teristics of the machine, and the pre- cise degree of control with which it can be operated, by hovering a few feet above the ground, flying forward, backward and sideways, and lastly by alighting upon the same spot from which he had left the ground. The second and third phases of the trials were more spectacular. Mr. Norman Hill, of the British Electric Traction Company, acted as a live load and was lifted from the ground and The transfer of Mr. Norman Hill from the lighthouse gallery to a waiting life- boat. Data for a new type of harness were collected. HELICOPTER I&SCUE time, reduce the corrosion difficulties to a negligible point, being made of purer magnesium than hitherto. On another detail, however, I disagreed with Sir Roy Fedden, or perhaps I should say I disagreed with those who requested certain items of equipment. I refer to the suggestion that lavatory accommodation should be provided in this aircraft. These things want looking at from the sensible point of view. If this is to be provided then the fuselage should be tall enough for a man to stand up in, or at any rate it should be 5ft 6in high. As a circular fuselage is cheaper, in my opinion, than any other shape, and 5ft 6in is not required in the width to obtain the seating accommodation desired, it does not seem to me to be a commercial proposition to include a lavatory. Looking at it from the point of view of necessity, there are thousands of people in this world who think nothing of travelling ten hours a day in a car, but I have yet tt meet with a request that a lavatory should be incorporated in one. It may be argued that you can pull up at a pub, but surely it would be more reasonable to land after three hours or so and stretch your legs than add several hundred pounds of weight to the aircraft, plus extra drag, all of which would make the price of using the lavatory, if calculated, look ridiculous. Even if an aircraft has a range of 1,000 miles and is flying at 200 m.p.h., I am quite certain the average user will land after two or three hours to break the monotony of the journey—lavatory or no lavatory. Lastly, I would like to say that I believe a twin-engine aircraft, designed on the lines I have mentioned above, could be designed for an all-up weight of less than 5,000 lb to cruise at 200 m.p.h. on less horse power than given by Sir Roy Fedden. It would carry four passengers and pilot, with 2oaJ6^£>$ baggage, at a price that would make it a commerciM»proposition to large firms requiring this means of transact for the use of their executives. Whair-I want now, to do this job, is a suitable engine ^treasonable price and a reasonable specific consump- of fuel. TRIALS • transferred to the Dungeness light- house gallery and from the gallery to the roof of the Low Light engine house. A method of picking up men from lighthouses, shore, ship or wreck, and conveying them to safety was demonstrated in the third part of the display when Mr. Hill was lifted from the lighthouse gallery, as our picture shows, and lowered into a lifeboat standing by in choppy seas below. It is emphasized that the trials, which were highly successful, were part of a serious experimental pro- gramme and were not performed as a publicity stunt. Valuable data for the design of a suitable harness have been collected from the trials. The British Electric Traction Com- pany hopes to take delivery of a fleet of Westland-Sikorsky S51S within less than twelve months. These will be made available for charter hire opera- tions in coastal and other areas of the British Isles, for Trinity House, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institu- tion. It is realized that the demand for relief or rescue purposes may be only occasional, but when a demand is made, however, it will be of extreme urgency, and the Company is willing to enter into an arrangement which will ensure that an aircraft is avail- able. «•]
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