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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0043.PDF
JANUARY 8TH, 1948 FLIGHT 37 The designer has usually made his tailplane thinner than the wing, so that the main wing will tend to stall earlier than the tail. Also, the tailplane is in a region of reduced airspeed, due to the presence of wing and body ; the lower speed, while reducing tail effectiveness, also delays the onset of compressibility, thus enabling the tail to remain effective even after the wing has stalled. The concluding section of the paper dealt with recent work on detail improvements made in the tunnel equip- ment. The tunnel staff have turned their attention to the development of new techniques, in the hope that it will be possible to extend the usefulness of the tunnel. Two methods have been employed to.reduce blockage. One is the reduction in size, or elimination, of the model supports ; the other is a reduction in the overall size of the models. By this means, and by re-designing the working-section fillets, it has been possible to test models over a range of fvlach Numbers up to 0.94. With a model of 2ft 6in span, •upported on a sting instead of on struts, it was possible to attain a Reynolds Number of 0.5 x io6. Originally the method of model support did not allow of drag measure- ments, but this has now been made possible. The sting is supported by means of links so that it is free to move fore and aft, the movement being restrained by a spring. A design is now in hand to mount the sting support from the main balance. This should improve the rigidity and make it easier to adjust the flow conditions or control the choking in the tunnel. By these methods, and by adjust- ing the working-section fillets, it is hoped to extend the useful range to speeds of 0.96. By further re-design of the tunnel fillets it will be possible to run the tunnel super- sonically, thus approaching the velocity of sound from speeds in excess of M = i.o. Attention is also being given to the development of the "half-model " technique, which will eliminate interference and the blockage caused by model supports. It will permit larger models to be used, so increasing the Reynolds Number, or for a given size of model it will reduce the blockage caused by the model. THE «IR LINER THAT "BUNTED /CONCERNING the incident in America when a pilot lockedv_^ the elevator and the aircraft subsequently did a "bunt," which was described so graphically by "Kibitzer" in hisAmerican Newsletter, we have received a communication from the only English passenger in the machine, Mr. Herbert C.Ryland, a London accountant, who was hurt badly enough to have to be taken to hospital. Mr. Ryland pays a warmtribute to the second pilot, Mr. Mel. Logan (who righted the machine), for his cool head and great skill. His parting wordsas Mr. Ryland left in a relief aircraft were: "Boy, for the lif ill b lii on bop- SfiPAN MODERN CUSTOMS as Mr. Ryland left in a relief aircraft wee y, rest of your life you will be living on bop-owed time! " HARMONIZING OLD SfiPANISH AND. ~ MODER CUI N Mexico, the government and Aeronautical Radio de MexicoS.A., have assisted Lineas Aereas Mexicanas, S.A. (LAMSA), a subsidiary of United Air Lines, to set up a comprehensivesystem of airport lighting and navigational aids. The instal- lations along the entire North-South system of the airlineinclude revolving beacons and radio range stations, there being beacons at Juarez, Chihuahua, Torreon, Coahuila, LaColorada, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi and radio ranges at Torreon, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, La Colorada, Jiminez,Chihuahua and Neuva Casas Grandes. Mazatlan already had radio facilities. All the ranges are of the low-frequency, four-course type operating on 200-400 kc. Further co-operation is being received from the Church. Itis an old custom in parts of the country to take a pot at auy attractive target. This includes revolving beacons, naturally,and the Church, besides using its influence on behalf of the beacons, is also wiring the church spire at Torreon to light upwith the airport lights. bers of his staff and Mr. Malcolm Brown, general manager of Percival Aircraft (Canada), Ltd. i -. -, A X U.S. AIRLINES ECONOMYIRLINES in America, flying more aircraft on more routes than ever before, are lacing the need for better methodsof operation. Unofficial figures show^ th'at during the first half of last year operating revenue rose 19 per cent over thatof the first half of 1946, but at the same time expenses in- creased by 31.4 per cent. Since the end of the war the addi-tion of some 350 four-engined and 120 twin-engined aircraft raised the total American commercial fleet to more than 900and the route mileage flown in the United States has increased from 46,000 before the war to 115,000 at the present time.The airlines are therefore looking for economy on the ground through savings in booking and other administrativeexpenses. The^ " Union Station" type airports, at Cincinnati, Ohio,and Willow Run, near Detroit, are being watched with interest, since they have been converted into terminals capable of serv-ing 20 four-engined aircraft at a time, providing servicing arrangements, fast booking, passenger information and bag-gage handling facilities. These airports will endeavour to save the airlines about 33 per cent of their previous ground operat-ing costs. y CL THE CLEVELAND RACES ^ ^ URTHER to our notice in Flight (December 4^1^947) re-garding R.A.F. participation at the U.S. ^israonal Air Races we now understand that no definite invitation has beenextended to the Royal Air Force. The National Air Races will be held in Cleveland on Septem-ber 4th, 5th and 6th with qualifying trials on August 31st, September 1st and 2nd, and the hope is that a more thanusually attractive meeting will be arranged as the convention of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale is to be held inCleveland during the preceding week. The question of R.A.F. fighter participation is, we under-stand, determinable chiefly as a dollar question. It would mean shipping the aircraft to America and, of course, the con-sumption of dollars whilst over there. We further understand that if any Fighter Command representation were to be givenit would most likely be by the Odiham Vampire squadron. •There would, apparently, be little likelihood of entry for anyof the races and the presence of a unit of the Royal Air Force at the meeting would, as in the past, be confined purely to ademonstration. WINTERIZING THE PRENTICEF ULL winterization tests of the ©fercival Prentice, which hasbeen adopted as the standard basic trainer by the R.A.F., are being carried out at Edmonton, Canada, under the direc-tion of Mr. G. W. Wilson, of the Ministry of Supply. Senior officers of the R.C.A.F. have been following the tests closely,among them A.V-M. Guthrie, A.O.C. of the Canadian North- West Air Command, who recently visited Edmonton with mem- FORTHCOMING EVENTS Jan. 14th.—Royal United Service Institution : " High Command of the Armed Forces." Air Vice-Marshal E. J. Kinzston-McClcuehry, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C. Jan. !5th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : Joint lecture with the Institute of Fuel. " Gas Turbine Accessory Systems." O. N. Lawrence, A.F.R.Ae.S. Jan. 15th.—R.Ae.S. (Gloucester and Cheltenham) : Film on Rocket Flight. Jan. 16th.—Institute of Navigation : " Grid Navigation nnd its Allied Problems," S/l_. R. H. Blackmore. Jan. 17th.—Royal Aeronautical Society Reception at No. 4, Hamilton Place. Jan. 20th;—R.Ae.S. (Bristol). Debate. Jan. 20th.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates and Students) Helicopter Films. Com- mentary by Captain Cyril Turner, A.F.C. Jan. 24th.—Royal Aeronautical Society Reception at No. 4, Hamilton Place Jan 24th.—Helicopter Association of Gt. Britain : Lecture by H. M. Yeatman, M.A., A.F.R.Ae.S. Jan. 28th.—Royal United Service Institution : " Resistance Movements in War." Maj. Gen. Sir Colin Gubbins, K.C.M.G., D.S.O., M.C Jan. 29th.—R.Ae.S. (Manchester): " Pressurization." G. Beardshall. Jan. 29th.—R.Ae.S. (Preston) : " Photographic Interpretation of Bomber Offensive Against Germany." S Ldr. G. A. Morris, O.B.E. Jan. 29th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : " Flight Testing of Helicopters." W. Stewart, B.Sc. Teb. 3rd.—R.Ae.S. (Belfast) ; " High-Speed Right." Dr. Hilton. Feb. 4th.—R.Ae.S. (Gloucester and Cheltenham) : " Air Operations in the Battle of Britain." Feb. 4th.—R.Ae.S. (Luton) : " Some Problems in Civil Aviation." N. E. Rowe, C.B.E., B.Sc., D.I.C., F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 4th.—R.Ae.S. (Southampton) : " Structure Testing." P. B. Walker M.A., Ph.D., F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 6th.—Institute of Navigation : " A New System of Compass Correc- tion." Dr. G. N. Harvey, O.B.E. Feb. 10th.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates and Students) : " Stability and Control Problems." D. J. Lyons. Feb. 12th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : " The Aerodynamics of the Gas Turbine." A. R. Howell. Feb. 18th.—Royal United Service Institution : "The Strategic Offensive Against Germany." Air Chief Marshal Sir Norman Bottomley, K.C.B., C.I.E.. D.S.O., A.F.C. Feb. 23rd.—R.Ae.S. (Bristol) : " Accidents and Their Investigation." Air Commodore Vernon Brown, C.B., O.B.E., M.A., F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 25th.—Royal United Service Institution : " The Home Fleet in the War." Vice Admiral Sir Patrick Brind, K.C.B., C.B.E. Feb. 25th.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates and Students): "Suction Aerofoils" B. Thwaitej. Feb. 26th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : " Evolution of the Design of an Aeroplane." Prof. R. L. Lickley, B.Sc., D.I.C., F.R.Ae.S. Feb. 26th.—R.Ae.S. (Manchester) : " Naval Aircraft." Capt. Fancourt, R.N.
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