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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0175.PDF
February 5/A, 1948 151 civil form, the selected design (G.A.L. 60, or Universal Transport) is the subject of these preliminary notes. Though amenable to all manner of internal arrangements, the Universal is by nature a highly specialized aircraft. The purpose underlying its design is the carriage, from relatively small airfields, and in adverse atmospheric conditions, of high-percentage payloads over medium stages (i.e., up to i.ooo miles). In an aircraft of this class, high speed is not a primary consideration ; nevertheless, Mr. P. F. Crocombe, Technical Director and Chief Designer to General Aircraft, and his staff, are to be complimented on having designed a machine which promises to cruise at 170 m.p.h. at a low engine output. The commercial poten- tialities of the Universal can be briefly stated as: 13.4 tons for 500 miles at gfd per ton/mile. Detailed analytical comparisons have been made by General Aircraft, Ltd., between air transport, as repre- sented by the Universal, and surface transport. It has been stSJIld, for instance, that for relatively short distances, i.e., up to 1,000 miles, air freight rates work out at 140 per cent of the surface transport rate, and as an example, the Manchester to Stockholm route (860 miles by air) is quoted. The air transport rate computed for the Universal is 9.id per pound and the inclusive surface transport rate 6.6d per pound. These figures are, however, illusory unless reference is made to the time factor. A hypothetical cargo of 180 tons is considered. The flying time (block-to-block speed of 154 m.p.h.) is 5.6 hours, but it is necessary to make allowance for delivery at the airport and for loading. A generous figure is considered to be seven hours, with a similar allowance at the destination for unloading and ACCESS DOOR TO WING BRISTOL HERCULES 761 ENGINES AND ROTOL REVERSIBLE-HTCH AIRSCREWS GENERAL AIRCRAFT UNIVERSAL TRANSPORT Four Bristol Hercules 761 engines driving Rotol reversible- pitch airscrews DIMENSIONS Span 162ft Length ... 99ft Height 31ft Wing area 2,91* sq ft WEIGHTS Weight empty ..r 60.2501b All-up weight 95,0001b LOADINGS Wing loading ... 32.6lb/sq ft Power loading . I2.2!b/h.p. PERFORMANCE Maximum speed 240 m.p.h. at 13,500ft Cruising speed 170 m.p.h. at 8,000ft Landing speed (full load) ... ... 85 m.p.h. Still-air range with payload of 12.72 tons 752 miles „ „ „ „ „ 11.33 tons 1,072 miles „ „ „ „ „ 9.70 tons 1,455 miles „ 8.15 tons 1,835 miles DOOR-CLOSING JACKS WmM "V- I CARGO | COMPARTMENT | I LIGHTING I J DOOR-LOCKING i JACKS HYDRAULIC JACKS OPERATING RAMP m-
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