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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0326.PDF
FLIGHT MARCH IITH, 1948 Tudor "In the Air" (b) Airscrew controls,(e) Slow running. (c) Ignition can see only the port outer, seem very remote. There is no vibration as they are opened-up for taxying, the sound is distant, and the slight springiness and delay in response to the throttle controls accentuates the impression. To CHECK BEFORE TAXYING Radiator shutter switches to "manually open." Pilot's instru-ment panel air pressure 450 lb/sq in. Navigator's panel vacuum gauge 5 inches minimum. me, the Tudor appeared to swing round with almost alarm- ing ease and rapidity, and we were soon bowling smoothly along the perimeter track. The smooth and extremely effective action of the brakes was reassuring, and I success- fully passed a parked Lincoln without getting a wheel on to the grass. No other aircraft were using the airfield at the tinje, so I lined-up Star Leopard on the runway with care, and the engineer then went through the running-up and take-off check procedures with me. We translated inches of boost ON RUN-UP Check:—(a) Superchargers systems, (d) Engine powers. TAKE-OFF CHECK Gyropilot speed valve open. Instruments engaged. Oil pump on.Trimming tubs. Rudder, aileron and elevator all neutral. Air- screw pitch levers fully forward. Fuel system. Check contents. Master cocks on. Cross-feed cockoff. Booster pumps on. Flaps. Set at maximum lift at 62.5 per cent travel.Check radiator shutters on auto. Oil temperature 25 deg C mini- mum. Superchargers in M.S. gear (red lights out). Hot and coldair intakes switches off. Flow-meter by-pass switch off. Finally, clear engines and make sure aircraft is lined up on runway withtail wheel central. into pounds and decided that, as the all-up weight was not more than 70,000 lb, throttles at the gate to give plus 12 lb boost would be sufficient on the 1,600-yard runway. Full throttle through the gate gives + 20 lb boost. Percent- age flap and the equivalent degree figure were discussed, and about 25 degrees was lowered. Maximum travel is 40 degrees. It should, perhaps, be mentioned here that I was pur- posely being left to apply what knowledge I had of Lan- casters, Stirlings, etc., to the Tudor, and to get on with the flying in my own way unless I asked for advice or appeared to be about to make a goon move. This seemed a very fair way of proving the Tudor's qualities and of helping me to obtain an unbiased impression. In view of past criticisms, the take-off was one of the particular points of interest of the flight. The runway was not very even, being gently stepped downhill, and a nedium-strong wind was blowing from a little to port, about twenty degrees off the runway. After the careful lining-up already mentioned, I released the brakes and opened up rather gingerly, and corrected the slight early Tendency to swing to port without difficulty, using rudder and throttles. As speed built up to about 60 knots, and the tail lifted, there was a further slight tendency to swing to port, and this was corrected with rudder alone. Better anticipation on my part would have prevented the second swing tendency altogether. Finally, with a rather ham-handed movement (I hadn't realised that there was so much left) I pushed the throttles through the other half of their travel up to the gate, and the engineer took over. This last movement resulted in a roar from the Merlins and a healthy shove in the back, and we flew off almost at once with at least two hundjfsl yards to spare and speed building up from 105 to 120 kfy It must be stressed that the swing tendency mentioned was very slight indeed, and that at first I had opened the throttles rather jerkily. It would also have*been better to have opened all four throttles evenly to give, say, — 2 lb boost against the brakes, instead of moving off from fast idling position as I had done. Once wheels and flap were up, and r.p.m. and boost had been adjusted for climb, I turned about and made for a clear patch to the south. I had taken off with all trimmers neutral and had not noticed any appreciable change of trim as wheels and flap came up. A very small adjustment. of the elevator wheel settled the machine in a steady climb at about 650 ft/min, with forward speed of around 140 kt. As we climbed, I tried a few turns and was surprised to find how light and effective the ailerons were. Except on the changeover, or rapid initiation of a turn with 30 deg or more of bank, there is no need to use rudder. At first I did too much with the rudder pedals on the climb, for the reason that any suggestion of crossed controls, lack of trim, or, more particularly, turbulence in the air, translates itself into a slight lateral shudder in the Tudors (and on some other large aircraft). One feels this occa- sional shimmy through the seat and instinctively tenses on the rudder pedals, anticipating the need to correct yaw. After levelling out in calmer air above cloud I did not feel this movement again. Flying as a passenger in the Tudor VII last year I had noticed a similar sensation in bumpy atmosphere. It did not take long to settle down and feel comfortable and at home when cruising round with a low power setting at about 8,000ft and a speed of 160 kt I.A.S. The pilot can see just enough of the aircraft nose to give him a sight for level flight, and the field of view is better than on most pressurized aircraft of this size or larger. There was a job to be done on this flight, so I handed over for a short time to Mr. Orrell and then resumed control for return to Woodford and landing. The noise level in the cockpit is -dityy low, and one can talk r^rfoss to the co-pilot or engineer comfortably and without raising one's voice. The whole cockpit would, I think, be classed as comfortable by airline pilots. On turns at various speeds I found that the ailerons re- main light, but the elevators increase in weight and the nose needs to be held up. I tended to drop the nose on left-hand turns in particular. If there is anything to choose between them, I would say the rudder is the heaviest control under normal circum- The Mk IV has the best propor- tions of any of the Tudor variants, and its attractive lines are well shown off in th&^tihotoiraph- , " Flight " photograph. J
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