FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0524.PDF
432 FLIGHT APRIL 22ND, 1948 Span 36ft Length 38ft Height Ilft8in Tailplane span ... ... ... ... Mft 6in Track 17ft 4.2in Wing area 254 sq ft Flap area 30.5 sq ft Dive-recovery flap area ... ... ... (.67 sq ft Meteor's Stable-mate trim tabs are coupled to a hand-wheel by chains and cables. The tricycle undercarriage is of exceptionally wide track and comprises a rearward-retracting, non-steerable, castering nosewheel unit, mounted on the first fuselage bulkhead, and two independent inward-retracting units attached to the centre-section spar. All three units have Dowty oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers. Operation is hydraulic and locking mechanical. The wheels have Dunlop pneumatic brakes, and there are elec- trical indicators and an electrical ground lock. The trunnions on the Rolls-Royce Nene turbo-jet, of 5,000 lb static thrust rating, are mounted in blocks attached to the power-unit frames in the centre fuselage. A steadying strut beneath connects the lower casing of the Nene to the fuselage structure. A total of 428 gall, of fuel is carried in five internal tanks. The basic tanks (main and engine-bay) are respectively of 235 and 53 gall, capac- ity and are mounted in the centre fuselage; there are two overload tanks of 48 gall, capacity each in the rear fuse- lage, and one of 44 gall, in the front fuselage. An electric pump on the underside of the main tank draws fuel through an inverted-flight valve and delivers to bombs or groups of rocket projectiles. The air intake ducts are divided to pass round the spar and lead into a plenum chamber, or pres- sure casing, enclosing the complete power plant. | Mounted on top of the engine-bay tank is an 1 auxiliaries gear box, driven by a shaft from the* Nene. A Dowty Live Line hydraulic pump, jfc driven from the gear box, supplies power for the ,| undercarriage and flaps; a hand-pump operates all ser- J vices, and an emergency compressed-air system is provided 1 for the undercarriage. The rotary" control valves for the 1 various circuits are electrically operated. For charging the pneumatic air bottle, which he wheel brakes, a gearbox-driven Differential brak- Showing the action of the air brakes and the housing of the split tralling-edge flaps. Disposition ofthe E.I /44's internal fuel tanks. Items shown are : (I) fuel pump, (2) inverted- flight valve, (3) low-pressure fuel cock, (4) drain valve, (5) fuel-pressure warning switch (overload), (6) non-return valves, (7) float valve, (8) vent valves, (9) air transfer control, (10) pressure-relief valve, (II) drain valve it through a low-pressure cock to the turbo-jet. The in- verted-flight valve consists of a "Y" tube attached to the pump, one arm being shorter than the other. A weighted arm carries a valve, which, when the aircraft inverts, seals the short arm. A diaphragm, with clack valves, in the bottom of the tank, forms a trap from which the pump draws fuel through the longer arm of the "Y" pipe. There is a gravity feed between the main tank and the engine-bay tank, and fuel is transferred from the overload tanks to the main tank by air pressure. Provision has been made for two under - wing drop tanks, as alternatives supplies there is compressor. ing is effected from the rudder pedals. A 1,500-watt HX2 genera- tor, driven from the gear box, charges two 12-volt accumu- lators (in series, to give 24- volt output) which supply power for the electrical ser- vices. Two-way radio and I.F.F. equipment are carried forward of the cabin, and miscellaneous equipment includes oxygen ; windscreen de-icing, by ethyl-alcohol spray; fire extinguishers with flame detectors; and a tail parachute. This last is for experimental flying, and is opened and jettisoned electrically. A fire-extinguisher bottle in the front fuselage supplies a spray ring round the main tank, and a second bottle, in 9 the centre fuselage, supplies two rings, one round the power unit and the other round the engine-bay tank. Safety Throttle A point of interest concerning the throttle lever, mounted in a slide on the port side of the cockpit, is that the lever automatica-.y operates t micro-switches. One switch is clc when the lever is in the " shut" pt tion and is wired into the starting circuit so that the turbo-jet cannot be started unless -the throttle is closed. The other switch is closed when the throttle is less than a third open, and operates a warning lamp if the under- carriage is not locked down A push switch enables the igniter plugs to be oper- ated, independently of the starting circuit, for relighting the turbo-jet in flight. When the switch is depressed, an automatic delay switch keeps the igniters in opera- tion for 30 seconds. It is to be hoped that the E.1/44 will make an appearance, in com- . :»- pany with the latest Meteors, at the dis- play by the Society of British Aircraft Con- structors, to be held at Farnborough, JSI- '.:
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
