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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0838.PDF
-622 FLIGHT JUNE IOTH, 1948 to be incurred. Should that prove to be the case, the next step would appear to be that of preventing the outbreak of fire. It is unlikely that complete immunity can be achieved, and probably the most that could be hoped for would be a reduction of the amount of fuel scattered about, and a slowing-down of the rate of com- bustion. So-called crash-proof tanks would reduce the rate at which fuel flowed out through broken pipe connections, but so long as highly volatile fuels are used, the ensuing conflagration will be of the sudden "woof" type. If that is to be avoided, a less volatile fuel will have to be used. On May 6th we referred to an article on so-called " Safety Fuels " which we published in 1945. We have received a copy of a Paper written by representatives of the Standard Oil Development Company and presented to the annual meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers at Detroit in January of this year. The Paper deals with results of work undertaken by that firm to determine the full-scale engine performance of such fuels. This work included tests of a number of fuels, both in a nine-cylinder Wright Cyclone and in the super- charged CFR single-cylinder engine. The results appear to indicate that with fuel injection (the fuels cannot be carburetted in the ordinary way) there is a slight increase in specific consumption at cruis- ing speed and at lean mixtures, but that at the higher operating temperatures there is little difference in con- sumption compared with the ordinary aircraft fuels. In the matter of bulk, however, the safety fuels are at an advantage. With a warm engine the safety fuels were quite satis- factory in the way of idling, warming-up, acceleration and control. The test engines could not be started from cold on the low volatility fuels until cylinder-head tem- peratures of 125 deg F. had been reached, so that in actual use it would probably be necessary to start on ordinary fuel and switch over to the safety fuel when the engine was warm enough. That appears to be the present picture of the safety- fuel position. It will be for the operators to decide whether or not any further development should be undertaken. CONTENTS Outlook - - - - "Junior " in the Air - - - - Farnborough Forecast Here and There Civil Aviat'on News Land Air Warfare - . - - - Four* into London - - - - - All Dressed for the Part - ... Night Frghters - - - - - All Jet-Fighter Air Force - - Synthetic Stratospherics - - - - Birthday Honours - - - - - Article 41 ...... Service Aviation - -.• • ' - Correspondence - - - - - Forthcoming Events, page 648. - 6:i - 623 , 625 626 628 632 633 635 638 639 - 641 642 643 644 647 ... New Chief at Ariel HouseI ESS than two years ago we lamented the fact that a ^ Government reshuffle had made it necessary to substitute Lord Nathan for Lord Winster in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Now there is another change, and Lord Pakenham replaces Lord Nathan: Lord Nathan has discharged an unenviable task with some credit. He had innumerable difficulties to face. And it can be said that he was always willing to listen to the views of all concerned. If, afterwards, he did not- always act upon the advice given him, that may often have been due to the obtuseness of some of his colleagues in the Government, and to the imperviousness to persuasion of the Treasury. Of his successor little is known in the aviation world except that he was chairman of the committee which examined possible sites for seaplane bases. Perhaps one may hope, from this fact, that Lord Pakenham will be more sympathetic to the claims of this type of air- craft than was his predecessor. That, however, is but one of the many thorny problems which the new Minister of Civil Aviation will have to tackle. His administra- tive duties in Germany will have given him some experi- ence in trying to reconcile irreconcilable claims. He will find many at Ariel House. ALL - WEATHER LIGHTWEIGHT : Recently flight-delivered from Belgium, the Fairey Junior with 3Sh.p. J.A.P. engine may provide an eco- nomical answer to the anticipated 30 hours per annum A-Licence require- ment. When this photograph was taken a 35-knot wind was blowing
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