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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0889.PDF
JUNE 1948 FLIGHT 651 theA •-v'jYi::;•- ;'."l~ . A good view from the cockPit: f°r landing and taxying is an essential quality of the primary trainer. The Requirements : A Critical Examination of Flying Characteristics NO aircraft has to give more—or take more—than aprimary trainer; for this reason an exceptionaldegree of versatility is called for, and year by year as the art of flying and applied flying advances, trainerspecifications become more difficult to meet. Admirably as it has served, and still is serving, us, the simple, low-powered, sparsely equipped, fair-weather Tiger Moth has now been outgrown. In its place is needed an economical,well - equipped, all - weather monoplane capable of fulfillingall the functions of the Tiger and »7\nch more as well. This is atu!fl order, to meet which the Percival Prentices are being pro-duced . There are other promising designs for '' Tiger '' replacements, but the Prentice is by far the most ambitiouswith its three seats, full blind-flying panel, two-stage amber, V.H.F. radio, etc. By . Wing Cdr. Maurice A. Smith, D.F.C. taught at each stage, and as a result, more expected of eachtype of aircraft, must be accepted. It may be that in the near future an increasing use of synthetic trainers, suchas the invaluable Link, will help relieve the aircraft situation. * Naval specifications for deck-landing, wing-folding air-craft of the strike and fighter types have been recognized for a' long time as among the most difficult to meet. The one-time simple trainer nowthreatens to rival such Naval types in the problems it sets thedesigner. The comprehensive wartime specification for thePrentice, which was the outcome of discussions at all levels of Training Command, and, inparticular, recommendations from E.F.S. at Hullaving ton, represents an important departure from previouspractice. From the designer's point of view it was a new Realizing, like ourselves, the need to train Service pilots example of incompatible design parameters. A very large _„ u. ,,+.,™ +~ fl,r ^ oimnot am- i«rua+hor r^nrii+i^no three-seat cockpit and a mass of equipment were to he hauled round in an unusually sturdy metal airframe withminimum stalling spped, maximum manoeuvrability, all on the 250 h.p. of an unsupercharged Gipsy Queen.From the flying point of view a large and wide cabin interposed between single airscrew and single-fin tail maybe expected to cause some control problems, while the span ] - r ..... . - at an early stage to fly in almost any weather conditions,by day or night, and with the use of scientific aids, America, too, are producing much more advanced primary trainers.Certainly the elementary of to-day is as advanced as the basic of pre-war years. It would be fatal to forget, how-ever, that advances in aeronautical science have not in any way changed the ability or reactions of an ab initio pupil To him the first instructional flights must be and area of wing necessitated by weight and stalling «i^tL™+^«, **•.**>•* ;t Am> or-o rviori» in a Mptpnr T Mi- VTT considerations can be no help in providing good rolling qualities. Close similarity between the cockpits of primaryand advanced trainers in the R.A.F. is a requirement with much in its favour, but it is doubtful whether those whooriginally laid down that there should be a third seat in the trainers would be so convinced of its value to-day. At elementary even if they are made in a Meteor T. Mk VII.To-day a pilot under training works very hard both in the air and on the ground to cover a syllabus occupyingsome eighteen months from first flight to squadron standard. It is undesirable further to extend the period oftraining, and, what is more pertinent here, an increase in the number of stages and aircraft types would greatly seems also that additional power derived from super-increase the cost and complicate the work of Training Command in all branches. Thus, the alternative of more charging of the Gipsy Queen engine will be found desirable,if not essential. The construction of the Prentice was
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