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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0936.PDF
.678 F LIG that Russia is level with, or ahead of, Britain and America in aeronautical development. The truth, as we ourselves see it, is that Russia is taking full advantage of German research and past assistance from this country: she is undoubtedly pur suing an imaginative policy of research and develop- ment. Nevertheless, her turbojets are inferior to our own and in airframe design there is little she can teach our friends in the U.S.A. These are vital considerations, for our own Air Forces can hardly compare in size with the Red Air Fleet, though in this connection it must be borne in mind that information on Soviet air strength is nebulous and untrustworthy. Certainly British and American intelligence organiza- tions can never know too much concerning Russia's air activities, but it seems to us that, as dangerous as lack of information, is the unofficial dissemination of material based on part-truths and guesswork. We have clearly in mind the numerous unauthorized silhouettes of variants of the Fi 103 flying bomb which confused our observers and pilots, and the spurious aircraft types and designations which so often baffled our air crews. Emergency Power and FuelM ORE than one observer must have wondered why American turbo-jet engines often leave a most impressive smoke trail behind them. There are two possible answers: (1) that the type of fuel is re- sponsible, or (2) after-burning is being used. Our own Meteors sometimes leave a trail when operating at full bore. After-burning, a very uneconomical method of boosting the power output, has so far found little favour in this country. It is realized that a weakness of the gas turbine is its inability to operate economically at a low percentage of maximum power. If maximum and cruising output must be similar for take-off supple- mentary sources of power must be sought. Possible alternatives—both uneconomical—are (1) to use tur- bines of approximately the power required for cruis- ing, and, by means of rockets or after-burning for ex- ample, provide additional power to take-off or emerg- ency or (2) to use pairs of smaller units, together giving sufficient maximum power for all circumstances, but the requisite cruising power when one of each pair is stopped and held in reserve. ^ j JUNE 24TH, 1948 CONTENTS v-JUtlOOK. - v' * P. 108 in the Air- - 679Safety in Storms- ._--.. 682 A Model Day ~ - - - - " - - *83 Guest Week-end ----- J2IR in the Air Civil Aviation News - - - - - Recent Russians Athena Flies Coming of Age ------ Correspondence 686 689 693 696 698 700 702 Service Aviation- ------ 703 Forthcoming Events, page 702 3 -. i Reverting to the mention of fuel above, the question of what should be burned in turbines may soon receive closer attention. In America, petrol is quite frequently used in preference to paraffin (kerosene). This is par- ticularly convenient in mixed-power-plant aircraft, the engines of which can then share fuel tanks. It is by no means always possible to operate on alternative fuels, even assuming them to be liquid and ignoring the " coal dust and candle ends" of the popular Press. Although the combustion chambers may be suitable and the full calorific value similar, the already highly taxed fuel system may be unable to cope. The admixture of small amounts of oil for lubrication to the petrol used as fuel may be the main reason for smoky jets seen in America. The vital issue from the military point of view is, however, the fuel supply problem. It has been stated that there is insufficient paraffin available for large-scale turbine operation, but that enough petrol would be forth- coming. Some will say this is good propaganda by the petrol combines, but the facts remain that abundant transport and storage facilities exist for petrol; ample petrol is available, strange as it may seem to the motor- ist; the difference in existing costs is chiefly attributable to the tax imposed ; wastage is about equal when evapor- ation and creep have been allowed for ; and fire risks, if air and ground conditions are considered together, are about equal. It therefore boils down to convenience, and on this score the choice is not difficult to make. Petrol must be available for vehicles of all types and for transport, communication and observation aircraft. To have to provide a different fuel for all turbine-powered aircraft doubles the supply and storage problems. PRINCELY PROGRESS : About a dozen flights have already been made with the Percival Prince light transport (two A/vis Ltonides engines). Together w,th the latest type of Prentice trainer, the Prince will appear at the S.B.A.C. Display during September.
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