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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1118.PDF
94 FLIGHT JULY 22ND, 1948 Comfort in the Air Useful Range of Furnishing Items Now Standardized by Vickers : Electrically- Operated Chairs : Food Container Units VICKERS-ARMSTRONGS, LTD.,are a company the scope of whoseinterests is enormous, and it is butnatural that within any one divi- sion a wide diversity of interest should be found. The aircraft section has, for a long time, produced a large range of standard fuel cocks, but the accessory field has recently been widened to in- clude such items of equipment as air- craft seats, galley fittings, power con- trols, etc. There was no specific intention to enter the sphere of seating manufacture; it really started off with the Viking. When these aircraft were sold to various customers, differing seating specifica- tions were presented, and the company found that, in order to meet the several requirements, they had to design and manufacture a variety of seat types. It was decided to devote a design section to this field, and the present state is that a series of standard designs have been established, but, of course, special re- quirements can also be met. Chair Designs To complement the standard Viking fixed chair, a four-position adjustable version has been standardized into a modified form of the B.O.A.C. design, which had its origin in the old Imperial Airways chair. Adjustment is provided by levers in each side valance, moving in four-notch gates, with spring-loading furnished by bungee elastic cord. Canti- lever brackets are extensible from each arm rest to carry table trays. The weight of this chair installed complete is 35 lb. A good-looking chair which provides a high degree of comfort—it is designated Type IV—also incorporates mechanical adjustment; in this case release of the locking catch is effected by a press- button in the arm rest. This chair also features extensible cantilever supports for a tray table. There is, in addition, a fixed version, which is given the desig- nation Type III, and what is called a "siesta " version is also being produced. This latter is intended to provide for sleeper accommodation in passenger air- craft with the maximum comfort and the minimum penalty in respect both of weight and space. The back of the chair can be raked back to 28 deg from the horizontal and, with a seat pitching of only 48 in, an extremely comfortable (Left) The Type IV chair with mechanical adjustment. The tray rests on disappearing • cantilever supports projecting from the armrests. (Right) A Miles electric actuator adjusts the angle of the Type I. Controls are on the armrest. sleeping position is given, with the occu- pant's legs tucked under the back of the chair in front; a light, comfortably padded leg rest is extended forward from the seat cushion when the chair is used for sleeping. The normal Type IV chair weighs 30 lb, whilst the Type III (fixed) version weighs 29 lb. The siesta version of the Type IV weighs 34 lb. In addition to these weights are 0.5 lb for the lifebelt container, 0.57 lb for the ashtray and 1.14 lb for the tray table. One of the most luxurious chairs pro- duced by Vickers is the Type I electric- ally actuated model. This chair is quite superbly comfortable, and by appropri- ately turning the knurled rim of a small thumb-wheel projecting through one of the arm rests, a Miles electric actuator is energized to adjust the angle of recline. The installed weight of this seat com- plete is 3321 lb. By no means in the same class of luxury, although providing very comfortable seating, are the paired, fixed chairs designed as standard for the Vickers Viscount 32/43-passenger air- craft. A considerable range of galley equip- ment is standardized, this, too, having The B.O.A.C. four- position type chair which weighs approximately 351b. complete with table. grown from the yalley furnishing on the standard Viking aircraft. All the items are made of specially polished, non- corrodible Birrnabright, whereby light weight and considerable strength are combined. The fact that the several items are capable of being nested d.oes not necessarily impose any one type of . arrangement, and, in fact, the galley!; structure can be designed to suit indi- vidual requirements in order to cater for the varying space conditions in different.., aircraft. ; Among the items of galley equipment in standard manufacture is a beaker stowage unit in the form of a pair of slotted tubes, each of which will contain twenty-four beakers, the unit weight being 1 1b 15 oz. A galley and sink unit, comprising draining top, sink, splash panel, cutlery drawers, pillars and kick strips, with height, width and depth dimensions respectively of 46J in, 51 in,*, and 24J in, has the extraordinarily lqwrj weight of 10 lb. A kitchen waste con-f tainer, the lid of which is operated by a pedal, is built with sealed seams to pre- vent leakage of liquids; a height of 14 in, width of 11 in and depth of 7J in give the container adequate capacity and the weight is 1 lb 14 oz. Glass Stowage A stowage for twenty-four ^-pint glasses and twelve J-pint glasses, of goblet type, provides some neat design. features. The glasses are stowed in an in-~; verted position and are secured in spring grooves by the base of each glass. Re- cesses in the spring plates accurately, locate the glasses in relation to the stovtf-, age and to each other, so giving ade^i quate protection against damage an4l shock. A sliding gate, which can btjt' located in either of two positions, is vided for security. The weight of unit is 7 lb 2 oz. £ An equally important item of galley equipment is the food container unit, an insulated cabinet into which fit eight trays. Runners are fitted to the top and bottom of each box so that they may be. stowed one above the other, the numbed per aircraft varying according to thft: number of passengers to be catered i<xfi£ The cabinets are rapidly secured in posi- tion in the galley by means of locking eyes and spring-loaded pins, and an " Artif-ice " unit can be fitted in plaee
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