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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1467.PDF
SEPTEMBER 9,1948 Elliot (Aewbutry) Eon SINCE the prototype of the NewburyEon first appeared at the S.B.A.C. Display last year, intensive development work has been in hand and the outcome will be a machine carrying four passengers with ease on the power of a 145 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engine. Of unusually attractive appearance the Eon is of all-wood construction and, due to the nose-wheel undercarriage and deep wind- screen, the pilot has an exceptionally wide field of view. Conversion to Gipsy Major power was completed recently after many hours of development flying with a Cirrus Minor engine. Although obviously under- powered, the early Eon nevertheless flew well as a two/three seater. Ksscx Aero Sprite A TWO-SEATER suitable for private-ownership, the Sprite is of excep- tionally clean design. Constructed of magnesium alloy, it has been designed to have either a fixed or a retractable under- carriage. On 100 h.p., the cruising speed is expected to be over 130 m.p.h., and the maximum speed nearly 150 m.p.h. Design features of note are the cantilever " butter- fly " tail, and clear-vision enclosure for pilot and passenger. Preliminary design calcu- lations gave a disposable load of 670 lb for 305 miles. Faireji Junior HPHE version of this ultra-light, Belgian- X designed, single-seater which it is hoped to produce in Great Britain, will have an engine of 35 to 50 h.p. The pur- pose of the machine is to provide really economical flying—not merely motorized gliding. An air test by a member of the staff of FLIGHT has shown that in spite of its diminutive size the Junior reproduces in every way the characteristics of a larger and more powerful design, and it can be safely flown in rough weather. Construc- tion is extremely simple, and except in minor fittings, certain fuselage formers and engine cowlings, the airframe is built entirely from 1 inch-square-section spruce and small derivatives. Of unorthodox construction, the fuse- lage is built round two main longerons and has been described as resembling "two ply-covered step-ladders tapering rear- wards." • Aero Sprite Hermes*IV. V. VI A THOROUGHLY modem,pressurized, four-engined civil trans- port with a steerable nose-wheel under- carriage and reversible-pitch airscrews, the Hermes IV, with the new Bristol Hercules 763 engines, is in quantity pro- duction for service on the Empire routes of B.O.A.C, The fuselage is considerably longer than that of the tail-wheel Hermes I, counterpart of the military Hastings, and 40 or more passengers are carried with a very high degTee of comfort. Structur- ally similar, the Mk. V Hermes is a semi- experimental machine with Bristol Theseus turboprops giving superior performance, notably in speed and climb, and the Mk. VI is a lighter development of the Mk. IV. General Aireraft Universal A SIMPLE, sturdy, practical machinewith an unusually capacious fuselage and a relatively low performance (though adequate for the task in view), the Universal will be capable of operating from small, undeveloped airfields. A built-in hydraulically-operated ramp permits un- restricted and easy loading, and the nose- wheel undercarriage allows the floor to remain more or less level under all con- ditions. The reinforced cargo-compart- ment floor will take a load of 6,500 lb on one wheel of a vehicle. The available cargo space is 5,760 cu ft, and the uninter- rupted internal dimensions are 36 ft x 10 ft x 10 ft. Dependent on the type of freight to be handled, a second removable deck can be installed for light cargo up to 1,830 cu ft capacity. Miles Marathon THOUGH one experimental prototypewill be fitted with two Armstrong- Siddeley Mamba turboprops, production versions of the Miles Marathon to be built foT the Ministry of Supply by Handley- Page Ltd., will be powered by four de Havilland Gipsy Queen 71 engines. Aft of the cockpit is the forward luggage com- partment, followed by the main cabin with seating for fourteen to twenty passen- gers, or, alternatively, freight stowage. The cabin is remarkably roomy, consider- ing the relatively small size of the aircraft (span 65 ft), being 18 ft long, nearly 8 ft wide and over 6 ft in mean height. The Marathon is thoroughly modern in con- ception and has a nose-wheel under- carriage, the main units of which have twin wheels with levered-suspension shock absorber legs. Construction is of metal throughout. Percival Prinee rT'*HE efficiency of this new light airliner A can be summarized by stating that it carries 8/10 passengers at a cruising speed of 180 m.p.h. on the power of two 500-h.p. Alvis Leonides engines. Larger than the earlier Gipsy-engined Merganser, the Prince is likewise of all-metal construction. The unusually spacious cabin is 15 ft long, 5% ft wide and 6 ft high and there is a rear luggage compartment of 52 cu ft capacity. The direct-injection Leonides engines are in quickly removable power plants and drive de Havilland three- bladed, fully feathering airscrews. In common with the majority of new British civil aircraft, the Prince has a nose-wheel undercarriage.
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