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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1892.PDF
572 FLIGHT November nth, 1948 to the development of the Hawker " bifurcated-duct"system, with the twin jet pipes exhausting at the wing roots and permitting an unusually large internal tankageforward and aft of the Nene turbojet. In conjunction with wing-mounted auxiliary tankage, this internal provision isclaimed to permit a range comparable with that of the piston-engined Sea Fury (2,000 miles), It is possible thatwing-tip fuel tanks, similar to those developed for American jet fighters will be used on the new Hawker fighter insteadof the more usual " slipper " or " pylon " type. The wing- tip location is claimed to reduce the drag increase at highspeed; increase the effective aspect ratio, by providing an " end plate " effect; minimize the adverse effect of externaltanks on critical Mach Number; and simplify the jetti- soning problem. The centred position on the wing tip,as used on the Thunderjet, was not adopted for the Shoot- ing Star because of the inability to carry existing bombsin this manner. A better dihedral effect is provided by the centred position. Indicative of what can be accomplished in some designsto facilitate powder plant inspection and change is the detachable rear fuselage as incorporated in the ShootingStar and Thunderjet. In the former instance the turbojet unit can be replaced in 20 minutes, and in the latter, 50minutes. Power plant and tanks having been positioned, the cock-pit and armament must be located to the best advantage. One of the most gratifying qualities with which modernjet fighters have been endowed by the turbojet is that of a wide field of view, resulting from the forward positionof the pilot's or crew's compartment. An exception is the Russian single-jet Yak with an underslung jet unit—adesign which appears to possess simplicity as its principal, if not sole, merit. " Blown " canopies of good aerodynamicand optical qualities are now being standardized, that of the Hawker N.7 46 being the most notable British example to date. It will be appreciated that as speeds increase,breadth and clarity of vision assume greater importance, and it is regrettable that the '' delta'' wing layoutthreatens to prove retrogressive in respect of view. Hardly less important to the pilot than an adequatefield of vision is his-physical and mental composure. Jetti- sonable cockpit canopies, now standardized as a safetymeasure, themselves may represent a danger under certain conditions. Design will be greatly complicated if a com-pletely jettisonable crew section, as already incorporated in the Douglas Skystreak and Skyrocket, is specified.(With this arrangement, the pilot, having jettisoned him- self with a portion of the fuselage, remains seated untilthat protective structure has decelerated sufficiently for him to bale out in the ordinary manner.) If the pilot is to fight his aircraft to the limit of hiscapabilities, he must not be cramped by inadequate leg or head room, or incommoded by bad positioning of instru-ments, switches and controls. Pressure cabins are already normal. Ejector seats, temperature control, ribbon-type"high-speed" parachutes and "bale-out" oxygen equip- ment are becoming the order of the day, and g suits willbe increasingly worn if the physical limitations of the crew are to approach nearer those of the airframe. Accelera-tions of 6-8g are commonly experienced in service, and at least one test pilot has held gg throughout a 360-degreeturn. Possibly the highest factor yet recorded (uninten- tionally, be it said) stands to the " credit" of a ShootingStar pilot who applied n-3g during air-to-ground firing trials. The astonishingly rapid and significant progress achievedin the aerodynamic and structural design of fighter air- craft is sharply contrasted with the apparently sluggishevolution of armament. So leisurely has been the course of armament development in Great Britain that it hasbecome our custom to watch progress abroad and to acquire the manufacturing rights for weapons and devices of special merit. Thus, in succession to the Lee-Enfield rifle (basicallya foreign design) our fighting airmen have been armed with the Lewis, Vickers (Maxim patent). Browning and Hispanoguns, while the design of some of our finest power-operated turrets has been based on foreign patents. Happily thetechnicians charged with the development of Britain's air armament have shown a particular flair for applying andadapting foreign material; it is sincerely to be hoped, however, that the acquisition of a sizeable armoury of Ger-man air ordnance (including numerous experimental and semi-experimental guns andCfifefier weapons for the arming.of fighters) will serve ortW to stimulate, and no/ Jh De Havilland Vampin 3 North American F-86A to mesmerize, these Ministerial and Service authorities.Britain's present policy in the arming of fighters is simply stated by the familiar and, be it said, well proven formula"4x20 mm," the efficacy of which was vastly increased during the war by our perfection of the gyro gunsight.America (whose "fifty calibre" Colt-Browning gun has assumed something of the legendary character of the Ken-tucky rifle), has shown less inclination to fall into line with* Great Britain and other countries, where guns of toto 23 mm calibre are standard equipment. The U.S. Navy has, in fact, lately put into service in the Grumman Bear-cat and McDonnell Banshee, a gun of 0.6 inch bore which, while having a somewhat slower rate of fire than the 0.5
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