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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0331.PDF
FEBRUARY 24TH, 1949 FLIGHT 215 reduction gearing; 14 lb maximum continuous boost; 20.5 lbtake-off boost and a full-intercooling scheme, whereby for take-off and climb not only the ordinary intercooler matrixis used, but a second matrix^ which .has hitherto served solely as a charge-heater. An effective increase in powerrating is afforded by the lower charge temperature under the critical conditions ot tate-off and landing. The Merlins now operate for 800 hours between overhauls at a cost per h.p. claimed to be as low as for any air-cooled commercial engine of comparable output. Power plants are quickly interchangeable between all four nacelle positions. (To be concluded next week) REDUCING OPERATING COSTS B.E.A. Introduce J\iew\ Maintenance Check System PURSUING their policy of reducing service maintenance troubles referred to in Flight of November 18th, 1948, andcosts by increasing efficiency, British European Airways • is generally considered to be popular amongst those workingCorporation have instituted a new maintenance check on the new basis There are now about 130 fewer engineers system at Northolt. The underlying principle is to dispense, working in the C. of A. hangai and, in the main, those who wherever possible, with checks at certain periods of elapsed became redundant as a result of the scheme have been absorl>ed time and to relate maintenance to actual flying hours com- by other branches of the industry. The popularity of the pleted. new arrangement can be gauged by the fact that two other Taking the Dakota as an example of a typical transport air- shops have been reported as having asked to be included, craft, the check periods hitherto laid down, based on a number and it is expected that in the near future all B.E.A. engineers of years' experience of operating this type in Eagland, were at Northolt will work on the premium bonus basis. Plans as follows:— are in hand for extending the scheme to Renfrew. The intro- Oheck 1 every 24 hours elapsed time. ductiou of the new rationalized aircraft maintenance scheme Check 2 <nery 25 flying hours, outlined above may also, it is considered, result in a further <x ieck 3 every 1O° fy'ng *"*"*• increase of efficiency and a reduction in labour costs. SinStn Aircraft' might^haTe WonTy a few minute. - g Is ^^ ^ ^ the introduction of these measures between repetitions of Check 1, it has been thought preferable fu^Vffi eaer8e\icfy imP e™"tu$ th* ^IJ. ° e,con°my to allow Check 1 to take place before every flight instead thr?uSh efficiency laid down by the Minister of Civil Aviation of after every 24 hours elapsed time. Furthermore, in the and' smce the P?1."* fhas be*n *ci?te?. ^ the Government, case of the Dakota, a total of 45 modifications have been uo serl0us °PP°«tion from the Tnute Unions is expected. made by B.E.A. during the last 14 months to improve main- • tenance and safety characteristics. The result has been to BRISTOL 171 ACCESSORY DRIVES make it possible to extend periods between checks and the yN the recent description of the Alvis Leonides helicopter new system now m operation calls for the following schedule:— 1 er lant thfJ information was passed on that in \he ^S1, ivSv" wflvinKurs. CaSe of the Bristo1 "illation certain accessories are driven Check 3 ......... every 150 flying hours. on thfc tail-rotor shaft. We are now informed that on the Check 4 .......... every 600 flying hours. latest Type 171 Mark 3 they are, in fact, driven off the main These steps to reduce maintenance costs have, of course, rotor gear box. been taken with the full knowledge and approval of the r-TTJTJ aT T1 A 13 ITDUIAVC A.R.B., with whom B.E.A. are in constant consultation. ^ GIBRALTAR AIRWAYS Other aircraft besides the Dakota will undoubtedly come under TyJRlNG the first 17 months of its operation, Gibraltar the new system. As applied to the Viking, for example, it J~y Airways, an associate of British European Airways, has will involve the following schedule:— • carried over 17,000 passengers and logged more than 2,000 Check 1 before every flight. ' flying hours. Operating with four six-seater Rapides, regular Check 2 every 30 flying hours. •••"• services are flown between Gibraltar and Tangier and frequent Check 3 every 120 flying hours. - charter flights are made to Lisbon, Malaga, Seville, Tetuan, Check 4 every 480 flying hours. Melilla, Casablanca and Algiers. In addition to normal services Next, it has been decided that the hitherto annually renewed which have operated without a single break, with the excep- Certificate of Airworthiness should be put on a more progressive tion of Christmas Day, 1948, since the airline was formed, basis, by spreading the C. of A. overhaul over %n extended traffic staff at Gibraltar have handled 170 aircraft belonging to period instead of leaving a large volume of worl*t& be done other companies. During the 17 months Gibraltar Airways once a year. Thus Check 4,-tvihich under the new "System is jlas ajso carried about 131 tons of baggage and approximately to be performed every 600 hours, "^vill lor all practical purpeges lo tons of mail and freight, represent one-quarter of a C. of A. overhaul so'that, in effect*-. a C. of A. overhaul will have been completed after four/' Check 4s, i.e., 2,400 flying hours. t.It is felt, also, that this spread-over system will achieve an improved safety standard. It is B.E.A.'s intention to replace •^ccessories>a.nd com- ponents at times when they are rendered' accessible -by>the progress of other maintenance work rather thaii at defined periods. Experience has shown that engine-overhaul periods can be safely extended—as in the case of Hercules 634, the life of which has been prolonged by as much as 200 hours. The co-operation of pilots in adhering to performance limita- tions specified for engines can make a considerable difference to the wear and consequent life, and for this reason " nursing " of engines in flight will be encouraged. B.E.A. have also arranged with manufacturers to purchase replacement engines, in exchange for those requiring over- haul, on a fixed hourly basis. Thus, by returning power plants for makers' overhaul after a certain period of service, B.E.A. are, in effect, purchasing flying hours from the engine manu- ^^ facturers and at the same time eliminating the necessity of ^^^^M^^^^^B^^^^^^^^^^^Mk. ^BkZ^HL. '< holding large numbers of engines in stock. Similar arrange- ments have been made for instruments. One of the aims of B.E.A.'s chief engineer, Mr. B. S. Shenstone, is to introduce in due course a form of statistical maintenance-control. By this method an analysis of defects- PERSONAL PUSHER : This metal mock-up^ __^ experience over long periods can be used to determine which ^-pUi'Sel'l^ei1 H^Hi.g^xraft shows the efforts oNfetgrthrop Aeronautics defects have occurred most frequently in the past and which VJnstitote studentsjfrftrovide an ideal answer to the requirements of can therefore be anficipated in the future and circumvented. maDy VlfVUlK OtomJrs. The prototype powered by a 90 h.p. Franklin The incentive bonus scheme recently introduced into the flat-four, is expected to fly in 18 months. Cruising speed is estimated C. of A. hangar at Northolt by the Corporation with a view at 125 m.p.h. Northrop retractable spoiler-type ailerons, as ern- to increasing efficiency has settled down after the teething ployed by the Black Widow, are specified, permitting full-span flaps. 7 »
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