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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0374.PDF
242 FLIGHT MARCH 3RD, 1949 new qualities can have sprung must be the power plant. Perhaps the explanation is that Pratt and Whitney have found means to increase the power of the six engines with which the B-36 is equipped. The January, 1949, issue of The Beehive, the house journal of United Aircraft Corporation, has an article entitled "A Major Miracle," in which a somewhat vague outline is given of the evolution of the Wasp Major-VDT. The letters stand for variable discharge turbine, and the article points out that a great number of possible com- binations were examined. One of these was mentioned in a brief note which we published on January 27th on the Major-VDT. In this, the excess power from the supercharger was geared back to the engine crankshaft. Such an arrangement would be .likely to be capable of very economical fuel consumption in addition to extra power, but it would, presumably, form a low-altitude engine since altitude performance would be limited by . the capacity of the internal supercharger. It appears likely that another version has been pro- duced in which the turbo supercharger is not geared back mechanically. The variable discharge turbine would then be used to vary the amount of power derived from the jet. The article to which we have referred mentions a new R-4360 engine giving a combat power of 4,360 h.p., a take-off power of 3,800 h.p., and a normal power of 2,800 h.p. Flight testing of the Wasp Major-VDT has been done in a Boeing B-50, but it appears at least possible that General Vandenberg was referring to the B-36 powered by six of the new Major-VDT power plants. Cooling at high power and great height would appear to offer problems, but if these could be overcome, such as, for instance, by employing fan cooling, it may well be that the Major-VDT would greatly alter the charac- teristics of the B-36. It should be remembered that as airscrew thrust falls off with height and speed, more power can be diverted to the exhaust efflux from the jet, thus keeping up the propulsive effectiveness. CONTENTS Outlook Bombers at the Crossroad; - - - Here and There The Air Estimates - Rotor Drives ... Introspection • Civil Aviation News - Y.A.I in the Air A Call on Canadair - - - • - Scribes and Pharisees Service Servicing - - - - - Correspondence Service Aviation Forthcoming Events Page 268 - 241 - 243 - 245 - 246 - 248 - 250 - 252 - 255 - 258 - 262 - 265 - 267 - 269 Air SafetyN EXT Saturday should be an interesting one. The Royal Aeronautical Society is holding an all-day debate on air safety. Four papers will be read and discussed. Dr. G. E. Bell, of M.C.A., deals with operational research into air traffic control. He foresees; the possibility that there may always be some random- . ness associated with civil air operations, and thinks the • most promising way of attaining uniformity is the ex- 7' tension of the search stage of Ground-controlled Approach to greater distances. " Captain James, of B.E.A., approaches the subject from the pilot's point of view and states that the pilot has a useful contribution to make and should be en- couraged to do so. Dr. K. G. Bergin deals with the psychological side and Mr. J. D. North with some aspects of the relationship between airworthiness and safety. Mr. North treats' his subject in the form of a game, brings in the laws of probability and thinks there is much to be learnt from the technique of econometrics. DUTY DONE : R.M.A. " Honduras " arriving at Southampton Water from Sydney on the flight which marked the conclusion of the last Hyt/ie- cfoss service in &O.A.C. Since May 12th, 1946, 79,793 passengers and 4,589 tons of freight, excess baggage and mail were carried and 25.117,246 miles were flown. B 2
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