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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0915.PDF
598 FLIGHT 19th, 1949 Fouga C.M.7 tandem two-seater. Les Flaneurs Sailplane Developments in France THAT France is well abreast of modern technique inglider design was evident from the few but thoroughlyup-to-date designs on view at the Paris Salon. In con- ception, construction and finish these sailplanes left little to be desired. In production for over two years, the Arsenal de l'Aero- nautique Air-100 has been flown in America and Switzer- land as well as in France. It has done well and secured records, including the women's duration record, recently raised to 35 hours by Mile. Choisnet. Of high-mid-wing type, it is an orthodox but excellent high-performance air- craft of high inherent stability. The newer Air-100 differs in having no slot between ailerons and wings. Completely new—it has completed its first series of test flights—is the Ars-4 111, a high-penetration type with a wing having a bi-convex section and an aspect ratio of 18. Structurally, it is of particular interest in having a duralu- min main spar to which the wooden members are attached by the English Redux process. Thus an aspect ratio and wing-loading which greatly exceed those of the Air-iob is achieved with an ample factor of safety. Each aileron is slotted and in two portions, and trailing-edge flaps assist in giving a minimum sinking-speed of 0.58 m/sec. Gliding angle is 1 in 30, length is 26ft 2£in, span 59ft 7in and all-up weight 7411b. Another new type—test-flown before the Show by M. Lrepanse, C.F.I., of the Beynes Thermal High-performance Gliding Centre—is the Breguet 900. It is a relatively small (43ft 7in span), fast and very manoeuvrable high-perform- ance aircraft. The tips of the thin, tapering wing (of Bre- guet L-14 section) are fitted with small anti-tip-stalling shields; there are slotted ailerons, and flaps which can be deflected downwards through 40 deg. An interesting refinement on the second prototype—not shown at the Salon—is an arrangement whereby the tail surfaces fold up, instead of being detached, for de-rigging. An attractive high-performance tandem two-seater by Castel Mat>oussin was exhibited in fuselage-only form by Fouga et Cie. The C.M.7 aircraft is of the high-gull-wing type and the double cockpit is roomy and comfortable; with a suitable hood it should lend itself admirably to blind-flying training, and should also be valuable for those meteorological research flights which require the assistance of an air observer. M. Nessler recently flew a C.M.7 over 200 miles from Beynes to Poitiers. All-up weight is 1,179 lb, gliding angle 1 in 27, sinking speed 0.75 m/sec and best gliding speed 43.5 m.p.h. A second Fouga exhibit, the C.M.8-R 13, or Cyclone, was one of the novelties. It is a jet-powered glider and, although it has not yet flown, the antecedents of both the airframe and the power unit suggest that it should do so satisfactorily. Based on the C.M.8, a fast aerobatic sail- plane of 42ft 6in span, the machine carries a Turbomeca Sydlowski turbojet above the centre-section. This little unit—it measures 31.5mx 15.7m and weighs 99 lb—is ex- pected to provide 220 lb of static thrust. To avoid the jet efflux, the conventional type of tail unit has been aban- doned in favour of a 45-deg-dihedral tailplane in which the elevators perform the functions of both horizontal and ver- tical control-surfaces. With fuel (165 lb) and accessories the all-up weight of the machine amounts to 1,067 lb- Expected speed at 10,500ft is at least 160 m.p.h., with a climb of 3.9 m/sec. The machine should leave the ground after a take-off run of 360yd; presumably some initial wing-tip assistance will be required, as a conventional single- wheel glider undercarriage and skid are fitted.
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