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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1355.PDF
AUGUST 4TH, 1949 FLIGHT 119 The first Princess hull, seen last Tuesday week after its 90-ft inch-by-inch move across the floor of the main Saro erection shop at Cowes. Sufficient room is now available for the inner wings (with Proteus turboprop units), the after hull section and the tail (less - ' fm tip) to be added. Tractive power for the move was provided by six men on a hand-winch. year. To permit engine runs ashore, the Princess will be positioned to face the hangar and will slide into the water, stern-first, down a new slipway. As might have been expected, Tuesday's move was a very business-like affair. Cleared of scaffolding, the hull was seen to be resting on a sturdy cradle, extending between frames 19 and 30, and running on diagonal rails which would guide it to the desired position, 90 feet distant. This 8|-ton cradle, moreover, allowed the hull to be weighed and the centre of gravity to be determined. Four Saro stalwarts set-to on a hand-winch and the towering hull, weighing 16J tons, was inched into place. Under Mr. H. Winkworth, works manager, the Saro staff concerned are to be congratulated on the manner in which they addressed their task. Technical information concerning the Princess Class having been disseminated piecemeal, it may be useful here to refer to salient characteristics and to add the very latest data quoted by the makers. The hull is claimed to be the largest metal structure ever built for an aircraft, and the Saro technicians have calculated that its cubic capacity is equal to three and a half Constellations. Two and a half miles of longitudinal members, 1,469 sq yd of metal plating and three million rivets have gone into its making and the internal differential pressure of 8 lb/sq in amounts to 2,900 tons over the whole area. A full-scale hull section, built into concrete end-walls weighing 50 tons each, has already been subjected to an overload proof pressure of 16 lb/sq in and has met A.R.B. requirements. Though unusually comfortable accommodation will be provided for up to 105 passengers, the number will, in practice, depend upon the service to be operated. It will be recalled that the Princess is designed to maintain a non- stop service between London and New York, with its stage length of 3,450 miles, in face of continuous head-winds averaging up to 90 m.p.h. Notwithstanding the weight-saving effected by adopting A 11 tip retraction for the lateral stabilizing floats (formerly the floats were housed in the wing structure), the calculated gross weight has now risen to 315,000 lb, or approximately 140 tons. Even so, the power/weight ratio has remained more or less constant at 9 lb/h.p. The mark of Bristol Proteus turboprop to be standardized in the Princesses, in the form in which they will be operated, delivers 3,500 h.p., and #vill allow a cruising speed of 380 m.p.h. at 40,000 ft. At this speed, the requirements of the London-New York non-stop service (a still-air range of more than 5,500 miles) will be met. Four integral wing tanks will contain 14,500 gallons of usable paraffin. De Havilland constant speed, quick-feathering airscrews, l6| ft in diameter, are specified. The change in the method of float retraction has not affected the span, which remains at 219 ft 6 in. The hull length is now quoted as 148 ft, the height as 55 ft 9 in, and the beam as 16 ft 8 in. GAS TURBINES AND JET PROPULSION FOR AIRCRAFT by G. Geoffrey Smith, M.B.E., 4th edition, 3rd impression 12s. 6d. (By post 13s.) WALL DIAGRAMS: Rolls-Royce Derwent ) De Havilland Goblin II [ 4s. each Merrovick F/3 Gas Turbine ' (By post 4s. 4d. each) TURBINES FOR AIRCRAFT (4-page colour leaflet re- 6d. printed from " Flight ") (By post 7|d.) PRODUCTION ENGINEERING Practical methods of 12s. 6d. Production Planning and Control J. S. Murphy, A.I.I.A (By post 13s.) THE COMPLETE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER by Dick Boer. Edited by A. L. M. Sowerby, 21s. Od. B.A., M.S.c, A.R.P.S. iBy post 21s 8d.) PHOTOGRAPHIC SKIES David Charles, F.R.P.S. 5s. (By post 5s. 3d.) From all leading booksellers or from llliffe and ions Ltd Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, SE I
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