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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1760.PDF
Pilots will appreciate the Ambassador's simple and practical cockpit la/out. The D.R. compass shown is a temporary fitting. AMBASSADOR in the air . . . compartments at the rear*are sufficiently large, and a good- sized galley is situated between the crew compartment and the main cabin. Pressurization provides 8,oooft conditions at 20,000ft outside pressure—altitude and ground-level pressure is maintained up to 9,000ft. A separate word of praise must be said for the sound- proofing of the cabin. Simple experiments in flight (cruis- ing conditions) showed that it is possible for two people to talk without shouting when six rows of seats apart. Such things are difficult to judge, but tests would almost cer- tainly show the Ambassador cabin to be the quietest of any piston-engined transport. Concerning vibration, the same cannot be said. At the rear end of the cabin there is very little, and this, coupled with the absence of any tendency to tail-wag, results in a very comfortable ride. Mid-cabin there is some vibration, although it is not by any means extraordinary. Forward, however, in the galley and front eight seats there is suffi- cient vibration to be unpleasant. This section of the fuse- lage lies between the engines and airscrews, and a remedy will no doubt be sought in seat and floor insulation, and possibly by engine mounting and airscrew modification. It may be added that the springing when on the ground appeared to be quite up to standard, although because the makers consider the Ambassador to be above the average in most respects an attempt will probably be made to im- prove it still further. The reaction of passengers to airscrew braking has still to be ascertained, but it may be stated that the rather rapid deceleration occasions no discomfort although the unex- pected roar of the engines (in reverse pitch) when half-way down the landing run might cause some alarm if left unexplained. It seems probable that airscrew braking will be regarded as an emergency measure if only because the airscrews tend to throw up dust and grit which chokes engine air niters remarkably rapidly and which can also damage the airscrew blades. A Pilot's Impressions Safety in advance of any other twin engined aircraft is afforded by the Ambassador, which is the only aircraft of its class (or any other) to have taken off, flown round and landed on one engine, the other remaining feathered Development flying continues with the second prototype (two Bristol < 661 on the starboard side and a production undercarriage leg on the poi throughout. This remarkable flight, with Mr. George Errington at the controls, was made at a weight of approxi- mately 38,000 1b (3,000 lb over the fully equipped empty weight). From the outset the designers determined to pro- vide safety following a failure of one engine at least equal to that of a good four-engined aircraft. This they have succeeded in doing, and a few simply-carried-out demon- strations of what may be referred to as basic flying characteristics prove it beyond doubt. The single-engined circuit remains the outstanding test in this respect. Other demonstrations, to which reference will be made, lay stress on the exceptional stability of the Ambassador. To deal with first things first, a glance round the cockpit shows it to be unusually simple and free from unnecessary dials and controls. It is claimed as an advantage of the Ambassador that it can be flown solo with ease and requires no flight engineer. In the roof are three simple sliding cocks for the two 500-gallon fuel tanks and for cross feed. The first pilot has only his blind-flying panel, centering upon the D.R. com- pass confronting him. On production aircraft this will be the master, not a repeater as illustrated. The simple but effective B.E.A. markings enhance the air
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