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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1794.PDF
558 Airscrew Necessary . . •*" and because the ailerons, the most difficult controls to design and the ones of greatest importance from the point of view of manoeuvre, seem to have set a new standard of lightness and positiveness. ..." Elevators and throttle control evoked minor criticisms but with the latter "the main point is that here we have a lever which banishes once and for all the airscrew speed- control, the mixture-control, the supercharger change-gear control, the hot- and cold-air intake control, and the gill or radiator controls and gives the pilot one lever and one lever only with which to regulate his engine. . . . Jet propulsion brings us back to a simplicity in engine control which has been, unknown since the flight of the Wright Brothers." He concluded that "with the jet- propulsion engines becoming available there is every reasonable prospect of not only equalling but of beating by a substantial margin the speed of the fastest airscrew-driven machines." Grierson shared flight development of the W2B-powered E.28 with the late John Crosby Warren, who was killed in 1944 flying a prototype Meteor. After his fourth flight, this pilot commented on smoothness of flight —'' There seems to be no sign or sound of aerodynamic burble under any engine condition up to 360 m.ph. . . . the ease with which the aircraft slides through the air is amaz- ing." Prophetically, he concluded: " For ordinary flying it may be necessary to provide flaps which can be operated at higher air speeds than those normally fitted to conventional engine / airscrew machines, to enable pilots to lose speed more easily." Rolls-Royce took over further development of the W2B —now producing 1,400 lb thrust—in April. On the 17th of that month Grierson made the first British cross-country jet flight, on W4046, from Edgehill to Hatfield. There, in the hands of Michael Daunt, it was demonstrated '' in front of the Prime Minister and various officials of the Air Staff.'' Of the ferry flight back to Edgehill, Daunt recorded that it was made "at 6,000ft at approximately 14,000 r.p m., at which engine conuition the aircraft cruised at an indicated air-speed of 260 . . . accompanied by an escort of two Spitfires who stated that this seemed to be 2 rather fast cruising speed for their aircraft." r W4046 was taken to Farnborough shortly afterwards where, with a new W2B of 1,526 lb thrust, it reached its greatest speed of 466 m.p.h. On July 30th, while on a high-altitude test, its ailerons jammed and the pilot, the late S/L. D. Davie, baled out safely from 33,000ft. The original and sole remaining E.28/39 had earner been re- turned to Brockworth for the installation of the Power Jets W2/500, which gave 1,700 lb thrust. Michael Daunt began Gloster's flight development of the rejuvenated "4041" and found the new turbojet "the smoothest unit that this pilot has had the pleasure of flying." To ensure FLIGHT, 27 October 1949 One of the few existing air photographs of the E.28/39. The smaltfins on the taiiplane were added during test at Farnborough. collection of the maximum possible operating data at high altitudes, the aircraft now carried an automatic observer. During this series of flights, made largely by John Grierson, a vapour trail—possibly the first made by a jet aircraft— vas seen to come from the E.28 at 35,000ft. This flight on June 4th, was curtailed by the appearance of cracks in the transparent canopy. On June 24th, 1943, the greatest height of 42,170ft above sea level was attained. Grierson took off before breakfast, after inhaling pure oxygen for the previous 30 minutes; the E28 cock- pit was unpressurized, but he wore a pressure waist- coat. He reached an indicated altitude of 41,600ft in 27 minutes, but had to abandon an intended check of level speed at this height due to fuel shortage. Apart from intense cold, the pilot found "no physical discomfort whatever'' but '' this flight does seem to undefiinf the need for (a) adequate cockpit heating, and (b) ioo-gallon iiic! *ank." The next day John Warren con- cluded the Gloster test team's work on the E.28, and later that year it was transferred i-~ Farnborough for a final 10-hour testing programme early in i-v+J Its work completed, W4041 was enshrined in the ScieiiCe Museum, South Kensington, three and a half years ago, on April 27th, 1946. There, among other great British engineering achievements, it will stand as a permanent monument to the skill and courage of all those engaged in the Gloster-Whittle venture. Honourable retirement : Britain's first jet aircraft was installed in the Science Museum at South Kensington early in 1946. -si 1'**&&•
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