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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0100.PDF
60 FLIGHT, TO January 1950 MIGNET the UNDAUNTED ... investigation shows, indeed, that a flying-slot arrange- ment a la Mignet should be free from autorotation. Stall ing takes place at about 40 m.p.h. I.A.S., but the Pou is free from normal stalling reactions—with the nose at about 45 deg to the horizon the aircraft sinks on a prac- tically even keel, the nose dropping very slowly. This is to be expected, since there is no downwash effect on a tail aft, and because there is no abrupt breakdown 0; the air- flow over the wing. A flying-slot arrangement should actually be the more stable the higher the incidence, and be less sensitive to e.g. location. Tight turns can be made without skidding or slipping, POU-DU-CIEL DATA H.M. 300 H.M.194Three-seater Single-seater Engine . 125 h.p. Continental 35 h.p. AeroncaSpan 24.65ft (7.50 m) 18.15ft (5.50 m) O.A. width (wings folded) 15.2ft (4.60 m) 8.07fc (2.45 m)»Length ... ... <- 17.3ft (5.25 m) 12.5ft (3.80 m) Height 7.4ft (2.25 m) 5.6ft (1.70 m)Wing Area 194 sq ft (18 m'-i) 108 sq ft (10 ml) Weight empty 945 Ib (420 kg) 396 1b 180 kg)All-up weight ... 1,650 Ib (750 kg) 618 Ib (290 kg) Wing loading 8.52 Ib'sq ft 5.7 Ib/sq ft (4l.6kg/m2) <28kg/m-') Power loading 13.2 Ib/h.p. 17.6 Ib/h.p. (6.0 kg/h.p.) (7.75 kg/h.p.) Cruising speed 106 m.p.h. 01 m.p.h. (l70km,'h) (l30km/h) Endurance 4 hours 5 hours General arrangement of the H.M.300 in spite of the absence of ailerons. Mignet hangs a plum met on a string from the cabin roof and shows that even in 45-deg turns it does not alter its position in relation to the cabin walls. Last November both Mignet aircraft qualified for a Permit-to-Fly, and a Certificate of Airworthiness can be safely expected. The cruising speed quoted here for the H.M.300 refers to the aircraft with a "best-climb' air- screw; at high speed no more than 85 h.p. is actually utilized. The writer is indebted to M. Henri Mignet and Mr. E. P. Zander, A.R.Ae.S., for supplying him with material for this article. PHYSICAL TRAINING -as Applied to the R.A.F. ; Activities and Background of the P.T. School at Cos/ord Potential instructors, under training in the magnificently equipped gymnasium at Cosford. WITHIN the relatively short span of its existence, theRoyal Air Force has produced many notableathletes and sportsmen, and it would probably be true to say that in no service is the overall interest in sport more manifest. This enthusiasm is largely an indication of the sound approach made by the Physical Fitness Branch to the nroblem of maintaining uniformly high standards of P.T. and games at R.A.F. stations the world over. Recently we were able to inspect the foundation 011 which this active and continuous programme is laid—the R.A.F. School of Physical Training, which is located at R.A.F. Cosford, Salop (A Cdre. R. J. Rodwell, C.B.E.). Our helpful and knowledgeable guide was the Commandant of the School, W/C. S. J. Jury, who has been closely asso- ciated with Air Force athletics for 27 of his 30 years in the Service. He joined as an aircraftman in 1920, became .3 P.T.I, three years' later, and has since represented the R.A.F. in inter-Services fencing and staged many displays of gymnastics, among them those at the Royal Tournament. Instructors at the School include F/L. W. H. Turner, one of the R.A.F.'s greatest swordsmen; Flt/O. N. Ferni- hough, W.R.A.F. badminton champion; F/S. E. M. Osborne and Sgt. ]. Bryson, W.R.A.F. fencing champions, and Cpl. E. Davies, R.A.F. and I.S.B.A. welterweight boxing champion. Although the tempo of the School's activities is less intense now than it was during the war, several courses are 'Flight" photograph in progress. There are six intakes of i^potential P.T. instructors and two W.R.A.F. courses oi similar numbers. The male courses last 18 weeks and the 12-week W.R.A.F. course is followed by a month's general service training. All P.T.I.s hold the minimum rank of corporal. In addition, reclassification and advanced courses are held (the latter last six months and may be followed by promo- tion or commissioning), and direct entrants—including National Servicemen—from civil colleges of physical educa- tion are given short " conversion " courses before becoming physical-fitness officers. The School is responsible for pre- paring gymnastic displays for recruiting and other purposes. Its training facilities are magnificent. Under one roof are the gymnasium, elaborately equipped and well over 25,000 sq ft in area; a drill hall and secondary gym of equal size; a heated swimming pool; and the Station's chapel, cinema and concert hall. There is a two-fold them-? behind the School's syllabus. ' First, its graduates must be able to impart their knowledge under adverse climatic and terrestrial conditions and make the best of inadequate equipment; secondly, subjects must, wherever possible, have a definite application to every facet of Servke activity, flying or ground. As a result, the curriculum .is unusually extensive. During his course, a male P.T.I, receives in- struction in practically every type of apparatus work, athletics, e.g., pole-vault, shot-put, hammer-throw, and hurdles; fencing; boxing; wrestling and almost all outdoor
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