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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1589.PDF
24 August 1950 219 range, and Fonck claimed to have brought down no fewer than eleven aircraft with this single-shot weapon. As early as 1918, however, the Spad moteur canon combination was dis- carded for air interception. In 1920, the American Wright Company acquired a licence for engine and gun; after some experimentation, the matter was dropped. The engine suffered badly from vibration; the muzzle velocity of the gun was poor; and the rate of fire too low to be practical. More- over, flying and aiming the aircraft whilst loading the gun at the same time required an uncommon skill in the pilot. In addition, the impact fuse of the shell proved insufficiently sensitive to detonate on the aircraft then in use. The maxi- mum rate of fire has been stated to have been no more than two rounds per minute. On the German side, two interesting developments deserve mention. One was the 20 mm special aircraft shell-gun of the Stahlwerk Becker A.G. This was a fully automatic weapon which daringly used the "free blow-back" principle known in automatic pistols, i.e., with no mechanical locking of the breech during the firing of the round. The gun fired impact- fused shells, and was designed for the attack of ground or sea targets such as tanks and submarines. A few of these guns were operationally tried in twin-engined aircraft and seaplanes. In 10,19, the Becker gun was transferred to the Swiss Oerlikon firm, and there further developed with the aid of German technicians. In 1933, Hispano-Suiza acquired a licence for the Becker-Oerlikon gun with its improved ammunition, and modified it for combination with a twelve- cylinder engine, to fire through the hollow airscrew shaft. The main difference from the 1917 moteur canon was that this time an automatic gun was compounded with the engine. Now, moreover, the long barrel could be retained, thanks to the length of the twelve-cylinder engine. In 1938, private enterprise in this country acquired a licence for this engine- compounded gun. Previously, in 1934, the Luftwaffe had introduced the Oerlikon shell-gun for air combat, transferring production back to Germany. A combination with an engine to fire through the airscrew hub, too, was developed and accepted for service. The second development was the 20 mm Szakats shell-gun of the Eisenach Waggon Works. This was primarily intended for air combat; it was more refined than the Becker design, but its development was never completed. Among features valuable in air combat, it had an ingenious device to adjust time fuses continuously during firing. This did away with the necessity for rather doubtful, dangerous and inefficient impact fuses previously used. It was, in fact, the first approach to an air-combat proximity fuse. (To be continued) SAFER COCKPIT HOODS HPHE speeds and altitudes attained by modern fighters have A introduced many detail difficulties, the importance of which may, nevertheless, be critical. Snch a difficulty was experienced with Perspex cockpit hoods which, owing to the difference in coefficient of expansion between the Perspex and the metal frame, were found to be liable to fracture as a result of the great temperature change occasioned by the high rates of climb and dive now common. A solution to this particular problem has been found by the Triplex Safety Glass Co., who have successfully developed a method of bonding Perspex to rubber. The bonding of rubber to metal has, of course, been common practice for some con- siderable time. The first aircraft to be fitted with a hood employing the new development is the Hawker Sea Hawk. Comprehensive tests of the hood were made prior to the decision being taken to specify it for production aircraft. Examples of rubber/ Perspex bonding, together with example of bullet- and bird- pioof windscreens and pressurized windows, will be shown on the Triplex stand at the S.B.A.C. Exhibition at Farnborough next month. • r r „ ^ ,. r HOLLYWOOD MAKES AMENDS NO matter whether, technically, one may recognize thatinter-stellar space travel is a possibility within the fore- seeable future, the fact remains that the subject still has all the earmarks of fantasy, and it is difficult to persuade oneself not to dismiss the whole subject as being utterly impos- sible. Disregarding, for the moment, any trafficking with practicalities, a new Technicolor film. Destination Moon, offers absolutely first-rate entertainment in telling of a journey to the moon and back in an atomic-rocket-powered space-ship. Technically, the film, is truly exceptional. We freely admit to attending the preview in some past-conditioned spirit of scepticism; but as the story unfolded itself, it became evident that, for once, the scientific advisers had been allowed to do their job seriously. Naturally, the picture is intended pri- marily as entertainment and to this end one must make due allowance for dramatic licence and over-simplification; even so, one was not conscious at any time of the technical fidelity having been debased to " human interest." Opening to-day, August 24th at the Leicester Square Theatre, London, for a three- to four-week season, Destination Moon will be generally released on September 25th. .... - ^ C. B. B-W. BOSCOMBE TEAM: R.A.F., R.N. and CIVILIAN STAFF Speaking at last year's Aircraft Constructors' Annual Dinner at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, Sir Roy Dobson referred to the " unique fellowship " existing between the Industry and " Boscombe." Portrayed below are the flying personnel and engineer officers who are at present charged with the furtherance of the great A. and A.E.E. tradition. Front Row (left to right)—U. J. Robertson ; S 'l_ B. G. Aston, D.F.C.; F/L R. L. Duncan. A.F.C.; G/C. H. A. Purvis, D.F.C, A.F.C.; W/C. P. G. Wykeham-Barnes.D.S.O..O.B.E., D.F.C; F/LW.E. Wiseman, D.F.C.; G,C. H. P. Broad. C.B.E., D.F.C. (Superintendentof Rying); W,C. W.J.S. Barnard,O.B.E.; W/C. D. E. Davies, D.F.C, A.F.C.; Lt. Cdr. G. R. Callingham. S/L. R. A. Watts, F;L A. S. Brain, A.F.C.; F/L. W. D. Hunter. Second Row.—F/L. J. A. G. Beadle, F/L P. S. Gees,F/LE. A. J. Haskett, F/L D. Phillips. F/L. C. H. A. Mitchell, Sig. I Bainbridge, Eng. I Rower, F/O. D. F. Mackie, F/L. i. R. Hemsworth, F,L. L. W. E. Messan, Mr. J. E. Palmer, D.F.M • Mr R A J Stari F/L G W. Johnson, F/L. C. A. Hodder. Third Row.—Lt. Cdr. R. M. Orr-Ewing ; S/L. R. F, W. Cleaver, D.S.O., D.F.C.;F/L. W. J. L Sheehan, D.F.C.: S/L. A. E. CalUrd, D.F.C; S/L. I. N. M. MacDonald, Lt. Cdr. H. C. N. Goodhstrt, Lt. D. G. Parker, D.S.O., D.F.C.; F/L S. 1. Perkins. Mr. I. G. Murdoch, Mr. J. G. Killikelly. Mr. J. W. Mills. Bade Row^-F/L D. White, D.F.C.; S/L L W. F. Stark. D.F.C., A.F.C.: F/L A. D. Woodcock, F/L. C. G.Clark, D.F.C; Lt. R. H. Reynolds. D.S.C.: Lt. Cdr. G. Rawden. S/L P. L Parrott, D.F.C.- F/L L S. Lumsdaine, D.F.C. fMM" * II Vf If 1 . f _i •" n <l Hi
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