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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2226.PDF
November 1951 583 announcement, "circumstances have now compelled a cfciige in the civil plans, and the flying-boats are to be completed for the Royal Air Force." The original interior layout—which provided luxurious ace >mmodation for 100 or more passengers with sleeping berths, cocktail bars and so on—has been abandoned, but the important point is made that in their new troop-carrying role three Princess flying-boats could in one year transport as many troops as nine ordinary troopships on strategic and trooping routes. The principal factor in this connection is the time saved by flying compared with sea travel. The present all-up weight of 315,000 lb may later be increased considerably, and thus the payload figure now quoted is a provisional one. The first set of ten engines will be of the Proteus 2 type, each giving approximately 3,000 e.s.h.p. When they become available, however, the further developed and more powerful Proteus 3s mentioned in the specification will be fitted and the full performance figures realized. For rather shorter ranges than those quoted, the Princess could operate satisfactorily with full payload with its original Proteus 2 turboprops. Saunders-Roe, Ltd., state that the hulls of the Princesses are the largest metal structures ever built for an aircraft, and it seems that they have a cubic capacity equivalent to that of one average suburban. train or three and a half Constellation aircraft. A newspaper correspondent has calcu- lated that, in everyday units (though not, perhaps, in the aircraft industry), 3,000,000 rivets, 2f acres of light alloy plating and 40 miles of electric cable have been used. The single-step planing bottom of the hull is of a design likely to give good water-handling characteristics with clean aerodynamic form. In operation the fuselage differential pressure will be 8 lb/sq in and the double-bubble section is appropriate for high pressurization. Over the whole pressurized area this amounts to a force of 2,900 tons. Two 60 lb compressors, situated in the wing roots and driven by the inboard engines, feed the system. Among the large party of guests entertained by Saunders- Roe on the occasion of the Princess's first appearance, there were many who remarked with justification upon the excellent finish of the hull and the high standard of flush riveting. It is said that though larger than the Brabazon prototype (which is not flush-riveted), the Princess will have less drag. The Princess is expected to make her maiden flight towards the middle of next year. The time and place will be left entirely to the discretion of the chief test pilot, Mr. Geoffrey Tyson. A director remarked that all they would know was that one day after a period of taxying trials the great flying-boat "will suddenly appear overhead." Some points of particular interest regarding the con- struction and equipment of the Princess may be mentioned. Following careful investigation, the decision was taken at an early stage that manual controls would not be satisfactory for aircraft of the size and weight. An electric-hydraulic powered flying-control system has therefore been developed Apart from revealing many details of the form and construction of the Princess for the first time, these two pictures show another important stage in movement, namely, the lowering of the nose with the aid of water ballast tanks (and crones) after the tail was clear of the hangar roof. Note the cloud-and-collision-warning radome in the nose. A remarkable picture of one of the huge four- whtel beaching legs. The three chassis units, with ten wheels in all, will be buoyant. The second and third aircraft are well advanced in construction and will follow No. 1 at approxi- mately six-month intervals. Rails to ca d h h d f completion are seen at lower right. approxi carry the second machine to the middle of the hangar for l l h The wings are well advanced in an adjoining shop
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