FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0592.PDF
270 FLIGHT, 7 March 1952 Starboard bow of flight deck, showing mounting frames for instruments and controls and the light yet strong resin-bonded glassdoth ducting. NON-FLYING PROTOTYPE... level. In the Bristol case, the N.F.P. is built from materials which are not all as laid down in the 175 design specification. Use has been made wherever possible of the first-off tool- proving components (which are normally scrapped) and, in the main, gauges and material dimensions have been held. Inspection procedures, whilst not obviated, have been justifiably relaxed, snap-head rivets have been used in place of countersunk heads, and numerous other detail laxities have been indulged in where their application is not critical. It was foreseen, however, that the relaxing of the high standards normally demanded might conceivably lead to a diminution of workmanship integrity in the assembly of pro duction aircraft. Thus the standard of inspection and the general structural leniency allowed on the non-flying proto type were not permitted to lapse too far from the normal. Another aspect of the usefulness of an N.F.P. is that the men who have built it form a trained nucleus possessing first-hand experience which is invaluable in leading the assembly teams who are building the production aircraft. So far as Bristols are concerned in this context, it is not that the labour is poor, rather is it that the aim of the company is to produce an aircraft with the best finish yet seen. On the score of usefulness, perhaps the most concise and comprehensive method of stating the scope of the non-flying prototype Britannia is to list the schedule of equipment and furnishings embodied. It should be noted that the port wing extends only to the outboard limit of the flaps, whilst the starboard wing extends only to a short distance outboard of the inboard nacelle. By the same token, the fuselage extends only just abaft the wing trailing edge root. In the list of equipment, the component or system sub-assemblies should be taken as complete unless otherwise stated. Wings and Nacelles : Wing structure with all access doors; all flaps (port only) with controls; aileron controls (partial); inner nacelle, p and s; outer nacelle (port only); under carriage, p and s; undercarriage doors and operating mechanism; fuel tanks (port complete, starboard Nos. 1, 2 and 3 bags only); fuel system (port complete, starboard collector tank and cross-feed only); dummy power-plant (port inner); exhaust system; leading-edge de-icing with alU ducting; air-conditioning system (port complete); accessory gearboxes (port inner and outer, starboard inner); hydraulic system, including pumps; electrical system with alternators on inner nacelles only; engine controls in wings (partial). Fuselage : Fuselage structure with doorways, windows and escape hatches (including pilots'); control pedestal, coupled up; main flying controls, with partial control runs; trimmer controls; control surface locking (on jury rig); autopilot controls (partial); engine controls; airscrew controls; undercarriage controls (including parking brake); nose undercarriage; nosewheel doors and operating mechanism; nose fairing; hydraulic system (including u/c braking system); electrical system; nose scanner, all aerials and radar mounting; oxygen system; fire-suppression system; pilots' seats; dashboard and instrumentation (together with complete instrument panels at sides and in roof); windscreen and d.v. windows; windscreen de-icers; windscreen wipers; rest chair; crew door; luggage door; navigator's station with seat; radio officer's station with seat; sextant station; flight deck rear bulkhead; emergency hatch in floor; air-conditioning controls (complete), ducts (partial); sound-proofing and trim cloth (flight deck only); instruments and roof lights (flight deck only); blackout curtains. In planning the schedules of tests for the equipment installations, tie aim has been to foster experience not only These views of the starboard undercarriage not only illustrate what a beautiful piece of engineering it is, but also show the method of anchorage to the spar, the unusual reversal of jack motion, and (he transfer linkage for compensation of brake load between fore and aft pairs of wheels.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
