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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0721.PDF
FLIGHT, 21 March 1952 329 FLYING IN STEP... DEALING with a variety of aeronautical technical develop ments, the following are an assortment of news items lately received from the United States :— Students at Northrop Aeronautical Institute have developed a small turbojet which, called the Centriflow, is of 26in diameter, is 67.4m long, and weighs 172.4 lb. Stated to be capable of driving a "small plane" at 300 m.p.h., the engine runs on 80-octane aviation petrol, and consumes 26 gal/hr. It is planned to install the unit in a Ryan Navion after the completion of ground tests. At the National Bureau of Standards, tests are now being made with two new electronic altimeters designed to operate at heights above the upper limit of aneroid capacity. One of the new instruments, intended for a height range of between 150,000 and 300,000ft, registers altitude according to the ambient heat trans mission across a thermocouple. The other altimeter is wholly electronic in operation, in that electrons from a filament bombard a positively-charged grid, so generating positively-charged ions which are attracted to a negative plate. The ratio of plate current to grid current is proportional to altitude, and the altimeter is designed for operation between 300,000 and 500,000ft. When it is desired to alter the settings of all engines, the pilot operates engine-power or airscrew controls in the conventional manner. The synchronizing equipment is rendered inoperative during the change in speed, but will once more take effect when all power plants have settled down to the new setting. In the event of the master engine failing on a multi-engined air craft, the pilot's switch can be turned to select No. 3 engine as an alternative master; if the aircraft is a twin, of course, synchronizing would no longer apply. In any case, the corrector motor limit- switches prevent the slave power units from following a defective master engine beyond the 6 per cent range. Over 2,000 hours' flying has shown the Rotol automatic syn chronizer to be virtually trouble-free. The equipment is indepen dent of any external source of electrical power, and the absence of slip-rings, brush gear, commutators or relays should greatly reduce the number of occasions upon which adjustment or replacement of components would be needed. Rotol, Ltd., make the claim that the servicing requirements of an aircraft are not increased by the in stallation of the equipment. The accuracy of the system is borne out by a test which has taken place with a Lancaster. The aircraft was fitted with syn chroscopes which included an arrangement for indicating when any engine became out-of-step by an amount greater than 120 deg; this indication was not made during 20 minutes of flying in bad weather. The synchronizer has undergone much bench-testing by Rolls- Royce with turbojets, and there is a version of the equipment now available for such an installation. Patents for a reliable low-cost airport beacon—designed for use at the smaller airfields—and for a high-intensity airport runway marker light, were recently assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh. The low-cost beacon is of rotating type, and has a duplicated light which is automatically illuminated should the main light fail. The new high-intensity runway marker light has a candle-power of up to 100,000, the intensity of the light being controllable for varying weather conditions. The marker light incorporates an optical system, whereby different light signals, as well as different intensities, may be produced. Another patent (assigned to Northrop Aircraft, Inc.) deals with exhaust-gas disposal from turboprops fitted with pusher propellers. The gases are ejected at the roots of the propeller blades, where they do not interfere with blade efficiency, and a means is provided for cooling the blade roots. The General Electric Co. have evolved a new process for the economic production of axial compressor stator blades. The process involves the rolling of sectionally contoured strips from which the blades are cut to the desired length. No indication is given of the method of blade attachment to the anchorage base. no more than one-third of the credit. This he shares with the pilots of his own, and the subject, aircraft. At the Ilford exhibition it is an embarrassment to try to single out a particular picture for commendation. John Yoxall was attracted by an echelon of Meteors, and we ourselves decided to ask Charles Brown to name his own favourite. After some medi tation he concluded that this was a study of the Valiant; we reproduce it on page 337 of this issue. AERIAL ART JUDGING from such sporadic observations as we have been able to make, it is not a common practice for R.A.F. personnel on leave, or otherwise at large in London, to haunt the National Gallery; nor is the Tate overflowing with aesthetically inclined airmen. Their direction into such lofty walks is not our mission in life, but we do counsel everyone associated with military or civil flying, however remotely, to make sure of visiting the Ilford Galley at 106/7 High Holborn, W.C.i (a few yards from Holborn Underground), where they will find 120 pictures to delight them. These are the work of Charles E. Brown, F.I.B.P., who is one of the three past-master aeronautical photographers in the country (the others, as named by Mr. Brown himself, being John Yoxall and Charles Sims). As Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh P. Lloyd observed in opening the exhibition, the pictures comprise a text book of aeronautical progress. In his welcoming address the Hon. J. P. Philipps, chairman of Ilford, Ltd., remarked that Sir Hugh's interest in aerial photo graphy was not confined to his responsibility for "P.R." flying: he had, it emerged, a very personal association with Charles Brown and his work. As CO. of the first Wellington squadron, he had occasion, during 1939, to act as "chauffeur" for Charles who—having tried all the windows and hatches of the Wimpey— informed him that nothing would do but that they should return to base for the bodily removal of the tail turret. After hasty consideration of e.g. position, the turret was duly unshipped and sacks of bricks taken aboard in its stead. Then Charles ascended to the poop, where he was lashed (like the skipper's daughter) to the nearest convenient structure. He secured his pictures. The subject of this anecdote is, as many people in the industry and in the Services will be aware, as modest by nature as m stature; but he had no hesitation in accepting the compliments so liberally paid him by Sir Hugh for, in his own view, he can claim T ON SHOW FORTHCOMING EVENTS Mar. 21. Helicopter Association: "Recent Helicopter Research Investi gations," by W. Stewart, B.Sc, Mar. 25. R.Ae.S. Graduates' and Students' Section: Annual General Meeting and Talk on "Aerodynamic Oscillations of Suspension Bridges," by C. Scrutton, B.Sc., A.F.R.Ae.S. Mar. 26. R.Ae.C.: Annual General Meeting. Mar. 27. R.Ae.S. Section Lecture: "Civil Jet Aircraft Performance," by D. R. Newman, A.F.R.Ae.S. Apr. 4. College of Aeronautics: Senior Common Room Society's Annual Dinner. Apr. 6. London Aeroplane Club: Dawn Patrol and A.G.M. Apr. 15. R.Ae.C.: Film Show. Apr. 22. R Ae.S. Graduates' and Students' Section; "Servomechanisms," by F. H. Borlace, B.Sc.(Eng.), Grad.R.Ae.S. Apr. 22-24. R.A.F. Golfing Society: Spring Meeting, Walton Heath. Apr. 24. R.Ae.S.: "Fuel Systems for Turbine-driven Aircraft," by J. E. Walker, A.F.R.Ae.S. (at Luton). May 3. Vintage Aeroplane Club: Rally, White Waltham. May 3-10. F.A.I.: Committee Meetings, Madrid. May 5. I.A.T.A.: Fifth Annual Technical Conference, Copenhagen. May 5-16. British Industries Fair. May 10. Exeter Aero Club: Display. "Exploding" the corrector motor shows the rotor drive and the limit- switch. This diagram assumes an aircraft powered by two piston engines. U.S. TECHNICAL MISCELLANY
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