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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0512.PDF
5o8 FLIGHT Just as the Italians excel in the styling of car bodies, so do they produce most pleasing shapes in aircraft. Here the Am brosini Sagittario soars high over snow-streaked mountains in Italy. ••• •••• • . • • ., •:• STRAIGHT to the TARGET The Sagittario—Ambrosini s Latest Research Prototype SOME details of their latest Ambrosini experimental jet aircraft were released recently by the Italian Air Ministry. Last week, in Rome, Flight was able to examine the machine in question—the Sagittario (Archer— or, perhaps, "from an Archer")—and hear something of its characteristics, equipment and purpose from Dott. Ing. Guido A. Ferrari, the company's chief experimental test pilot. Dr. Ferrari will be remembered by the sporting fraternity in this country for his fine performance as scratch man in the Express Race last year, when he flew an Ambrosini S.7 into second place at 230 m.p.h. Ambrosini's more recent designs have included the S.7 standard basic trainer in the Italian Air Force which has a 225 h.p. Alfa engine Flight, "In the Air" article No. 44, August 24th, 1951, refers) ; the Supersette, a similar but rather larger aircraft differing particularly in wing design and the power unit (Gipsy Queen 70); and now the related Sagittario. Incidentally, reverting to the Supersette, a second prototype with bubble canopy and inverted V.8 Alfa engine will probably be seen shortly. The Sagittario has 45-degree swept wings and is powered with a Turbomeca Marbore of 840 lb (380 kg) thrust. The prototype is intended in particular for aerodynamic research, and ultimately the design may be developed into a light intercepter. It is expected that two or three prototypes will be built, the third being of metal construction and able to take a turbojet of up to perhaps 4,000 lb thrust. Aerodynamically the machine is capable of a Mach number of about 1.05, but this first wooden prototype has struc tural limitations at a much lower figure, and its top speed in level flight is probably in the region of 350 m.p.h. Best climbing speed is about 200 m.p.h. The basic fuselage of the Sagittario is that of the S.7, and to this have been added swept wings and tail surfaces. The resulting tail-down airframe was first flown with the aid of piston-engine power, this interim machine being known as the Freccia (Arrow). When the Marbore was installed the undercarriage became a problem, and so a separate retractable rear-wheel unit with a long leg was fitted mid-way down the fuselage tail. The main wheels are standard S.7 components folding forwards and inwards.. The track is 8 Jft (2.57 m). The composite jet machine has now com pleted some 30 successful flights and has provided a great deal of information about controls and the aerodynamics of the 45-degree wing-form which will be used for the similar prototypes to follow. Undoubtedly the most interesting features are the wings and controls. The wing itself, of all-wood construction, is of varying thickness-ratio. Dott. Ing. Ferrari explained that, broadly speaking, the intention was to obtain crescent-wing characteristics from a straight-edged swept wing. The relatively thick tips give good stalling qualities. For the first flights of the airframe with piston engine installed, fixed leading-edge slots, fences, dive brakes and aileron spoilers were fitted. The large-area ailerons also carried spring tabs. As soon as the handling characteristics had been sampled the slots were faired over and the dive brakes removed (of this more will be said later); the spring tabs were also abandoned, their effect at high speeds being unsatisfactory. In the cockpit of the Sagittario there are several extra control wheels and levers, their purpose being to permit a pre-setting of the aileron angle up or down (a wheel on the port side); for the operation of the variable-incidence tailplane (another wheel on the port side); and for the individual or combined operation of the spoilers separately or linked with the ailerons and operated by movements of the stick (a pair of levers and a separate engagement lever on the port side control the spoilers). The flaps, which take .... • .......... ... (Above) On this first pro totype (the picture is of the first flight) the rear wheel is retracted when the tail lifts at take-off, but the main wheels are left down until later. (Left) With some portions new and others familiar, the Sagittario, registered MM550, does not appear to be composite.
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