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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0926.PDF
82 FLIGHT, 17 July 1953 PARISIAN ROUND-UP Curtiss-Wright.—Even more massive than their engines (described last week) was the Model 501 instrument-flight duplicator, constructed under Dehmel patents. This is "an integrated package of six components which contain all controls, instruments, flight-simulating devices and radio navigation aids needed for training a student in solving any operational problem possible in any 0-250 knot airplane." Unlike Link trainers, the Dehmel designs are fixed rigidly to the floor of the room in which they are housed. Earlier products referred to specific aircraft—B.O.A.C., for example, use Curtiss-Wright simulators on the Stratocruiser—but the Model 501 can be adjusted to represent any current piston-engined airliner. The unit is entirely electrical in opera tion and is claimed to be very trouble-free in operation, without time- consuming regular maintenance checks. Its utilization can be further enhanced by the addition of a radio-procedure training consol, which combines V.O.R., D.M.E., A.D.F., and I.L.S. The ultimate aim of the Model 501 is "instruction on the ground and practice in the air." Curtiss-Wright also exhibited Turbolectric airscrews and a number of extruded hollow steel blades which are a major development. De Havilland.—The centre-piece of this stand was an advanced design of corstant speed, feathering and reversing airscrew for gas turbine engines of up t:> 1,800 h.p. Designed principally for the Vickers Viscount, this airscrew incorporates accurate constant speed changing, two-second feathering, rapid and closely controlled rate of pitch change and hydraulic emergency pitch locking. Four solid duralumin blades were used, of conventional section and profile, and the diameter was 10ft 6in. De-icing was not fitted on the actual airscrew exhibited. Dunlop.—This stand was prepared by the French branch of the company, although many items developed at Coventry were exhibited. Outstanding was a complete Comet main wheel fitted with one of the new dimpled tyres. This tyre, which seems to be one inch narrower than that normally fitted, has a smooth surface except for a number of small craters or dimples which are provided principally to given an indication of wear. B.O.A.C. speak highly of these tyres, which are stronger and last longer than the ribbed pattern formerly fitted. Not seen before was a fuel-tank pressurization valve supplied by air tapped from the main engine compressor at pressures from between 6 to 300 lb/sq in. The valve maintains constant output pressure, the delivery being up to 70 cu ft of free air per minute. Another prominent exhibit was the air intake to a Rolls-Royce Dart, as fitted to the Viscount, for which Dunlop provided electric-thermal de-icing. The intake had been partially stripped of its rubber surface layer in order to show the efficient heating elements underneath. E.C.A.—The Etudes et Constructions Aeronautiques stand was adjacent to that of Jean Turck, who deal in telemetering equipment. Turck stated that E.C.A. made "the best guidance systems in France," so we examined their stand closely. Unfortunately, little was forth coming regarding principles of operation, but the centre-piece was a model missile whose gyrations were controlled by a moving spot of light on the wall, the missile nose having a photocell whose signals actuated a three-axis autopilot. A missile-guidance "beep box" was also connected to the same model, this having a conventional "stick and rudder" fingertip arrangement. Another demonstration panel carried three servo-mechanisms—one each for speed, position and force—which were stated to be used in conjunction with ground signals for the stabilization of missiles. E.F.A.—Etudes et Fabrications Aeronautiques are another maker of safety equipment. Specializing in parachutes, they showed various types of personnel, troop and supply packs, and braking patterns, the latter being of the ribbon variety. These were all of E.F.A. design. Built under licence from an "unknown" American company was the Type 10 anti-g suit, which was shown clothing a dummy; the suit automatically inflates and deflates in a controlled manner at accelerations in excess of 2g. A particularly ingenious device was the company's quick-release catch for a safety belt or lap-strap; but it appears to require previous familiarity for easy manipulation—a grave disadvantage for airline use. Elveco was another company exhibiting high-quality variable con densers. Several basic types were shown, some with a linear voltage/ capacity characteristic and many stressed for use in missiles. Faure Herman.—Among a variety of electric tachometers and flow- measuring devices was one which appealed greatly. For measurement of fluid flow, the equipment consists of a simple fan with two of its four blades magnetized, mounted in a constant diameter tube. As each magnetic blade passes a solenoid, mounted to move radially just out side the pipe wall, the latter is attracted and feeds a signal to a remote box. The box responds to "kicks" and, after accepting 14 such impulses, responds on the fifteenth. Fifteen kicks from the solenoid correspond to one litre in the example we saw. The beauty of the arrangement is that virtually no power is absorbed by the fan, so greatly reducing errors. The model examined was roughly eight inches of two-inch pipe, and could pass up to 30,000 litres (6,600 gal) per hour, with an accuracy better than one per cent. Fermeture Eclaire was found to be a licensee of a well-known British company, namely, Marston Excelsior. On view were flexible bag-tanks, marketed under the name "Flexelite," cellular and laminated plastic components, and a Marston heat-exchanger. Filotex arranged a most attractive stand with specimens of electric cable, chiefly of the metal-braided or P.V.C.-coated type. Co-axial cables and multi-wire types were also shown, and leads for antistatic aerials. Fokker.—Apart from their main aircraft stand, Fokkers took an auxiliary stand for their Fokker-Eckold universal sheet-metal shaper. This looks much like a small press or riveter or spot-welder. Actually the machine has a head and an anvil, both of which can be fitted with special tools which, essentially, consist of two halves—left and right— which slide sideways when the two heads are pressed together. The tools can either slide open or closed, according to whether they are used for stretching or shrinking. We ourselves spent a few minutes manipu lating a piece of one-inch angle into various shapes, and learned that, with practice, such complex pieces as pipe-junctions could be made from flat sheet, by forming two halves which were then seam welded together. For light work, hand-operated stretchers or shrinkers are available. The machine is in production. Helice Legere.—The principal aim of this company, as its name implies, is the development of lightweight airscrews and helicopter rotors. On their stand they showed a number of airscrew blades utilizing various types of construction—in particular, of laminated wood with a plastic protective coating. There were, however, a number of blades formed entirely from asbestos-bonded resin-based plastic. The type EF.10 two-blade airscrew shown weighed but 44lb; this type of airscrew is used in the N.C.856 air observation post and thus absorbs some 220 h.p. It has laminated-wood blades whose pitch is variable by a manual linkage to the cockpit. Jaboreva.—On this stand was a new machine tool developed by the company and designed to produce bulkheads or dishings from sheet or strip. Essentially it consists of a number of rollers whose relative positions and angles can be accurately adjusted and a central pivot on which the work could rotate. For certain types of work, specially made rollers would be required but with the standard pattern most types of work should be capable of easy manufacture. Two unusual features of the machine are that the work need not be circular in plan form— an eliptical shape being quite easily achieved—neither need the turned-up edge be at 90 deg, for a specimen workpiece formed from straight strip had a turned-up angle varying between 70 and 100 deg in a controlled manner throughout its length. The maximum thicknesses of metal which can be handled are 4mm Dural and 2-3mm steel. Jacottet.—By far the most important products from this company are hydraulic power controls of the type used in—among other aircraft— the Arsenal 1402, Leduc 016, Mystere IV, S.E. 5000, S.O. 4050, S.O. 6021, and S.O. 9000. These servo-systems, which are made under licence from R. Leduc, are unusually simple and irreversible and retain the direct manual control for use in emergency. A demonstration rig was mounted on the Jacottet stand with which visitors could amuse themselves trying to disprove these claims Synchronization appeared to be perfect and the fidelity of the system was unusually good, although, of course, pipe lengths were much less than they would be in a genuine aircraft installation. Operating at a pressure of 147 kg/sq cm (2,080 lb/sq in), one of these control systems recently completed a million cycles without trouble, while another has undergone a lengthy period of severe testing in the S.O 6021. Kleber-Colombes.—The principal product of this company consists of tyres for all types of vehicle including aircraft. Illustrated on this page is a mainwheel unit for the S.O. 9000 Trident rocket fighter and it was noteworthy that the diameter of the tyre was no greater than that used in the M.S. 755 Fleuret trainer, which weighs, fully loaded, about one-eighth as much. The Trident tyre is in fact the highest-pressure unit yet attempted in France and is a multi-ply unit of nylon and special heat resisting rubber. Also produced are production tyres for the Vampire, Mistral, Ouragan, Mystere, Thunderjet and Sabre, the latter being spares for NATO. Another more recent development by the company is a low-density foam substance known as Klegecel, which sets hard and combines a variety of uses in aircraft construction. A cube with sides of one metre The S.N.C.A.S.O. ejection seat (left) was exhibited by Aerazur. The similarity to the Martin-Baker design is obvious. The tyre/wheel unit (right) is that for the main under carriage of the S.O.9000 Trident rocket/turbojet fighter. The cigarette lighter on top gives scale; tyre- pressure is to be some 240 Ib/sq in when the Tri dent's rocket-fuel tanks are filled.
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