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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1078.PDF
232 FLIGHT, 21 August 1953 IMPRESSIONS OF THE JODEL BEBE been found in the use of the Volkswagen car engine, which has a luxury fitting in the form of a simple pull cable starter reminding one of the Pobjoy Swallows of yesteryear. The aircraft examined had engines fitted with single ignition consisting of a Scintilla Vertex magneto but some also have additional coil ignition providing a very reliable dual system. The engine is attached to die fuselage without any tubular mounting structure, four attach ment bolts picking up direct on the fuselage front bulkhead. A tiny airscrew is fitted, a product of Regy Helices de Paris, and is fitted with a large spinner attached to a back plate. AIR IMPRESSIONS Flying the Jodel Bebe—in this case F-PBXV, named Ville de Beauvais—is a most rewarding experience, and it is easy to see why the ultra-light enthusiast enjoys single-seat flying as he does. While strong winds may keep him in the hangar a little more than the next man with his bigger aircraft, he can safely and enjoyably do his local flying in dull weather which would put off the average club pilot. M. Crucifix—the jovial and rubicund C.F.I.—gave the writer a very quick briefing. The first item on the pre-flight check was : "Wear cycle clips or roll up your turn-ups in case a litde oil should splash on them." This proved to be the only unusual part of the drill, after which the cockpit was found to be remarkably roomy for such a small aircraft. The pilot uses a very simple form of Sutton harness with a quick-release lock, and once one is strapped in, the windscreen is found to be ample enough to enable helmet and goggles to be dispensed with if desired. Controls are conventional and instruments ample and adequate, including slip and rate-of-climb indicators, and a sensitive alti meter. The ignition switch is a simple push-pull knob which is pulled for contact. The Volkswagen engine runs very smoothly and with a satisfying crackle from its tiny stubs. Its reaction to throttle is good, although there is a slight tendency towards carburetter icing, particularly should the mixture have been set on the weak side as was the case with one aircraft flown. Taxying requires a fair amount of throttle to get things moving in the turn; it is advantageous not to hold the stick too far back, and additionally to make full use of ailerons. Before taking off the final check is simple enough—Engine running and fuel on." Once into wind the Jodel Bebe hops cleanly into the air after a brisk run of about sixty yards, and climbs away very smoothly. A low cloud-base prevented any accurate measurement of climb, but a rough check showed about 350ft/min at 65km/hr (40 m.p.h.) indi cated and temperature about 75 deg F. Immediately the aircraft moves forward a certain amount of left rudder is required to keep straight, and this needs to be maintained for a moment or two until the speed builds up a litde. On becoming airborne one is immediately conscious of the lightness of the fore- and-aft control, which requires very little movement for a noticeable change in pitch. In cruising flight the nose goes well down and the view is magnificent, rather giving the impression of riding an airborne motor cycle. This view, and die low speed which can be main tained, seem to suggest a tremendous safety factor. No trimmer is fitted and a slight pull is required to maintain level flight. In all conditions of flight the stick load to maintain trim is so small that it is barely noticed, particularly after (say) the Zaunkoenig, which requires an undesirable push force. The ailerons are pleasant and turns right and left can be made without rudder, although there seems to be some tendency to slip in when doing more than gende turns on stick alone. Level-flight stability seems satisfactory for an aircraft of this type. The stall, when done gently with a litde power, results in a clean level nose-drop, widi little loss of height and immediate recovery. There does not seem to be any aero dynamic warning save a pregnant hush. Gliding is perfectly straightforward at 65km/hr, an occasional burst of engine, however, being desirable to avoid the indignity of a dead-stick landing due to carburetter icing. Moderate if flattish sideslips are easily executed, although there is lightening of the rudder which could possibly result in overbalance in steeper slips. The actual touch-down, for the first time anyway, seems to result in most people pumphandling a litde, until used to the sensitive stick. On landing, the Jodel Bebe" sits down firmly and it would need to be a very ham-fisted effort to bounce it. After a few circuits in Ville de Beauvais a flight was made in Nichka, die property of M. Andre Rubichon. In this aircraft die handling was similar, showing the consistency in construction between the two. The impression tiiat they were most attractive little "real" aeroplanes was heightened by M. Crucifix, who stated that since last July one Bebe had flown something like 300 hours on the club and another 150 without any trouble. The formula seems attractive; a simple aeroplane flying at 65 m.p.h. on somediing over one gallon of fuel an hour. Georges Crucifix showed at White Waldiam diat die Jodel can be aerobatted very satisfactorily, and die fact tiiat well over one hundred have been built and flown seems to be its best recommendation. JODEL BEBE D.9 SINGLE-SEATER Makers' data for aircraft with 28 h.p. Poinsard engine fitted. Span 23ft Oin Length 17ft 6in Wing area 90 sq ft Weight empty 315 lb Weight of fuel and oil 45 lb Pilot, parachute and/or baggage 190 1b All-up weight 550 lb Wing loading 6.1 Ib/sq ft Power loading 22 Ib/h.p. Ultimate normal acceleration 5 g. Maximum speed 93 m.p.h. Cruising speed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 76 m.p.h. Landing speed 9 m.p.h. Initial climb 450ft/min Take-off run 55 yards Landing run ... 70 yards TANDEM STRIPLING LOOKING somewhat naked with all its fabric removed, a ' HRP-i helicopter (seen in the photograph) called in recently at Piasecki's Delaware plant en route from Lakehurst Naval Air Station to Key West, Florida. This particular machine was one of Piasecki's first successful tandem-rotor helicopters to fly and has completed over 1,000 hours with the U.S. Coast Guard on rescue development. The bare frame, though an incongruous sight among its sleek HUP relatives in the background, does afford an excellent view of the engine installation and transmission layout. The packs around the main landing wheels are the emergency flotation gear. Designed some years ago by Cdr. Frank Erickson, U.S.C.G., the "doughtnut" pontoons are inflated by CO2 bottles under the control of the pilot. They are of nylon fabric and when not in use offer no air resistance to detract from forward speed. In the event of an emergency landing over water being necessary (or for practice water-borne handling) the pilot's release will inflate the pontoons to their maximum in 90 seconds. Sufficient buoyancy to prevent sinking is given in just under a minute—or about 1,000 feet of autorotative descent. B.H.A. Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter is more or less airworthy in skeleton form: the stripped HRP-1 referred to above.
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