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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1554.PDF
708 FLIGHT, 27 November 1953 THE AERONAUTICAL BOOKSHELF "The Spirit of St. Louis," by Charles A. Lindbergh, tjohn Murray, Albemarle Street, London, W.l. Illustrated. Price 21s. T^HIS is Col. Lindbergh's account of his early flying days, cul- * minating in his memorable solo non-stop New York to Paris flight in 1927. It makes a long book—over 500 pages of medium- sized type—and die author's mediod of presentation is ingenious. The first few chapters are devoted mainly to die planning of die flight. Then, from die moment die 220 h.p. Wright engine pulls the heavily laden little Ryan monoplane sluggishly off rain-sodden Roosevelt Field, Lindbergh gives an hour-by-hour description of die 33-hour flight; but as diere was, in fact, so litde to describe—just sea and sky—he fills in each hour with reminis cences of his adventures as a very young Army Air Corps pilot— flying, among odier diings S.E.5s—and dien as a mail-flyer and (later) barnstormer on D.H.4s and Curtiss "Jennies." These tales he tells simply and factually, widiout either over- accentuated highlights or false modesty; then, as each episode ends, he brings the reader back widi him into die cramped cockpit as die Spirit of St. Louis drones eastward across die featureless ocean at an altitude of 8,000ft and an indicated air speed of around 90 m.p.h. At each of diese hour-marks he gives a detailed set of instrument readings and weadier observations; and towards die end of die flight die lists grow shorter and shorter, for die pilot almost lost die battle he had been fighting against an overpowering desire for sleep. The main story gives a reasonable proportion of technical information; and for die reader who requires more tiiere are detailed appendices of data on botii airframe and engine, includ ing die fuel consumption and odier curves on which die flight- planning was based. There can have been few, if any, more fully documented descriptions of famous flights; tiiis one will certainly attain die status of a classic in years to come. "The Observer's Book of Aircraft" (Second Edition), by William Green and Gerald Pollinger. Frederick Warne and Co., Ltd., Chandos House, Bedford Court, London, W.C.2. Illustrated. Price 5s. 'T'HIS is a completely revised edition of a well-known work, •*- and remains excellent value at die price. A photograph, silhouette and basic data are given for each of more dian 100 types, and briefer information on a variety of less-important machines. The authors have brought die book as up-to-date as possible, but tiiere are errors in the data. In some cases, such as die Douglas A3D and F4D, inaccurate dimensions are given; most Mystere lis will have four 20mm guns, not two 30mm; the Mamba-Balliol was not the first aircraft to fly solely on turbo prop power; die Grumman S2F requires a crew of four, not two; the Cougar has anhedral, not dihedral and carries 5in, not 0.50in, rockets; the all-up weight given for die Javelin is far from correct; and die silhouette of die Guardian shows die AF-2W, not the AF-2S. These things apart, the new edition fully main tains the standard of its predecessors. Lunar Landscape "Man on the Moon," Edited by Cornelius Ryan; text by Ley, Von Braun and Whipple; illustrations by Bonestell, Klep and Freeman. Sidgwick and Jackson, Ltd., 44, Museum Street, London, W.C.I. Price 25s. lV^ANY readers will remember an earlier work, by these and "* other audiors, entitled Across the Space Frontier—a book distinguished not only by die audiority of its contributors but also by die truly superb paintings of various "views" widiin die solar system. The new publication enjoys similarly breath- taking illustrations and is best left to introduce itself: "In a previous work entitled Across the Space Frontier, die contributors to this book told the story of how man can reach beyond die atmosphere and establish a station in space within ten or fifteen years. Now, from diat space station, die reader is taken anotiier step forward—to the moon." The book is based entirely upon present knowledge of structures, rocket-chemistry, and allied subjects, and describes die entire programme of build ing, planning and navigating the optimum vehicles for a six- week stay on a carefully chosen part of die moon's surface. It goes further and explains what the explorers would do when diey got tiiere, and what tiiey might themselves experience. The text is handled in such a manner that, having once begun to read, the reviewer was impelled to carry on to die end. To anyone who wishes to be transported away from earthly cares we commend Man on the Moon; it is a book which we believe will grip any reader, be he scientist or layman—and leave him pondering on die subject for days afterwards. "Instruments"—book 4 in The Aircraft Engineer's Hand book series. Sixth edition, by R. W. Sloley, M.A., B.Sc., and W. H. Coulthard, M.Sc, A.M.I.Mech.E., F.R.P.S. Published by Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd.. Pitman House, Parker Street, London, W.C.2. Illustrated. Price 30s. ~\£0 introduction is necessary to die series in which this book -1^1 appears. The new edition is overdue and weicome, and it is designed to cover Category X licence requirements in the repair, overhaul, testing and calibration of airborne instruments. An excellent feature is die adoption of die system, long used in Government publications, of printing a black marginal line against all new, or revised, portions of die text. These black lines are commendably numerous and die new edition is excellent in die field covered. But none of the newer (i.e., post-1950) instruments is dealt with, such as synchroscopes or Machmeters. Again, the range of patterns of instrument is rather restricted: botii air- and electrically-driven horizons are dealt widi, but only one model of each. No mention is made of magnetic damping. Specialist instruments, such as are associated widi autopilots or die Sperry Zero Reader, are also absent, aldiough many patterns are in airline service. Three About Engines "Gas Turbines and Their Problems," by Haine Constant, C.B.E., M.A., F.R.Ae.S., M.I.Mech.E., F.R.S. Todd Publish ing Group, Ltd., distributed by Geo. G. Harrap and Co., Ltd., 182, High Holborn, London, W.C.I. Illustrated. Price 17s. 6d. T HIS is precisely die book that many hoped Mr. Constant would write. As director of die N.G.T.E., he has been in a uniquely favourable position from which to survey die whole gas- turbine scene. This he does in die present volume, dealing with aeronautical, industrial, marine and automotive work in a free and eminently readable manner. The book is not particularly large, yet it manages to cover an immense amount of ground. The past, present and probable future of each type of thermodynamic cycle, component, or technique is critically examined and presented in a minimum of well-chosen words. "Aircraft Propulsion," by A. W. Morley, PhD., M.Sc., A.C.G.I., Wh.Sen.Scholar, A.F.R.Ae.S. Longmans, Green and Co., 6 and 7, Clifford Street, London, W.l. Illustrated. Price 28s. A LTHOUGH most of our readers probably distrust any book **-about aero-engines which does not contain a picture of "a real" engine, tiiere are many who are looking for a work which, although readable to die layman, covers the entire basic theory of modern power units—as opposed to a plain description of mechanical design. This is just such a work. We recommend it to all who wish to obtain a thorough basic grounding in the tiieory underlying all the principal forms of aircraft prime-mover. The book offers die most lucid expositions of die various diermodynamic cycles involved and is absolutely up to date, in that reciprocating engines occupy less than 30 of the 213 pages of text. Mr. A. B. P. Beeton, of die R.A.E., has contributed two excellent chapters on ramjets and rockets, and a useful biblio graphy is included. The book has no obvious shortcomings. "Power Plants for Aircraft," by Joseph Liston. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., Ltd., 95, Farringdon Street, London, E.C.4. Illustrated. British price 72s. 6d. HP HE author, who is professor of aeronautical engineering at •*- Purdue University, Indiana, has produced a book which will admirably suit the purpose of anyone wishing to obtain a broad background to American piston engines. Unfortunately, such a work will find a limited public, even in America. Out of a total text of 569 pages die only chapter devoted to gas-turbine power-units occupies but 60. Professor Liston has chosen, as a frontispiece, a photograph of an American turboprop; but the reader who seeks enlightenment in the text finds but three pages on turboprops, and diese largely consist of perform ance curves for an early Pytiion. The ducted fan is dealt with in even more cavalier a fashion; in die solitary paragraph accorded it die author calls it a "dirust-boosting" device and goes on to point out that "in general, fuel consumption is more tiian pro portionately increased." Anodier fundamental weakness of the work lies in its complete inability to present up-to-date information. We know how long such a publication can take to compile, but students of a rapidly changing field deserve data no more than two years old. This book is based almost entirely upon work completed and pub lished before 1950; as a typical example, the table of American alloys used in the manufacture of turbine discs and blades is dated March 1947.
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