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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1667.PDF
FLIGHT, 18 December 1953 821 AUTO-STABILIZED MYSTERES French Firm Approves a British-made Remedy for "Dutch Roll" Col. Rozanoff, Dassault chief test pilot, with the Mystere IV prototype on which the auto-stabilizer was fitted. On the left is Mr. D. T. Broadbent, Elliott Brothers' chief engineer; on the right, W/C. E. G. Monk, their technical sales manager. Painted on the Mystere's nose is a sonic-bang record; of 125 Mach 1- plus flights, Rozanoff has made 106. NEWS from France suggests that the Marcel Dassault Mystere IV is continuing to fulfil, if not to surpass, its constructors' high hopes. Following seven prototypes—the original Mystere flew in February 1949—an initial production- batch of 30 is now well advanced on the line at the Bordeaux factory. The power unit is the Hispano-Suiza Tay, with the Avon RA.14 visualized for later marks. Simultaneously with this news comes an announcement linking the Mystere IV with a well-known name in the British industry. Quite recently—in June last—the firm of Elliott Brothers (London), Ltd., was invited by Avions Marcel Dassault to co-operate in the elimination of "Dutch roll" from the Mystere IV; the French firm were aware that the British company had been developing, in conjunction with the R.A.E., an automatic stabilizer for high-speed aircraft (this work was briefly referred to in Flight of April 10th). Technical consultations followed. Dutch roll, a "snaking" tendency characteristic to a greater or lesser extent of all swept-wing aircraft, is a phenomenon which makes accurate gunnery and bomb-aiming difficult and which can be uncomfortable and distracting for the pilot. In common with other comparable aircraft, the Mystere IV has irreversible powered controls, and the designer was faced with the problem of inserting in the rudder control an extensible linkage which would not only operate the rudder hydraulic servo motor, but which would also meet the required emergency load- factor in the event of the servo-motor becoming unservicable. It was proposed by Elliott Brothers that the link should be sufficiently "phase-advanced" to compensate for any lags in the servo-system and should in addition serve as a roll-damper responsive to signals received from a gyroscope. M. Jean Rouault, chief engineer of Marcel Dassault, took charge of the installation of the equipment, which consisted of a modified version of the Elliott Mk 1 auto-stabilizer, as developed in conjunction with the R.A.E. It was found necessary to modify the rudder linkage to accept the stabilizer, which was not originally designed for powered-control aircraft. Changes also had to be made in the stabilizer control box. Nevertheless, the first installation was completed before the end of October, and flight tests were made at Melun-Villaroche. It soon became obvious, however, that the existing electrically operated jack would require extensive modification to accom modate the servo loads, which were found to increase greatly with rudder accelerations. An entirely new jack was accordingly developed by Elliott Brothers in conjunction with Rotax, Ltd., and the Mystere's rudder linkage was modified to accept it. This new work was concluded early this month, and a series of test flights was made by Dassault test-pilot Col. K. W. Rozanoff (the almost legendary character whose feats are said to include rolling an R.A.F. Lancaster during the war). This time the outcome was reported as altogether satisfactory: instability in roll and pitch had been completely cured and Dutch roll eliminated. Elliott Brothers state that the Mystere IV thus becomes the first European powered- control aircraft to have its control-system automatically stabilized. TO AMERICA—VIA THE MOON DURING the presentation of a paper entitled The Exploration of Space before the Radar Association on December 7th last, Mr. A. C. Clarke, chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, announced that he would be leaving this country early in the New Year to live in the United States. He said he felt that, although space-flight was a certainty, it was not very probable before the turn of the century, and he himself "might be rather elderly to take any active part." Mr. Clarke's paper, which was copiously illustrated with slides, dealt with many of the more important problems associated with space-flight, including escape velocity, refuelling, the construction of space-stations, and the building of living-centres in the some what hostile surroundings expected on the moon and Mars. The lecturer made reference to the use of radar and radio techniques which might prove useful, and mentioned the improvement which would be found in astronomical observation once the earth's atmosphere had been pierced. At the conclusion of his lecture Mr. Clarke received many good wishes for a successful future in his new fields of activity. CANADIAN AERONAUTICAL INSTITUTE PLANS have been made in Canada for the formation of a Canadian Aeronautical Institute, to combine and co-ordinate the activities of a variety of organizations. Hitherto there have been four more or less independent bodies catering for the techni cal interests of those engaged in aeronautics, namely, the Institute of Aircraft Technicians in Montreal, the Ottawa Aeronautical Society and the Toronto and Montreal sections of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, which has its H.Q. in New York. Since the war, also, a considerable number of members of the Royal Aeronautical Society have gone to Canada, but, unlike certain other parts of the British Commonwealth, Canada has no R.Ae.S. branch. It is hoped to found the Institute, and probably with head quarters in Ottawa, early next year. Potential membership is at present about 800, and it is hoped that others not at present con nected with existing societies will join later. The C.A.I, will have as its main object the "promotion of the art, science and engi neering of aeronautics," and will form a counterpart to the already existing Air Industries and Transport Association, which serves the needs of management. The secretary of the organizing committee is Mr. H. C. Luttman, 22 Kingsgrove Boulevard, Toronto 18. AERIAL ARCHEOLOGY T^HE important part now played by aerial photography in -*- archaeological study was emphasized in a paper read before the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on December 7th. The lecturer, Mr. C. W. Phillips, archaeology officer, Ordnance Survey, told his audience that it had been found uneconomical for surveyors to go into the field until they had examined all the relevant air cover. Without this, more than mree-quarters of the content of an area might remain undiscovered. Air photographs assisted in the finding of ancient burial sites, early field systems, new stretches of Roman roads, lost Roman villas, linear earth works covered by the plough, and mediaeval sites—from castles and monastic buildings to deserted villages.
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