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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 0529.PDF
FLIGHT, 26 February 1954 243 MODERN FIRE-TENDER DESIGN RECENTLY demonstrated at its manufacturers' works at Chatham was a new crash-fire tender which the firm • concerned—Airfoam Fire Protection, Ltd.—claim as "setting entirely new standards" in equipment of this kind. The principal requirements kept in mind have been, first, approach speed, and the ability to use that speed over rough or soft ground, so that the tender can reach the scene of a crash in the shortest possible time; and, secondly, a means whereby the foam equipment may be brought into action literally without a second's delay. The first requirement is taken care of by the chassis and its engine—a four-wheel-drive Thornycroft Nubian powered with a Rolls-Royce B.80 straight eight (developing 140 b.h.p. at 3,750 r.p.m.) and carrying bodywork constructed throughout of high- strength aluminium alloy. The second is met, initially, by the use of a 6in multiple-jet foam monitor above the windscreen. By this arrangement, the monitor can be brought into action as the tender comes to rest, discharging at the full 3,000 gal/min out put of the pump; a typical down-wind throw (moderate wind) is stated to be 130-140ft. While the universally mounted monitor—which is aimed by the driver—is bringing the fire under initial control, two of the crew-members (four can be accommodated in addition to the driver) dismount and run out 4in canvas hoses which, 80ft in length, are housed "flake fashion" in lockers on either side of the radiator. As soon as the men are ready, the driver diverts the foam from the monitor to the hoses by a single control-movement. Foam compound is contained in a 50-gal tank, and admixture of compound and water can be controlled by valves to give a foam expansion factor varying from 10 :1 to 25 :1. The foam pump, which gives its maximum output at 1,200- 1,300 r.p.m., also incorporates a water pump which, rotating at half speed, serves to draw supplies from any suitable outside source and thus keep the 450-gal water tank topped up. Alterna tively, in circumstances where foam is not required, operation of a clutch will disengage the foam-pump rotor and allow the water- pump rotor to run at full speed as a 350-500 gal/min fire pump. In addition to these foam and water services, the tender carries six 50 lb CO2 cylinders, connected to a pipeline supplying The Airfoam tender, showing monitor and hose-lockers. 100ft of fin high-pressure hose equipped with an applicator. Under control of the driver, seated in his cab, are (1) power take-off from chassis engine to dual pump; (2) foam-compound and water mixing valves; (3) valves to monitor and hoses; (4) monitor directional control; (5) CO2 discharge controls. The principal remote controls operate through Arens systems. Subsidiary equipment includes full rescue and first-aid gear, an 11 in searchlight (transportable, with 300ft of flex), flashing syren, stand-by radiator-heater and battery trickle-charger. This tender is one of two being supplied to the Iraq Petroleum Co., Ltd., for operation in their refinery sites and airfields at Kirkuk and Ain Zalah, where the versatility of the vehicles' fire- fighting equipment should be particularly valuable. FOR GROUND-COOLING AIRCRAFT AS briefly recorded on this page last week, a number of Coolair **• Minor portable plants have been supplied to the R.A.A.F. for ground-cooling the aircraft in which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been travelling during their Australian tour. There follow details of a unit of this type, the makers of which are M. L. Aviation Co., Ltd., White Waltham Aerodrome, Berks. In principle, the Coolair Minor—smallest in the M.L. range of cooling and heating units—is a refrigeration plant mounted on a two-wheeled trailer which can be towed or manhandled as required. It is powered by a 6 h.p. J.A.P. engine driving both a refrigerating compressor and a fan, so that the air delivery and the refrigeration output keep in step, as it were, according to the r.p.m. setting and the duty required. Air is drawn in tiirough an inlet filter by the fan and delivered to the outlet via the cooling chamber of the refrigerator, the entire system being thermosta tically governed so that the unit can be left to operate without attention for long periods. The cooled air is delivered—up to a maximum of 400 cu ft/min—by means of a flexible delivery- hose. Typical performance figures are: Ambient Temp, (deg F) 120 100 90 90 90 75 75 Rel. Humid. (per cent) 30 45 90 65 30 100 60 Total Cooling (B.Th.U/hr) 25,000 22,000 24,000 21,000 16,000 19,000 15,000 Sensible Cooling (B.Th.U/hr) 15,500 11,900 6,300 8,900 12,900 5,600 8,600 Delivery (deg F) 73 64 71 63 51 58 49 Compact design characterizes the Coolair Minor unit, described above. The Coolair Minor, under its official designation of air cooling trolleys Mks 1 and 2, is in use by the R.A.F. at many tropical and sub-tropical stations throughout the world. It was employed in the Korean campaign for the cooling of aircraft carrying casualties to base and to the U.K. One version of the unit has been developed for cooling aircraft radar whilst it is being tested on the ground. WITH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE THE firm of Export Packing Service, Ltd., a large proportion of whose work consists of the preparation of aircraft and components for transportation, recently recruited a former test pilot, Michael Daunt, to their technical sales side. Now comes news that Mr. Daunt has been joined by another ex-test pilot, D. W. Lucke. Born in Mexico, "Tommy" Lucke has had a colourful career from the time when, at the age of 20, he worked his passage from Texas to take an R.A.F. short-service commission. On completing it he joined Ethyl Export for flying duties which took him to many parts of the world. In 1937 he joined Bristols as an instructor, then re-entered the R.A.F. and was engaged on flying which in cluded work in connection with countering the magnetic mine and the development of the Mohne Dam weapon and of air borne lifeboats. From 1946 to 1948 he was with B.O.A.C. as chief test pilot at Croydon. He was appointed C.F.I, to the Royal Egyptian Air Force and served for a year before giving up active flying for health reasons. Mr. D. W. Lucke.
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