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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 1228.PDF
FLIGHT, 30 April 1954 553 CANADIANS FORM NEW AERONAUTICAL BODY A Dominion Counterpart of the R.Ae.S. : Toronto Inaugural Lecture on Water- ski Craft by E. G. Stout THE proposed formation of a national society in Canada "to advance the art, science and engineering related to aeronautics" has been discussed at length over the past few years. Such a society, with functions corresponding closely to those of the Royal Aeronautical Society, finally came into being on February 6th of this year, when a charter appli cation for the Canadian Aeronautical Institute was forwarded to the Canadian Secretary of State. According to G/C. H. R. Foottit, chairman of the Institute's interim council, the initial steps consisted of discussions with the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, and the Engineering Institute of Canada. After the need for a new national society had been established by means of a referendum, the interim council was formed. On this council were executive members of the four existing Canadian aeronautical organizations (the Montreal Institute of Aircraft Technicians, the Ottawa Aeronautical Society, and the Toronto and Montreal branches of the I.A.S.) and two Canadian representatives of the R.Ae.S. "The Canadian Aeronautical Institute" was adopted as the name of the society. The interim council decided that the objects of the Institute could best be implemented by encouraging the exchange of information between members, the presentation and discussion of technical papers, and the exchange of information between the C.A.I. and the R.Ae.S., I.A.S. and E.I.C. The publication of a journal, also, is among other means at present being studied. Much assistance and advice has been given by the Royal Aeronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, and support has come also from the Engineering Institute of Canada. The Air Industries and Transport Association, the Canadian organization representing aircraft manufacturers and airline opera tors, has provided office space and secretarial help for the C.A.I, at its headquarters at 108|, Sparks Street, Ottawa 4, Ontario. Branches of the Institute have been formed at Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, and other branches will be formed as the need arises. At the first annual general meeting at Ottawa on May 25th, two representatives from each of the three branches will be elected to form the council of the Institute, replacing the interim council and remaining in office for one year. Potential member ship of the Institute is estimated to be initially 800. Toronto Branch Inauguration From Toronto, the Editor of Flight has sent the following summary of a lecture given by Mr. E. G. Stout, A.F.I.A.S. (staff engineer, Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation) on the occa sion of the inauguration of the Toronto branch of the Canadian Aeronautical Institute. This inaugural paper was read on April 7th at Toronto University. Briefly tracing flying-boat designs from those of Curtiss in 1911, the lecturer referred to the little change which had taken place in hull design between the wars. He then described in detail the dynamically similar models which had played a vital part in his company's development work, giving credit for this idea and much of the early work to Britain. Mr. Stout next spoke of the development of the R3Y., blended hulls were part of the attempt to remove the speed handicap of conventional seaplanes. These efforts had been most successful. This led on to a discussion of water skis and in particular the Convair Sea Dart, which was the culmination of a policy adopted in 1938 of trying to eliminate the need for long runways. The Sea Dart, the lecturer stated, was not designed as a sea plane in the accepted sense; the aim was for a "panto-based" machine (a night fighter in the original specification) which could be treated in the same manner as a land-based fighter. The air craft could taxi in and out of the water on its wheels at speeds up to 15 kt. No clearing of the take-off path was required, because floating obstructions were deflected due to the high The C.A.I, interim committee sign their Dominion charter application. Left U right: Back row) T. E. Stephenson, Aircraft deputy Director, Department of Defence Production official witness); G. E. Rosenthal, aerodynamics section, Canadair; H. C. Oatway, Defence Research Board: R. H. Guthrie, executive engineer, Canadian Pratt and Whitney. (Centre row) R. D. Richmond, chief development engineer, Canadair; I. M. Hamer, technical director, Dowty Equipment of Canada; GjC. C. W. Crossland, A.F.H.Q.; H. A. Ross, president. Ross Aero. (Seated) H. C. Luttman, patents officer and contracts supervisor, A. V. Roe Canada; G/C. H. R. foottit, Director of Development "A," A.F.H.Q.; Dr. J. J. Green, Scientific Adviser to the Chief of the Air Staff. Not shown is J. Lukasiewicz, Head, High Speed Aerodynamics Laboratory, N.A.E. planing pressure of the skis. Other advantages were that no special handling crews or buoys were required, the machine being fully serviced on land, and simply taxying down the beach or ramp into the sea for take-off. The speed at which the Sea Dart began to plane was about 10 kt, and it rose on to the hump at 35 to 40 kt (i.e., at the point of maximum water resistance). As the centre of gravity lay behind the skis, the machine assumed its own natural attitude during the take-off run, a stable tripod being formed by the two main skis and the tail ski. Lateral stability and a flat wake was provided by the wing trailing edge. The specification had called for a machine able to cope with open seas and rough water. The main skis (which numbered two at this stage for stability reasons) were ball-mounted in front and incorporated large oleo legs with a 24in movement at the back. The tail ski had air brakes which, when used differentially on the water, gave a rudder effect for a 75ft turning radius. The basis of the Sea Dart structure was the steel centre-line keel. The wing was continuous through the fuselage and formed a platform on which the engines were lodged. The normal nose- up ground angle was 17 deg, take-off run about 5,500ft, and landing run 1,000ft. The aircraft was designed to alight not only on water, but also on snow, ice or sand—in fact, on any thing except a concrete runway. Wet and slippery surfaces, such as grass swamps, were suitable, the worst surfaces, being those of a hard, abrasive nature. There had been no thought of fitting conventional wheels to the machine (which at present incorporated fixed, solid wheels), but the next aircraft would have retracting pneumatic wheels for taxying, and would manoeuvre on the ground in the normal fashion. Among other details of the Sea Dart given by the lecturer was die fact that production aircraft were to have an alternative form of main air intake, designed to avoid water when taxying in very rough sea conditions. In the present version, the acceleration was already such that the aircraft lifted well up on to its skis in one aircraft length, in which position there was then no water on the windscreen or air intakes, and the pilot's view was good. The Sea Dart was fully buoyant in case of a forced landing in open sea, but normally it would not "float about" in water, but would taxi straight in or out. Landings and take-offs were made, as on delta landplanes, at a high angle of attack, and handling qualities both in the air and on the water were quite docile. THE MORANE SAULNIER FLEURET F RANCE'S side-by-side two-seat light jet trainer, the Morane Saulnier Fleuret, is at present engaged on a demonstration tour in the Far East, whence it is due to return in the summer. Before the machine set out (and—we would add, in fairness to the makers—before the Editor's reference to it in the issue of April 2nd) the profile and contour of the air intakes were slightly modified to alter the spin characteristics, which were previously considered too docile for a trainer. In consequence, the aircraft now requires to be held in the spin by rudder and neutral or tail-down elevator; recovery by centralizing the controls, or by normal recovery action, is simple and effective. Test pilots report that the Fleuret is easy to fly and inherently stable at all air speeds.
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