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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0592.PDF
592 FLIGHT IGOR SIKORSKY IN GREAT BRITAIN... it might be advantageous to use a greater number of blades of amoderate chord. There were reasons to believe that this would increase the smoothness and decrease the control loads of theaircraft. It was very probable that aircraft engines would continue tobe the principal powerplants of helicopters, as at present. But increased use of the turbine could be expected, because rotating-wing aircraft would profit even more from its characteristics than would the aeroplane. It was probable that, for the multiple-engined turbine-driven helicopter, engiries with the free turbine wheel would be preferable because, in the event of one enginebecoming inoperative, it would be possible to obtain nearly the full power of the remaining turbines at a somewhat reduced numberof revolutions of the rotor. In the medium-size and large-size helicopter, it might beadvantageous in the future to use a combined system of applica- tion of power. Basic power would consist of engines or turbinesgeared to the main rotor shaft or, in larger units, preferably directly to the huge rotor hub of the aircraft. A secondary powersystem would consist of a turbine or turbines driving compressors, to send compressed air through the blades for jet power at thetips, with or without superheating. In the proposed arrangement it would be possible to utilizepassages within blades of normal cross-section which, as a rule, were smaller than would be desirable if pure pressure-jet drivewere used; yet, for a partial-jet drive, it would permit efficient utilization of the existing cross-section without the need ofincreasing the thickness of the blade beyond that indicated by aerodynamic and structural considerations. Furthermore, itwould permit use of the light but inefficient system for take-off, or for any time when a burst of power would be needed, while forordinary cruising it would be possible to operate under the more efficient engine and transmission system. Also, this would allowfor having a somewhat smaller torque-compensating device. Finally, the compressed-air system of this type could beutilized for anti-icing by preheating the air to an adequate temperature before it was channelled into the blade passages. In very big machines, of more than 100 tons gross weight, itmight be advantageous to apply all or most of the power directly at the outer ends of the blades in the form of either pressurejets or complete turbojets. A considerable number of other arrangements that would permit transmitting or generating thepower at the tip of the blade had already been proposed. Par- ticularly for giant helicopters, it would seem very desirable toeliminate the torque, together with the great stresses in the centre of the craft and the torque compensating device, by applying theentire power directly to the tips of the blades. So far, however, no arrangement of this nature had been tested that wouldapproach the efficiency and general operating characteristics of a helicopter with a transmission and a torque-compensating controlrotor. It was, therefore, not impossible that the conventional formula would survive even on giant helicopters. In certaindesigns of this nature it might be advantageous to use hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric transmission of power to the tail rotor. It Mr. Sikorsky (right) receives the James Watt Medal from Mr. P. L. Jones, president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. might even be necessary in some cases to eliminate the transmis-sion by using a separate powerplant—perhaps two governor-con- trolled turbines—to generate the power for the tail rotor.Concerning the configuration of the aircraft, the lecturer thought that the giant and super-giant helicopter of the futurewould still be a single-rotor aircraft, obviously with a large rotor with a great number of blades and a very heavy disc loading.Mr. Sikorsky concluded by reviewing briefly the possibility of using nuclear power as a source of power for helicopters. Therewas no doubt that such power could be used, he thought, as soon as a suitable powerplant became available. One of thelogical arrangements that could be foreseen, he continued, was as follows: "A turbine of generally conventional type in which theair, after being compressed, becomes overheated in a heat- exchanger into which, in turn, heat is supplied from a nuclearreactor by circulating melted metal, or by some other means. The major problem in this case would still be to protect and insulatethe occupants from the powerful radiation that would be created by the nuclear reactor. It is probable that on a sufficiently largemachine, a reactor could be situated far in the very bow of a fuselage of the aircraft and be properly insulated, while the crewcould be located far behind, in the rear end of the craft. This, or similar solutions, however, might involve certain difficulties." The greatest obstacle, which would probably prevent the useof atomic energy in helicopters for some time to come, was the fact that there might not be sufficient advantages in doing so.While very fast, nuclear-powered, possibly supersonic, aircraft with virtually unlimited flying range would be tremendouslyvaluable, yet practically all the missions of the helicopter were for short range. Before concluding his lecture Air. Sikorsky showed an excellentfilm depicting the development of his helicopters from the first attempts in 1910 to his latest achievement, the twin-engined S-56.The film also included sequences showing commercial helicopter operations in Northern Canada. R.Ae.C. COMMITTEES, 1955-56 THE Royal Aero Club announces the constitution of its variouscommittees for 1955-1956, as set out below; also given are names of stewards, timekeepers and other competition officials, together with those of the F.A.I, representatives. THE COMMITTEE President.—Lord Brabazon of Tara. Vice-Presidents.—Capt. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, Lord Gorell,Viscount Kemsley of Dropmore, Sir Francis K. McClcan, Sir Frederick Handley Page, Whitney W. Straight, The Duke of Sutherland. Chairman.—S. Kenneth Davies.Vice-Chairman.—Air Chief Marshal Sir John Boothman. Committee Members.—Capt. K. J. G. Bartlett, Air Marshal SirRoderick Carr, J. G. Crammond, Lt-Col. C. F. H. Gough, E. S. Green- wood, R. G. Kent, Capt. A. G. Lamplugh, Maj. R. H. Mayo, H. W. H.Moore, G/C. C. S. Morice, Maj. H. A. Petre, Maj. J. Steward, Lawrence Swan, J. C. C. Taylor, C. F. Uwins, F. Woodhead. Other Committees Finance.—Capt. K. J. G. Bartlett, J. G. Crammond, E. S. Green- wood, Maj. R. H. Mayo, G/C. C. S. Morice, Maj. J. Steward, C. F. Uwins, F. Woodhead. House.—J. G. Crammond, G/C. C. S. Morice, Maj. J. Stewart, J. C. C. Taylor, Capt. H. S. Broad, E. H. W. Lucas, Capt. J. G. Renton, S/L. C. K. Turner-Hughes, Capt. R. H. Walmsley, G. H. Wilkinson. Records, Racing and Competitions.—E. S. Greenwood, Capt. A. G. Lamplugh, Maj. R. H. Mayo, Capt. H. S. Broad, E. C. Bowyer, J. Cunningham, W. P. I. Fillingham, I. A. Forbes, Cdr. A. Goodfellow, D. J. Lyons, P. B. Mayne, R. R. Paine, J. K. Quill, F. Rowarth, Priva^FIyins and Air Touring.—R. G. Kent, Maj. H. A. Pefre, J. C. C. Taylor, J. G. Benson, C. E. Berens, W. H. Byars, J. R. Cory, E. S. Davies, A. D. Duncan, J. J. Dykes, J. C. Elwes, R. E. Hardingham,J. M. Houlder, D. Constable Maxwell, P. Q. Reiss, H. M. Samuelson, J. N. Somers, A. G. Wilson. "Royal Aero Club Gazette."—R. G. Kent, Geoffrey Dorman, A. D.Duncan, E. H. W. Lucas. Londonderry House Maintenance.—G/C. C. S. Morice, G/C. J. F.H. du Boulay, Miss N. Collins. N.B.—The chairman of the Club, Mr. S. Kenneth Davies, is ancx-officio member of all committees. Stewards of the Club Lord Brabazon of Tara, Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr, Lord Gorell,Sir Francis K. McClean, H. W. H. Moore, Maj. H. A. Petre, The Duke of Sutherland, F. Woodhead. Officials for Records, Races and Competitions Timekeepers.—P. B. Mayne (chief timekeeper), Maj. J. W. Barber,Maj. A. L. Ebblewhite, A. J. Gibbons, Maj. Gen. A. H. Loughborough, L. H. Lumby.Handicappers.—F. Rowarth (consultant), D. J. Lyons (chief handi- capper), C. M. Britland, W. J. Charnley, Miss I. J. Ferguson, W. S.Johnson, D. R. Murrin, L. R. Wilson. F.A.I. Representatives Capt. K. J. G. Bartlett (president), Maj. R. H. Mayo (vice-presidentand sporting), P. A. Wills (gliding), Col. R. L. Preston (touring), Maj. T. W. Willans (parachuting), A. F. Houlberg (models), Sir Harold E.Whittingham (medical). Other Representatives British Gliding Association.—M. O. Imray.Association of British Aero Clubs and Centres.—C. F. Uwins. Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers.—M. O. Imray.The Popular Flying Association.—J. C. C. Taylor.
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