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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0720.PDF
A.S.31. GOTO/. T.S.R.38. Mars II (Sparrowbawk I). 718 . FLIGHT MARS TO JAVELIN ... FOR AIR SURVEY A.S.31 In the autumn of 1929 the Aircraft Operating Co., ofLondon, presented the Gloster company with a specification for a special survey aircraft. It was to be a twin-engined landplanecapable of being converted to a seaplane if required. Gloster's answer was the A.S.31, their first twin-engined aircraft, and onewhich proved outstandingly successful. The two Bristol Jupiter XI geared engines were set on the lower wing, the undercarriagewas of very wide track, and construction was all-metal. Power was adequate to maintain flight on one engine with full load at9,000ft, and take-off and landing runs were exceedingly short. Endurance was sufficient to enable areas of the order of 30,000square miles to be surveyed while the aircraft was operating from a single base. Provision was made for three large cameras in thenose, and the entire floor of the front portion of the fuselage was of glass. Performance exceeded the most sanguine estimates, andwhen, in March 1930, the A.S.31 was flown out for service with the Zambesi Basin Survey Expedition by Mr. Alan Butler, itcompleted the 7,000-mile journey at an average speed of 128 m.p.h.—only 3 m.p.h. less than the required all-out level speed.During air survey operations from Bulawayo, with Capt. Robbins as pilot, the machine made a survey of over 60,000 square miles. A second example of the type was built for the Air Ministryduring 1932, and was used for electrical research work. The A.S.31 had a span of 61ft 6in, was 48ft 6in long, and hada normal flying weight of some 9,000 lb. Its top speed at 1,000ft was 140 m.p.h., stalling speed 47 m.p.h., service ceiling 20,000ft,and endurance 4J-5| hr. FOR GENERAL PURPOSES Goral Designed by Capt. S. J. Waters, under the direction ofMr. Folland, the Goral was a general-purpose machine, entered for the Air Ministry competition which was eventually won bythe Westland Wapiti. Built in 1926, it was fitted with a Bristol Jupiter VI engine. Many units, including the wings, were inter-changeable with those of the D.H.9a, and metal construction was used throughout. An unusual feature was that the designers keptprominently in mind the question of repair in countries where facilities for specialized metal work were lacking; thus, all jointswere so designed that it was possible to replace a damaged steel member by a wooden one. The following figures were quotedfor the Goral as fitted with the Jupiter VIII engine: weight empty 2,885 lb, gross weight, 4,619 lb, maximum speed 141m.p.h. at 4,000ft, climb to 10,000ft 8.9 min, and service ceiling 21,700ft. ..,_..,... Goring The Goring was a two-seat single-bay bomber/recon-naissance biplane, designed as a private venture, with replacement of the Hawker Horsley in mind. The engine at first fitted wasthe direct-drive Jupiter VI, but this was later replaced by the geared Jupiter VIII, and eventual installation of the turbo-super-charged Orion was foreseen. The Goring was flown both as a landplane and as a seaplane, and was of notably clean design. Apoint of special interest was the use of a modified Joukowski aero- foil, giving a high maximum lift. The prototype was mainly ofwood, with metal fittings, but all-metal construction was intended. Armament was a fixed Vickers gun, a free Lewis gun, and some700 lb of bombs, and an alternative split-axle undercarriage was designed to permit the dropping of a light torpedo. The Goring seaplane was tested by Mr. Rex Stocken and gaveexcellent results, as indicated by the figures subsequently given in parenthesis. Unbracketed figures relate to the landplane ver-sion and both sets apply to the Jupiter VIII installation: speed at 4,000ft, 136 m.p.h. (132); speed at 15,000ft, 122 m.p.h. (119);Climb to 10,000ft, 13.1 min (14.2); landing speed, 51 m.p.h. (49); duration at 15,000ft, 6$ hr (6i). A BOMBER TRANSPORT C.16/28 The largest Gloster aircraft was a four-enginedbomber transport built to Specification C.16/28. So large, in fact, was this machine that the doorway of the experimental hangarproved too low to allow removal. Thereupon the works engineer arranged for two trenches to be dug, running out of the hangaiand accommodating the undercarriage wheels. This measure, in connection with hand-operated winches, did the trick. Of 95ft span, the C.16/28 was, in conformity with specification,of all-metal construction. The fuselage was metal-skinned and oi fine aerodynamic form, and resistance was further lessened by in-stalling the four Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines in tandem pairs. The main cabin was 27ft 8in long, 7 ft wide and 7ft 3in high—sufficient to take 30 troops and their equipment. For the admis- sion of loads other than troops there was a hatchway in the rooland a trapdoor in the floor. The front engines were Kestrel HIS and the rear were Kestrel IIS, and each pair was cooled by meansof a single condenser unit. Although the aircraft demonstrated £
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