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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0401.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 April 1956 TWO CYLINDERS TO LE MANS . . . run, when all seemed well, I concluded that the long downwind taxi had caused overheating. We topped up with petrol, gave the exhaust-valve stems a shot of oil for luck and, while Richard stumbled to keep up with the wing-tip, I taxied as fast as I dared to the runway. This time the engine was in good form and we took off. The next leg was the most interesting of the trip for the navi-gator, who had to keep a careful check of groundspeed tendencies and fuel consumption. Veronica used 2i gallons an hour, but thelast two gallons in the tank did not record on the gauge, and so graphs were drawn to enable us to consume a safe proportionof this on a time basis. I had carefully calibrated the gauge, a foolproof cork-and-wire device, to enable us to cope with suchan emergency; I was confident of its indications and noted read- ings at regular intervals. An initial groundspeed of 30 m.p.h.encouraged us to fly carefully for range and at heights calculated to cheat the wind. In such a slow machine as the Aeronca it isincredible how great an increase in range can be obtained by careful use of flying controls and throttle. Even thermals wereused to gain height and later converted into speed at reduced throttle-setting. Gradually our groundspeed increased as we approachedAlencon, the only possible diversion field, but the final decision as to whether we could safely make Le Mans could not be madeuntil Alencon lay directly below. The answer was in the affirma- tive—even though the fuel gauge was almost on its stop. Le Mans came up at about 7 p.m. Looking down on the racewe could hear the noise of the cars above that of our own engine. A quick circuit, positioning ourselves where we hoped to be seenby half-expecting friends in the covered stand, and we landed, late but triumphant. Taxying in, we were greeted by such com-ment as "Formidable! .. . C'est formidable!" A peep into the tank confirmed our calculations. Three- 399 quarters of a gallon, or about 20 minutes to dead cut. In con- siderations of this sort one must take into account the type of machine. The Aeronca could touch down at 28 m.p.h. with the brakes on and stop in 12 yards; besides, there were plenty of garages along the road! It is not the purpose of this article to describe the next twenty-one hours, but in the early dawn I actually succeeded in getting some sleep in the cramped cockpit. After the race we settleddown to our long take-off run, this time on soft sandy ground with a runway well out of wind, but somehow we were airborneagain despite the fact that full throttle—and even some "bumping scramble" tactics by the occupants—was required to get Veronicamoving at all. Flying north, and passed by many others on their way home,we noticed the weather worsening, with frequent rain-showers and low cloud. Deauville was again the target but as weapproached cloud settled on the hill. However, we were just in time to squeeze in, followed closely by a Proctor which hadabandoned the direct flight home after a few miles out over the Channel. We joined forces with the Proctor crew and spent apleasant evening, concluding with a quiet visit to the Casino with the intention of defraying part of our expenses but, of course,merely adding to them. The following day saw us stroking our way home in easystages with lunch at Le Touquet. Flying along the coast I found it possible to increase our speed by 5 m.p.h. for the samepower setting, using the lift from the onshore wind over the cliffs. Flying an Aeronca seems in many ways more akin to gliding. At Lympne the take-off was even more prolonged and difficultowing to rough rising ground and lack of wind, but a carefully selected gap in the trees must have served many similar take-offsbefore. Our progress homeward was rather too easy-going, due to lengthy meal-stops, but it was with a great sense of satisfactionthat we manoeuvred Veronica back into the hangar at Denham after her three-day absence and got out the car. Have you evernoticed how smooth a car feels after flying? THE INDUSTRY Electronic Computor Service THE English Electric Co., Ltd., has opened a new computingA service centre in its London office at Marconi House, Strand, W.C.2. The centre is an extension of the Nelson ResearchLaboratories' work at Stafford, where computing on the company's Deuce (described in Flight of April 15th, 1955), the mostpowerful machine of its type in Europe, is already done for mem- bers of the English Electric Group and outside organizations. The London machine is manned by a team of mathematiciansspecializing in the application of high-speed digital computing to problems in aircraft development, and all branches of mechanicalengineering and communications, civil engineering and com- merce. The service has behind it an extensive library of pro-grammes which have been previously prepared for the solution of a wide range of problems. Computing problems in the develop-ment of the P.I were carried out on the Deuce. Electro-Hydraulics Expansion A NEW laboratory devoted to the design, development andtesting of Electro-Hydraulics products for the aircraft industry was officially opened on March 23rd at Warrington byMr. Reginald Maudling, M.P., Minister of Supply. Introducing the Minister, Mr. C. W. Sharp, managing director of Electro-Hydraulics, Ltd., recalled that the company had been associated with the aircraft industry since 1939. It had been decided some2 years ago to extend the firm's aeronautical facilities, he said, and the new laboratory building was the heart of a long-termexpansion now envisaged. At a luncheon following the opening ceremony and attendedby representatives of the industry and the Ministry of Supply, the health of the guests was proposed by Mr. A. G. B. Owen,C.B.E., chairman of Electro-Hydraulics, Ltd., and the Owen group of companies, and the reply was voiced by the Minister.Proposing a toast to the aircraft industry, Mr. C. B. V. Neilson, technical director, said that the company's drop-testing machine,now housed in the new laboratory, was probably the most advanced equipment of its kind in the world. "It is able to spinup the landing-gear wheels in order to represent drag loads, the landing table is shot sideways by a very powerful hydro-pneumaticmechanism to reproduce side-loads, and the actual ground re- actions due to vertical, drag and side-loads are directly measuredby means of strain-gauge links in addition to the usual electronic accelerometers." Turning from the company's undercarriage work to its pro- gress in other hydraulic fields, Mr. Neilson said, "The highestrefinement of the hydraulic system is the electro-hydraulic servo- mechanism. . . . Our engineers are applying servos not only inconnection with aircraft and guided weapons, but also in the control of machine tools for the aircraft industry." In the attackon high temperatures, he disclosed, the company had already had pneumatic actuators working at 400 deg C, and their electricallyoperated control valves were effective and reliable in operation at 300 deg C. A reply to the toast was made by Mr. R. S. Stafford,C.B.E., technical director of Handley Page, Ltd. Australian Bristol Appointment THE appointment is announced of G/C. E. A. Whiteley,C.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.R.Ae.S., as a director and general manager of the Bristol Aeroplane Co. (Australia), Pty., Ltd., in successionto the late Mr. C. H. Tucker. An Australian, G/C. Whiteley saw operational service with the R.A.F. in 1940-41 as commanderof a photographic reconnaissance squadron in Malta and later in command of various operational wings in Burma; at the end ofthe war he was Group Captain Operations at H.Q. Air Command, South East Asia. After the war he obtained a commercial pilot'slicence and navigator's licence and in 1948-49 served in the Directorate of Navigation at the Air Ministry. In 1949-51 hewas in America under the exchange scheme and in 1952 was again in S.E. Asia, this time as Director of Plans under C-in-C. FarEast Air Force. Last year he returned to England to take over the command of R.A.F. Station Tangmere. Instrumental Development Post THE firm of Measuring Instruments (Pullin), Ltd., announcethe appointment of Mr. W. T. Shelton, A.M.I.E.E., as chief development engineer at their Electrin Works, Winchester Street,London, W.3. M.I.P.'s current development programme includes a complete range of hermetically-sealed instruments to R.C.S.specifications. Mr. Shelton joined M.I.P. in January from the Rheostatic Co.,Ltd. From 1949 to 1955, he was project engineer with S. Smith and Sons (England), Ltd. Aged 35, he received his technicaleducation at the South-East London and Hendon Technical Col- leges, and during the war served with the Royal Fusiliers andR.E.M.E. for two years; during part of this period he was an instructor at the Telecommunication Engineering Wing, Aborfield. ("Industry" news continued overleaf)
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