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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0935.PDF
13 July 1956 81 The photograph on the right shows the prototype Air one, and the three-view drawing (below) is of the production version. tail of the engine nacelles to ensure gravity feedin case of failure of both the engine-driven fuel pump and of its electric stand-by. The Airone'srange is 740 miles. The undercarriage gives a very smooth rideduring taxying and the aircraft rolls straight, but is easy to turn using either engine orbrakes. The latter are extremely effective and will hold the full power of either or bothengines during run-up. The Airone will take-off entirely by itself and I normally demonstratethis by opening up to full power, removing feet and hands from the controls and leaving it totake off alone. This is rarely possible in a twin. The prototype unsticks at about 68m.p.h. at full load, even without flaps, but the production version uses less runway. Theprototype climbs on full power at about 93 m.p.h. and 880-980 ft/min. With the Walterengines this will be improved to 82 to 90 m.p.h. and 1,176 ft/min at full load. Trimmed for cruising, the speed settles down tobetween 136 and 142 m.p.h. If displaced laterally from the trimmed condition, with thecontrols either free or fixed, the aircraft rapidly recovers the level attitude. In a spiral, with engines synchronized, the controls canbe released and it re-establishes itself slowly with the slip indicator central, from either left or right; the only difference lies in aslight tendency to climb or dive according to the direction of the turn. I shall not describe the dynamic and static stability testsnor those for manoeuvrability with controls free or fixed or the design and development of the controls. The results are excellent,as all pilots who have tested the machine according to officially recognized techniques agree. The Airone gives ample warning of the stall and in all conditions of e.g. and position of flaps and undercarriage it stalls perfectlystraight with aileron control remaining. On one engine it con- tinues safe and responsive; and a turn towards the dead enginecan be executed in comfort. It is even possible in this condition to let go of the stick without the slightest trouble. With oneengine stopped and the other at maximum power, and with the asymmetric condition held on the rudder, the Airone stalls straightand holds its heading to the last moment. If power is reduced and the undercarriage lowered there is anose-down tendency which is easily trimmed out to give a "hands- off" glide at 93 m.p.h. and 395 ft/min. When flaps are loweredthe nose-down tendency increases but can again be easily trimmed out. The rate of descent reaches 1,176 ft/min at 84 m.p.h. when60 deg of flap is lowered. A wide range of rates of descent makes precision approaches easy even for a pilot of limited experience.Elevator movement is sufficient to make a landing at a pronounced angle of attack with the e.g. fully forward, and the landing runat full load can be limited to 395ft without excessive use of brakes. It is noteworthy that on the round-out at about 62 m.p.h. theaircraft can be held precisely straight with rudder even if one engine is opened up to full power. Control can be maintainedunder these conditions until after touch-down. Although it would be sufficient if full asymmetric power could be held downto 130 per cent of the stalling speed, in this aircraft it can be maintained down to 90 per cent of it. The Airone is small and easy to maintain and could be entrustedeven to inexperienced pilots. After three circuits a pilot with only 100 hr experience, none of it on twins, could manage it. It hasall the advantages of a twin without any of its drawbacks of complication and handling. By virtue of the Airone's robustness, Stelio Frati has alreadyproduced definite designs for a jet-propelled version powered by two Turbomeca Palas. The only structural modification wouldbe the use of a slightly thicker plywood skin on the wing which would bring the maximum permissible diving speed up to 340 m.p.h.Mr. Frati of course already has the Palas-powered Caproni F.5 design to his credit. Since the Airone has no pressure cabin itwould probably cruise at 13,000ft to 16,400ft using one engine only. With a pressurized cabin it would of course be faster and moreeconomical to cruise at higher altitudes. ELSTREE AT HOME W!rITH sonic bangs and high-speed aircraft occupying the lion'sshare of today's air display market, Elstree Flying Club decided not to invite any Service participation for their recentAt Home. The main purpose of the meeting was to show the club in action and to convince the man in the street that flying as ahobby is there for anyone who cares to come and taste it. For this reason the gates opened over an hour before the start, andpeople were able to step into an Auster Autocrat and Hawk Trainer that were parked on static display, while the Link trainerwas kept fully occupied. At 3 p.m. six aircraft took off to take their places in an openingformation. Led by Bill Bailey in the school Gemini G-AJTL, the remaining positions were held respectively by Whitney StraightG-AFGK, Tiger Moth G-ANSH, Comper Swift G-ABUS, Hawk Trainer G-AJJI and Auster Autocrat G-AGXT. One run acrossthe field and a break left the stage to the Tiger, C. A. Nepean Bishop up, whose aerobatics were as polished as always.The Gemini and the Swift then made two runs for the crowd to estimate their differences in height, after which G-ABUSperformed for a short while before swopping the purr of its Pobjoy for the silence of a sailplane—an Olympia flown by GeorgeScarborough from the London Gliding Club, Dunstable. By this time the rotors of an Agusta-Bell 47 from Derby were whirling in readiness for some helicopterics by Tim Clutterbuck,during whose performance J. Hoffman from Abingdon made a delayed drop from an Auster.The competing aircraft for the next event had been handicapped round the course and lots were then drawn for machines, soan excitingly close finish was expected. First away was Audrey Windle in G-AKKR, but the similarity in speeds wassuch that the fourth Hawk was away only 24 sec later. During the last of three laps of the five-mile circuit Bill Bailey, secondaway, managed to overhaul the starter and crossed the line in the lead, though it was a close finish. Immediately after completing the course the four Maggiesclimbed away and joined up to appear from the south in box formation, but while they were getting together Auster AutocratG-AGXT staggered skywards trailing a banner to declare "I am Ten Today." The box then peeled off in a "feathers" break beforeXT re-appeared for a run across the field. Ranald Porteous, in Auster's demonstration Aiglet, concludedthe display with his usual impeccable demonstration of Aigletics. To celebrate Autocrat XT's ten years at Elstree, during whichit had logged 5,000 hours, an over-size birthday cake was cut, a bottle of champagne consumed and the Autocrat's airscrewadorned with a bouquet by a French television actress.
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