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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1363.PDF
PLIGHT, 13 September 1957 453 ON THE GROUND ... naturally requires considerably more effort.A damper is also incorporated, but is in- active in the manual mode.Another new flying control valve unit was displayed by Dowty Equipment, andthis incorporated autostabilization for supersonic flight. This autostabilizer isoperated by hydraulic units governed by torque motors which receive theirsignals in the normal way from sensing gyros in the aircraft. Other autostabilizingequipment was shown by Fairey and by Louis Newmark and components for suchsystems by Elliott Bros. (London). PROCESSES AND MATERIALS THE whole aircraft industry has one tech-nical aim in common: to reconcile the conflicting needs of greater and greaterstrength with more and more lightness. No startling new developments were notedthis year: the general impression was of a steady improvement in the fabricatingproperties of alloys and of an ever-increas- ing application of plastics. Aero Research exhibited the applicationof a new Araldite resin designed to give glass-cloth laminates good flexural pro-perties up to 250 deg C, claiming it to be the first resin to ensure satisfactorymechanical properties at such high temperatures. An aerodynamically perfectfree-flight model of the SR.53, loaned to Aero Research by R.A.E. Bedford, was alsoshown. This was made from Araldite im- pregnated glass-cloth, and its wings wereaccurate to within 0.005in. The same company showed exhibits of the increasingapplication for press-tools of glass-cloth mouldings, claiming cheapness and long-lasting stability as advantages. British Refrasil showed applications ofRefrasil, a light silica material which can withstand continuous temperatures of upto 1,000 deg C. Covered with stainless steel foil, it is extensively applied to theinsulation of jet pipes. B.B. Chemicals showed a new applica-tion of Bostik—to the bonding of the thin trailing edges of helicopter blades wheregreat flexibility is required, but where riveting and conventional adhesive bond-ing are not suitable. The compound is Bostik S26.30. This firm showed also newdevelopments in fuel tank sealing and pressure cabin sealing, involving a newliquid synthetic rubber known as Thiokol. It depends for its setting on a chemicalprocess rather than on solvent-evaporation. Magnesium Elektron ensured the attrac-tion of visitors by displaying the gold- plated magnesium shell of the Americanearth satellite (made by an American firm). Alongside was the nose cone of the Sky-lark, the British I.G.Y. upper-atmosphere research vehicle. Shown for the first timewas ZTX, a new magnesium wrought (as opposed to cast) alloy for use at hightemperatures; containing thorium, it retains its mechanical properties—particu-larly its modulus of elasticity—up to about 300 deg C. Prominent on the Fibreglass stand wasa rocket boost motor case made of glass fibre as made by Bristol. As an example ofthe infinite variety of intricate shapes possible with Fibreglass, a gleaming whiteairborne life raft container (made by Cascelloid for R.F.D.) was displayed. Of particular interest on the Electro Hydraulics stand (and prompting, like allgood ideas, the question "Why hasn't this been done before?") was a transparenthydraulic fluid reservoir, made of epoxy or polyester impregnated Fibreglass, whichenables the oil level to be seen easily, thus simplifying the daily checking procedure.Microcell. Although a material with a range of uses far wider even than those tobe found in the aircraft and G.W. industry, Microceram is of immediate interest tothat industry since it promises to form an ideal material for the construction of radarnoses (a closely related, but independently developed, material is being used for thispurpose in the U.S.A.). Microceram is a private venture and isdescribed as a crystalline form of a non- crystalline glass, lying midway betweenmost glasses and most ceramics. Among its properties are the following: hardnessgreater than stainless steel or granite; rigidity and hardness tested satisfactorilyto 2,000 deg C and unimpaired up to 2,000 deg F; exceptional thermal-shockresistance (specimens at 1,650 deg C have been quenched in liquid gas at — 25 deg Cwithout harm); dielectric constant of the order of 105 at 4.2; tensile strength about3,500 lb/sq in and compressive strength of about 40,000 lb/sq in; coefficient of thermalexpansion of 2.8 xlO-6 at 600 deg C; specific gravity of 1.8. It is in the develop-ment stage as a high-speed ballistic skin- ning material, and is also likely to findapplications as a cutting-tool material or a refractory lining. High Duty Alloys showed that highstrength aluminium alloys need not be difficult material to work. Specially pro-cessed Hiduminium 66 was shown trans- formed into a Comet 4 air intake pressing,a tricky drop hammer job for convention- ally prepared high strength alloys. On the Jablo stand a new application ofJablite—for pressure cabin insulation—was noted. Conventional cabin insulationmaterials can pick up as much as 140 lb of water condensation on a single flight, butJablite is virtually impervious to water. This material, which is being used exten-sively for building insulation, is made of "expanded polystyrene," and proclaimsthe virtues of buoyancy, good thermal and sound insulating properties, and lightness(1.1 lb/cu ft). It is also rotproof and bug- proof. The waterproof buoyancy propertywas convincingly demonstrated by a section attached to a piece of fuselage skin, thewhole weighing 12 oz, which remained floating in a water tank throughout thedisplay with a 4 lb weight trying to sub- merge it. Another Jablo material can beapplied also to aircraft carpeting; a Jablon underlay faced with a Courtauld syntheticsurface (in any desired colour) has been developed for this purpose. Another form of carpet was shown byT. F. Firth, whose stand was carpeted with Airweight (39 oz/per sq yd). The materialwas the same as that suppled to B.O.A.C. for the recent redecoration of their Strato-cruiser fleet. A green seat-covering fabric, also as supplied by T. F. Firth for B.O.A.C.Stratocruisers, was shown as applied to the Argonaut seat.Dunlop showed the results of their de- velopment of fluid hoses from the remark-able I.C.I.-produced P.T.F.E. This retains good properties in temperatures varyingfrom —70 deg C up to 300 deg C, and withstands pressures of up to 4,000 lb/sq in.It can be generally applied to hoses, being suitable for all fluids and gases. The chiefaeronautical application appears to be to engine fuel systems, and good vibrationproperties as well as low friction (enabling smaller bore pipes) are claimed. Dunlopshowed also hoses made of Fleximet, a new method of fabricating steel (virtually a flexible bellows made into a pipe). SAFETY EQUIPMENT AFTER gaining the world aeroplaneheight record recently, Mike Randrup, the pilot, was photographed wearing a pres-sure jerkin Mk 1 made by Frankenstein, Ltd. He apparently did not wear theg-suit Mk 4 which is intended to be worn with this jerkin and which can be perma-nently inflated to provide partial pressure. It was admitted at the time, however, thatthe jerkin was not the garment he wore during the actual record flight. Thereis a more advanced garment, but no details of it have been released. Similarlythe full-pressure suit situation seems to have progressed to the point where SiebeGorman, Ltd., are no longer showing their version of it and Frankenstein were notallowed to show their suit. Because of the characteristics of pres-sure clothing it has been decided to adopt a new form of Mae West for extremealtitude flying. This was shown by Frankenstein and consists of a doughnut-shaped flotation bag which holds the wearer under the armpits, supports himin the water at an angle of 45 deg and provides him with a headrest. When notinflated the apparatus is stowed in pockets round the pilot's waist, and his chest is,therefore, left unencumbered. In the meantime, however, G.Q., Ltd., exhibiteda new integral flying suit called Harness Type D Mk 3. It is based on the newstandard suit with the full range of zip pockets, but has the normal Mae Westand Sarah rescue beacon sewn on to the suit itself. Other integral fittings includean oxygen bale-out bottle, attached low down on the right leg and steadied byretaining straps. A special knife with an (Continued on page 456, after double page of drawings) A dummy wearing the Baxter, Woodhouse and Taylor partial pressure helmet, Frankenstein pressure jerkin Mk 1, with integral Mae West inflated, and g-suit Mk 4.
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