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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1718.PDF
808 FLIGHT, 22 November 1957 GNAT M k I . . . tanks as soon as the wing tanks are jettisoned, or when they arenot fitted at all. This air pressure transfers fuel in the two groups of fuselage tanks and thence, through a Gloster mechanical fuel-flow proportioner, into No. 2 tank. Special Hymatic two-way vent valves from Nos. 1 and 3 tanks prevent excessive differentialpressures building up; and a ball valve in the main vent from No. 2 tank closes automatically during negative-g conditions. Thenegative-g trap round the booster pump simply causes the pump to draw from the middle of the tank during inverted flight. No. 2tank is kept full until all fuel is exhausted. Warning lights in the cockpit indicate a drop in fuel pressure or a reduction in fuel flow. Although electrically as simple as it is in other respects, theGnat provides all the current supplies needed by radio, radar and ancillary services. A 3.5 kW Rotax 24 V generator is driven bythe engine and supplies a Varley 25 A/hr lead acid accumulator mounted in the nosewheel bay. A Varley 4 A/hr battery is stowedin the nose compartment and supplies emergency power to oper- ate the single-channel standby V.H.F. radio and the turn-and-slip indicator. The main battery has its two 12 V units mounted end-to-end, to fit its stowage alongside the nosewheel. StabilizedA.C. supplies are produced by a Rotax Type 100A invertor in the aft equipment bay and a B.T.H. Type 200 invertor, serving radarequipment, in the nose compartment. The Gnat carries the full complement of night-flying lightingand standard electric gyro instruments for blind flight. Provision is made for a Telebrief land-line installation; and Ferranti haveproduced a special lightweight gun-sight. Follands have exhibited a radar ranging installation. An I.F.F. beacon can be carried;and the new Marconi AD.722 lightweight A.D.F. can be installed in the rear equipment bay. In addition to the single-channelstandby V.H.F. radio, the Standard Telephones and Cables S.T.R.9 V.H.F. radio with either 10 or 44 channels is carried inthe nose compartment. The fin-tip aerial can handle frequencies between 115 and 145 Mc/s. The Bristol Orpheus is a particularly tight fit in the Gnatfuselage and every inch of clearance is carefully preserved. The fit is indeed so close that the complete filler neck on the oil tankhas to be remov ed bsfore the engine can be inserted into the fuselage. After the mountings are secured the filler neck and itscap are inserted through the appropriate hole under the spine. Gnat Trainer cockpit, equipped to the very latest standards. 1, undercarriage indicator; 2, r.p m.; 3, standby altimeter; 4, standby direction indicator; 5, trim; 6, emergency trim; 7, standby attitude indicator; 8, flap; 9, vertical speed indicator; 10, A.S.I.; 11, altimeter; 12, Mochmeter; 13, oxygen contents; 14, jet pipe temperature; 15, fuel contents; 16, clock; 17 and 18, attitude indicator and navigation display, both part of the Flight Data System. The engine is held on its two main trunnions in ball and socketmountings at frame 22A. A single steadying link just aft of the intake ring on the starboard side, picks up a pip pin in an exten-sion of frame 20 and serves to steady and locate the engine. The whole combustion, turbine and tail-pipe sections are cantilevered.Installation and removal are carried out with the aid of a trolley. The lip of the engine intake carries a rubber ring which formsa seal against the end of the intake duct at frame 18; and a sprung wire carrying a steel strip with an asbestos gasket performs asimilar function at the inner edge of the fire wall at frame 22B. Compressor and combustion section are thus isolated. GravinerFirewire is led all round the engine installation and provides light indication of fire. There is no extinguisher system. The space round the engine aft of the fire wall is ventilated;and the double skin of the exhaust shroud itself is cooled by ram- air collected by an intake on the port side of the fuselage. Hydraulicpump, fuel pump and generator are the only engine-driven accessories; and the hydraulic accumulator, two booster coils, thehydraulic header tank and sundry valves and piping are located in the forward bay. Access to a number of these units is throughspecially arranged panels in the mainwheel wells. Engine-driven accessories, flying-control cables and piping can be reached byremoving the panel under the engine compartment. C.M.L. DR. LACHMANN, NATO AND RUSSIA A LECTURE delivered before the Royal United ServiceInstitution in London on November 13 by Dr. G. V. Lach- mann, F.R.Ae.S. (director, scientific research, Handley Page, Ltd.)under the title The Designer's Dilemma, gave, inter alia, these conclusions: — Recession in the field of conventional military aviation, coupledwith greater austerity of programming, is not restricted to this country. The symptoms are becoming very noticeable also in theU.S.A. The British aircraft industry is already re-orientating and adapting itself to a new outlook of rationalism with theresilience acquired in the course of its long existence. This resilience has carried the industry through difficult periods in thepast. The fact that the Government will demand in the future a co-operation of two or more firms in tendering for a new contractconfirms the industry's own tendency towards consolidation. Pooled technical resources, design capacity and productionfacilities will speed delivery. Whilst there is still some room for the development of manned service aircraft for tactical purposesand for the needs of other NATO countries such as West Germany, the signposts of future development point decidedly towards thefield of transportation. "I have tried to indicate," said Dr. Lachmann, "that there is noground for apprehension that a decline of the aircraft industry may come about through lack of work or potential targets. Some realbelt-tightening is inevitable though. A serious decline may, however, result from lack of rational policy and from lack ofstability." The purely civil-aviation aspects of the lecture are dealt withon page 795. On the military side Dr. Lachmann made some par- ticularly interesting observations under the sub-heading "MannedAircraft for Tactical Use in Other NATO Countries." He said: "In contrast to the programme of other NATO countries theBritish White Paper almost completely excludes the development of manned aircraft for tactical application. Since many Britishaircraft companies will find themselves in a difficult position because of cancellations of contracts, they might find a temporaryoutlet for their design and production capacity by satisfying the needs of other NATO countries who do not yet subscribe to theWhite Paper philosophy. A potential market exists, in my opinion, in Germany. The German aircraft industry is not yet sufficientlyresurrected and a very powerful bureaucracy hampers technical initiative. With the present set-up it would seem impossible forGermany to develop the tactical aircraft needed within the next three or four years. The German industry, therefore, looks fortechnical partners abroad and would finance suitable develop- ment in other countries so that it could build aircraft later underlicence. Close collaboration exists already with France and Italy and recently an Anglo-German committee has been formed tostimulate co-operation in the field of military aviation. "The Germans have expressed their views on future require-ments for their air force, through Lt. General Kammhuber and Lt. General Galland. They are based on their assessment of the air-craft which will equip the Russian tactical air force in 1960. Dr. Lachmann then gave the following data: — Mig-19 (Farmer): A fighter having 17,940 lb thrust, of 34.8ft span,22,000 lb gross weight, and a speed of 776 kt at 36,000ft. Mig-21 (Faceplate): A fighter with 20,000 lb thrust, 49.5ft, 22,900 lb, 1,020 ktat 36,000ft. Blowlamp: A tactical bomber with 20,000 lb thrust, 65.6ft, 79,000 lb, 575 kt at 40,000ft, and 1,000 miles range. Suchoy 3 (?):7,900 lb thrust, 25.4ft, 12,750 lb, 850 kt at 33,000, 960 miles, Stormovik; A ground-attack aircraft, 8,000 lb thrust, 41.4ft, 26,400 lb, 512 kt, 672miles; Antonov An-8 (Camp); Light transport, 10,200 lb thrust, 100ft, 88,200 lb, 302 kt, 1,725 miles. The lecturer added: "In order to face these aircraft the Germanshave expressed the need for a supersonic strike-fighter (light fighter bomber) which can operate at heights of 24,000ft to 33,000ftand which can take off from short aerodromes. They also want a heavy fighter-bomber and a home intercepter capable of dealingwith the Russian Mig-19 and 21, and "Blowlamp" fighters. For this fighter a Mach number of 2.5 is stipulated and an operationalheight of 75,000ft. It should be capable of operating from grass surfaces, and its take-off distance should not be more than 550 to1,100 yards, since the Germans anticipate total destruction by missiles of all military aerodromes in the case of a Russian attack.They also need a night fighter [sk\ of Mach number 1.5 to 1-6. Potential types are the French Trident II (M = 2), which it isclaimed will take off from grass surfaces of only 550 yards lengta, and the Saunders-Roe SR.53 which was demonstrated at the lastFarnborough Show. Both the British and French aircraft are fitted with a mixed powerplant."
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