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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0312.PDF
326 FLIGHT ROTODYNE'S ROYAL VISITOR: Last week the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by his Equerry,W/C.H.M.Chinnery, visited White Waltham in order to see the Fairey Rotodyne during its development trials by test pilots Gellatly and Morton. In this group the Duke is in conversation with Mr. Richard Fairey (vice-chairman) and S/L. Gellatly. FROM ALL QUARTERS From the Estimates DebateT HE Secretary of State for Air announced during the AirEstimates debate last Monday that in celebration of the R.A.F.'s 40th anniversary the Queen and Prince Philip and othermembers of the Royal Family will dine at Fighter Command. Other noteworthy points (pending a fuller report next week) were:This year will see the introduction of the Javelin 7 armed with the Firestreak. Later the Javelin 7 and 8 will be given reheat "toextend their effective lives." The P.I will be improved by having electronic computing equipment "to tell the automatic pilot theplace in which to intercept the bomber." Service trials (not firing) of the Bloodhound system will begin at North Coates within afew weeks. There is "a clear and continuing need" for a strike and reconnaissance aircraft in overseas theatres. The R.A.F. istherefore considering the performance which could be offered by types under development or by designs put forward by theindustry in reply to the general operational requirement issued last year. Swiss Sapphires A HUNDRED Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires are to be built** under licence in Switzerland to power Swiss-manufactured P-16s. This was decided on March 7 by the Lower House ofthe Swiss Parliament, which voted against a proposal to buy the engines direct from Britain.The Lower House also voted to increase the credit asked for by the Government for the P-16s from £33m to £36m. Thisincrease was to be discussed later by the Upper House. More U.S. Satellite Failures AN unsuccessful attempt to launch into orbit a second artificial**• Earth satellite by means of a modified Jupiter C rocket was made by the U.S. Army at Cape Canaveral last week. The launch-ing took place on Wednesday, March 5, and a later statement said that the rocket's fourth stage had failed to ignite. On Sunday,March 9, the launching of the U.S. Navy's Vanguard satellite was postponed for the third time, within 35 sec of firing, followingtechnical and meteorological difficulties. Basic AerothermodynamicsT HE DUKE OF EDINBURGH was present at the RoyalInstitution on Thursday of last week when a paper on Aerothermodynamics was delivered by Professor W. R. Hawthorne,M.A., Sc.D.(M.I.T.), F.R.S., F.R.Ae.S., M.I.Mech.E., Professor of Applied Thermodynamics at Cambridge. The lecturer, whowas at the R.A.E. and with the Ministry of Supply from 1939 to 1946, was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in1948-51 and 1955-56, being Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautical Engineering during the latter period. The lecturer introduced his discourse, which was one dealingwith basic principles, by saying: "Aerothermodynamics deals with the behaviour of flowing gases in which appreciable changes oftemperature or density occur. Much of our knowledge of aero- thermodynamics has been acquired as a result of the study anddevelopment of new methods of propelling aircraft." He went on to give examples of aerothermodynamic phenomena whichoccur in the turbojet engine and explained that, because gas expands as it drops in pressure a convergent/divergent shape is required for a ductor nozzle intended to accelerate it. The maximum flow through such a nozzle, he said, was reached when the gas velocity at the minimumcross-section attained the velocity of sound. In the flow along a long pipe there was a pressure-drop as a result of friction. If heat was addedto the flow the expansion of the gas also caused an increase of velocity and a pressure-drop. Heat addition or friction might therefore resultin the velocity reaching that of sound. In such a case the flow reached its maximum. These effects limited the amount of air that could bepassed through a jet engine and thus set a limit on the power that could be obtained with a given size and weight. Although combustion in flames was a chemical phenomenon it hadbeen found that rate of combustion was limited by the rate of aero- dynamic mixing and turbulence. Close control over mixing and turbu- lence in the combustion chambers of jet engines had been necessaryin order to keep the engines compact. Another problem in combustion was that of keeping the flame ah'ght in the high-speed stream of air.This was often done by stabilizing the flame in the wake of a baffle, where the hot burned gas could re-circulate to light the incoming coldmixture of air and fuel. The turbojet engine had a compressor and turbine, but it was possibleto propel an aircraft by combustion only. The ramjet, for instance, was a tube into which air flowed at one end. Fuel was injected to mix withand burn with the air in the tube and the products of combustion were discharged downstream in a high-speed jet which propelled the aircraft.This device had been called an "aerothermodynamic duct." Another aerothermodynamic device was the rocket, which had acombustion chamber into which liquids such as oxygen and paraffin were pumped. They burned intensely in the combustion chamber and passedout through a convergent/ divergent nozzle into the atmosphere or, perhaps, into space. Such were the "bones" of Professor Hawthorne's paper; butaround these major topics of discussion he wove a detailed thread of exposition and explanation. Moreover, he illustrated his paperwith practical demonstrations of turbulence, flow in channels, flame propagation and other suitable subjects for experiment. Mr. Robert Ross WE learn with regret that Mr. Robert Ross, F.A.C.C.A., con-tracts manager of Handley Page, Ltd., and the vice-chairman (and a past chairman) of the S.B.A.C. contracts advisory com-mittee, died on March 6. Mr. Ross, who was born in Edinburgh in 1894, had been with Handley-Page for the past 35 years. Auster Workmaster NOW well into its flight trials at Rearsby is the new AusterWorkmaster agricultural aircraft. Of traditional high-wing layout, it carries 90 gallons of spray fluid in a tank beside thepilot, an extra seat being provided for a passenger. The Lycoming 0-360-A engine of 180 h.p. driving a McCauley v.p. propellergives it ample power; and slotted ailerons and balanced tail con- trols should provide good handling. Oversize tyres are fitted.Take-off run at 2,550 lb gross weight and cruising speed at 65 per cent power are respectively 180 yd and 88 m.p.h. Britten-Norman spray gear will be provided by Crop Culture,Ltd., and this company has already ordered nine Workmasters. Five more are on order for a French associate concern, Ardic. Mr. W. O. Manning IT is with regret we record that Mr. William Oke Manning, apioneer of flying-boat design and designer of the English Electric Wren, died in hospital at Farnham on March 2 at the ageof 78. He began aviation work in 1908, becoming chief designer at theCoventry Ordnance Works before the First World War and while there designing a biplane which took part in the Military Trialsof 1912. At the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Nayy and was concerned with the development of several R.N.A.S. aircraft;and in 1916 he became chief designer at the Phoenix Dynamo Co. in Bradford, where he was responsible for the development andconstruction of the famous F-class flying-boats for the Royal Navy. When, in 1918, Phoenix became part of the English Electricorganization he carried on as chief designer in the new company's aircraft department, going to Preston to supervise the carrying-outof an order for Porte flying-boats. In early post-war years Manning introduced a number ofingenious features into military flying-boat design and also pre- pared designs for passenger-carrying aircraft—including theEclectic, to carry 40 passengers at 100 m.p.h. for 800 miles, and the Pulex, for 50 passengers at 80 m.p.h. over 1,600 miles. His last design for English Electric was the Wren. Three ofthese very neat machines were built, one taking part in the Light Aeroplane Trials at Lympne in 1923. One was rebuilt in 1956(as recorded in Flight for January 25 last year, page 114), Manning assisting in the work as adviser; and he was present when it wasformally handed over to the Shuttleworth Trust last September.
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