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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 0380.PDF
6 February 1959 183 FIRST HALFORD LECTURE DELIVERED BY J. L. P. BRODIE "In Frank Halford it could be said a light always shone, sometimes a flicker, sometimes a blaze. In the generations who worked with him and those who will follow, the same light still shines. It will never be quenched. So be it." . " Concluding paragraph of Mr. Brodie's lecture Frank Bernard Halford, 1894-1955 THE first Halford Lecture was due to be delivered yesterday,February 5, by Mr. J. L. P. Brodie, M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S.,Hon.M.S.L.A.E. (engineering director, the de Havilland Engine Co. Ltd.) before the Hatfield branch of the Royal Aero-nautical Society at Hatfield Technical College. Mr. Brodie's paper recalled how Frank Halford learned to fly atBrooklands in 1913, when he was 18, and within a few months became an instructor at the Brooklands School of Flying. Laterhe was an engine examiner in the Aeronautical Inspection Direc- torate of the War Office. No doubt this experience at a formativetime of his life brought him into touch with the types of engine then in use. Early in the 1914-18 war he joined the Royal FlyingCorps and served in France, initially a.s a sergeant. The authorities, however, were not inclined to let him continue such a precariousexistence and he was brought back to develop the 160 h.p. Beard- more engine with a view to designing a more powerful unit. Thishe did with Arrol-Johnston in Dumfries, and the outcome was the B.H.P. (Beardmore-Halford-Pullinger)—a 230 h.p. verticalsix-in-line water-cooled engine embodying cast-iron cylinder heads, steel cylinder liners, and sheet-steel water jackets. In theB.H.P. Halford departed from the practice of using single large inlet exhaust valves, and used two small exhaust valves and asingle large inlet valve per cylinder. The design was turned over to Siddeleys, who changed the cylinder heads and water jacketsto aluminium and the name to Puma. They made over 6,000 Pumas. Mr. Brodie continued: "I served my apprenticeship with Arrol-Johnston during this period and still have a vivid recollection of a very handsome young man, resplendent in uniform with anR.F.C. cross-over tunic and impeccable brown jackboots. He was a captain in 1916 and set many a female heart fluttering; but theonly flutter in which he seemed to be interested related to valve springs."The B.H.P. and later Puma were installed in the D.H.4, designed by Capt. (now Sir Geoffrey) de Havilland. Thus begana close relationship between two great men—men who knew that the engine had to fit the aeroplane and the aircraft to take all itcould from the engine. Most B.H.P.s and Pumas, however, flew in D.H.9s and many a pilot could and will vouch for the excellenceof that combination." A vee-twelve engine of 500 h.p., called the Atlantic, and usingthe B.H.P. cylinder assemblies followed, but the war ended before the heavy bombers (ordered for the bombing of Berlin) couldcome into service. Many years later Mr. Brodie learned that a good number of Atlantics were installed under tight-fitting enginehatches in innocent-looking, but rather deceptive, boats. They were used during the Prohibition period for certain operations offAmerica's eastern seaboard. Following the development of the B.H.P. the need for morepower at altitude was becoming urgent, so in conjunction with Harry Ricardo (now Sir Harry) Halford set about designing asupercharged form of the engine. This, however, was not super- charged in the sense we understand today: there was no gear- orexhaust-driven blower. The system employed introduced a stratum of inert exhaust gas and clean air to the crowns of theworking pistons. The effect of this dilution was to weaken the niixture strength in the cylinder at low altitudes. Increase ofaltitude brought more of this mixture into use, until at heights of between 10,000ft and 20,000ft it became wholly effective in theworking cycle. Confirmed by test, indicated thermal efficiencies of 34 per cent were obtained and the fuel consumption fell to 0.465!b/b.h.p./hr. i.. "When the engine was initially designed," the lecturer went on,it was apparent that the height above the crankshaft centre-line was prohibitive in that it obstructed the pilot's view forward.A solution was found by inverting it and a new design was estab- lished. But how to sell it to the powers that were? Here theservices of one of the best technical artists of our time, F. Gordon- fhe Siddeley Puma, developed from the Beardmore-Halford-Pullinger Crosby,* were brought to bear and resulted in the wholly imagina-tive painting of a D.H.4. The wonderful forward vision over the engine cowling and through the propeller was apparent. Thepainting sold the design. Three of this engine and three of a 12-cylinder type R.H.A. (Ricardo-Halford-Armstrong) weremade, but the end of the war brought about a cessation of their development."It should be noted, said Mr. Brodie, that in this later period of the war Halford was appointed assistant to A. E. L. Chorlton, whowas then in charge of aircraft engine production at the Air Ministry; but he really did not have his heart in the job. Nodoubt his very good friend Major G. P. Bulman could tell some instructive and amusing stories of that time. By 1918 Halfordalready had a considerable string of very fine engine designs to his credit. But the end of the war brought a slump in aviation activityand he joined Ricardo's, spending two and a half years in the U.S.A. disposing of licence agreements for Ricardo patents, not-ably the turbulent combustion chamber and the slipper piston. He told of his exultation in securing an interview with Henry Fordin an effort to interest him in taking up a licence for the slipper piston. Halford's joy was shortlived, however, when Ford askedhim how much Ricardo was prepared to pay for its adoption in Ford engines. Returning to this country in 1921, Halford assisted in thedesign and development of the 500 c.c. Ricardo Triumph single- cylinder motor cycle. This went one step further than the B.H.P.in its valving arrangements by adopting two exhaust valves and two inlet valves. With this machine Halford set up several recordsat Brooklands, including an hour record of just under 70 miles. He also raced it in the T.T. in the Isle of Man.In 1923 Halford severed his connection with Ricardo and struck out on his own ("but not quite," the lecturer added,"because I joined him again then"). Mr. Brodie proceeded to discuss a very interesting racing-car engine built in 1923 whichwas ultimately redesigned and made submersible for use in life- boats. He continued, "In 1924 we entered into a fascinatingphase. A vast collection of wartime engines was assembled at the Aircraft Disposal Company of Waddon, Croydon. This companyhad purchased practically the whole of the country's stocks which existed at the end of the war. I have heard it estimated at 30,000engines but perhaps this is an exaggeration. Halford's task was to modernize such of them as held a sales potential. The 80 h.p.vee Renault came first and by redesign of the cylinder head and valve gear it was re-rated at 140 h.p. and called the Airdisco. *Gordon-Crosby was best known for his action studies of early motorraces in our sister journal "The Autocar"—Ed.
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