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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1306.PDF
8 May 1959 633 TWO AIR TESTS BY MARK LAMBERT: — I: Handling the Meta-Sokol LATEST of the Czech private aircraft to be imported is aMeta-Sokol which recently came to Croydon for valida-J tion of its Czech C. of A. After inspection it was passed fit without any modification at all. The machine, registeredOK-NMB, was flown over by Leopold Brabec with a team of technicians and was imported by the British agent, G/C. EdwardMole, of 3 Red Place, Green Street, London W.I. The Meta-Sokol is remarkable for having an ample four-seatcabin and cruising at 126 m.p.h. on the power of a Walter M 332 direct-injection engine giving a basic 110 h.p. A superchargerdriven by an electric motor can be engaged to raise the power to 140 h.p. for five minutes at sea level. The pitch of the two-blade,metal propeller can be electrically varied and the supercharger can be used continuously above 1,500m (4,900ft). At such a height,a T.A.S. of at least 130 m.p.h. can be maintained. Mechanical retraction of the distinctive reversed-nosewheel undercarriagemakes for simplicity, though the main wheels remain exposed to cushion a wheels-up landing. The rear wheel is steered fromeither of the two pairs of rudder pedals. A very clean, entirely flush-riveted, all-metal airframe, withcontrol surfaces covered in fabric and shrouded, apparently without any slots or horn balances, all combine to reduce dragand raise both the cruising speed and economy. The large canopy is rigid, slides very easily and is firmly and simply locked shut. Itcan be jettisoned for escape by parachute and can be slightly opened in flight. Small ventilators are placed in the windscreen.The Meta-Sokol is stressed for normal aerobatics and spinning with two occupants. Trim-ming, by variable-incidence .- tailplane, is fully effective. ! Just over 24 Imp. gal offuel are carried in two wing- ; tanks, giving an extremerange of 680 miles at 3.6 gal/100 miles. Economy is infact its strong point—and the aircraft can be boughtthrough the British agent for only £4,400, British duty paidand delivered in U.K. with valid C. of A. When I went down toCroydon to fly the Meta- Sokol, it was bobbing up anddown on the tarmac in a strong wind, looking all The Meta-Sokol's cockpit, showing the piston-type control columns with their comfortable spade-grips; the tidy arrangement of the instrument panel, with a "left to right" row of switches and controls beneath it; and the between-seats console carrying flap, undercarriage and tailplane-trim controls "FLIGHT" PHOTOGRAPHS ready to take off on its own but, though we clambered over it,two or three at a time, it remained fully stable. Handles and a narrow walkaway offer easy access over the wing-roots. To getinto a front seat one has to wriggle a little under the windscreen, but the coaming is low and there is a stout leather grip-strapunder the windscreen bridge. The front seats slide and tilt at the same time to suit anyone's leg reach, and the seat pans are madewith a sharp curve to support the thighs comfortably. The access geometry favours those who climb into back seats. Though sharply raked, the windscreen is extensively wrappedround and affords excellent visibility sideways and downwards to both sides. In front, the narrow nose does not intrude excessivelyand taxying presents no visibility problems. Visibility through the canopy is better than in most four-seaters and a tiny FordPopular-type rear window gives a view of the tail surfaces and beyond. The control column is a wheel on top of a hooked pistonemerging from the instrument panel. It looks like a wheel but works like a stick and is very comfortable to use. Propeller pitchis altered by pressing one of two buttons in the port wheel to "blip" the pitch to any fine or coarse setting. Pitch range is notsufficient to make failure of the electrical control critical in any phase of flight. Instrument layout is clear and logical, with flight and engineinstruments grouped on a wedge-shaped central panel. Various electrical switches and controls are ranged in a row along atransverse shelf, with subsidiary fuel controls below. The plunger throttle is in the middle, surrounded by a series of levers for fueltank-selection, mixture and magnetos. Everything is arranged so that one can move from left to right flicking up groups of controls(battery, dynamo, starter isolator, radio isolator, magnetos, throttle and fuel) in rapid sequence. The centrifugal supercharger isengaged by pulling out a large plunger near the throttle. One raises fuel pressure by a couple of quick tugs at the appropriateplunger, switches on the primer circuit and primes with another plunger, and presses the starter button. A separate switch well tothe right is used to turn on the turn-and-slip indicator and a fire-extinguisher plunger is on the far right. The engine will idle very slowly indeed and both pairs of rudderpedals are connected to the rear wheel so that either pilot can taxi. Cable-operated wheel brakes are actuated from toe exten-sions on the port rudder pedals only and can be parked, Harvard- fashion, by pressing and pulling a small catch far forward underthe instrument panel. Parking catch is released by pressing the brake pedals. Flap, undercarriage and tailplane-trim controls are located ona console between the pilots. The flap lever operates like that of an Auster, but slightly more easily, to select either the 15 degtake-off or 35 deg landing extension of the small split flaps. The trim wheel is small and on this new aircraft was rather stiff, butit should loosen with use and can then be turnable by running the "/ found no difficulty in manoeuvring according to the photographer's motioned in- structions . . . formation flying is always a good indication of manageability"
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