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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0757.PDF
FLIGHT, 1 June 1961 767 Demonstration of the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation Flight Analyzer at Cranfield. The equipment, used for making photographic records of the flight-path of aircraft and missiles, was described in these columns last week SYSTEM SURVEY Positive-lock Selector Now being developed by Rotax is the positive-lock selector switchinvented by Capt Hill of BOAC. The device is intended to form a positive, stage-by-stage gate for a flap lever or similar control sothat the pilot can operate the lever without looking and be sure he will not overshoot successive gates. In addition, the lock operatesin such a way during the retraction phase that the flap lever can be raised straight from the fully down to the maximum lift position,but cannot be inadvertently fully retracted. The ability to do this rapidly without looking at the lever and without risk of mistake ismost important when going round again in large aircraft. Many flap quadrants have gates, either on one side of the channelor in the form of kinked guide channels, but it is always possible, by applying slight sideways forces or during turbulence and vibra-tion, to slip the lever past the gates. Capt Hill devised a system of pistons, one at each gate, linked by rocking beams in such a way thatwhile one piston projects to form a positive barrier to the lever, the rocking linkage holds the next piston back out of the way. Whenthe lever has been moved and is released, it shifts under spring load into its gate recess and at the same time presses the obstructingplunger back into its housing. The rocking linkage then causes the second plunger to emerge into the obstructing position. When thelever is again moved out of its gate and pulled further down the quadrant, it meets this second plunger and is positively stopped by it.Movement of the lever into the new gate then depresses the second plunger allowing the rocking linkage to move the third plunger outinto the blocking position. If manufacturing tolerances are held reasonably closely, it is impossible for the lever to be moved morethan one gate forward at a time. For the return from the fully down setting which has no plungerof its own, the plungers have been so positioned by the downward sequence that the second one from the bottom is obstructing,allowing the lever to move past the intermediate setting, straight up to the maximum lift position. The control was originally devisedas a four-position unit, with plungers located opposite the top three gates, but Rotax are developing a five-position unit for control offlaps in the up, J0c, 15C, 25C and 40 settings. The ARB have seen the device and support it, and manufacturers, including Shorts,have shown interest. The movement of the lever into its gate depresses a microswitch Left, Mr P. Allaway, who becomes managing dir- ector of EMI Electronics Ltd on July I, showing a circuit board from an Emidec /100 computer to Mr Henry Hardmon, per- manent secretary of the Ministry of Aviation Right, the positive-lock selector invented by Capt Hill of BOAC and now being developed as a flap control by Rotax. Note the locking plungers above the row of microswitches which makes the electrical circuit for flap operation. The face panel is covered in Thorn Plasteck on which inscriptions are engraved and can be edge-lit at night. The unit will also be protected against damage from accidental spillage of tea or coffee in the cockpit. American Award for Britain THE American National Academy of Television Arts have presentedjointly to Marconi's Wireless Telegraph, English Electric Valve Co and Radio Corporation of America their engineering award for1961. The award was in recognition of the independent develop- ment of the image orthicon camera and pick-up tube, first as alaboratory tool by RCA in America and then as commercial equipment in Britain by Marconi and English Electric. Development of the Mk III camera by Marconi, with EnglishElectric making the pick-up tube, was begun in 1950 and proved commercially successful. A large number of these cameras weresold and the Mk IV, with numerous improvements, has now replaced it. Precision Approach for Okecia THE Polish government has placed an order with Pye Telecommuni-cations Ltd for an ILS installation for Okecia, the international airport for Warsaw. This is reported to be the first ILS in Polandand will enable western airliners to make precision approaches at Warsaw. Some 133 Pye ILS systems are now installed all over theworld, 13 of them in eastern Europe. Radar Under ADR 160 THE RNAS at Yeovilton, which is situated directly underneathADR 160 and south and north of airways Green 1 and Red 1, is to receive a Marconi S.264A/H high-powered, high coveragesurveillance radar. Marconi equipment was chosen after extensive evaluation with small fighter aircraft. The installation will includefive type SD.1020 fixed-coil displays and a video mapping unit. Tape Punch and Read Standards THE Data Processing Section of the Electronic Engineering Associa-tion has now issued a guide to the future requirements of paper tape readers and punches for use with data processing equipment.The guide contains a series of stipulations about the capability and general engineering features of tape punches with their associatederror-checking systems. It has been submitted to the British Standards Institution and will be considered in due course as thebasis for a British standard. Copies can be obtained from the technical secretary of the EEA, 11 Green Street, London Wl. POSITIONAL RECESSES IN GATE CONTROL LEVER MOUNTING FEET PANEL LIGHT SWITCH ACTUATING PAD LEVER ACTUATING SPRING FOR MICRO-SWITCHES TRANSUGHT PANEL ROCKER LINMCE FEELER STOP MAIN CASTING FEELER PLUNGER SEALED TYPE MICRO-SWITCHES FOR ELECTRIC CONTROL CIRCUIT CABLE ENTRY
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