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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1751.PDF
FLIGHT, 30 November 1961 857 Did Channel Air Bridge Make Money?* VES- X D. A. WHYBROW, London Wl Director, Channel Air Bridge Ltd Vj or Distance Indicator?T HE Air Ministry [MoA—Ed.], and the FAA in America, have investigated the effects on performance of slush and standing water on runways (it is gratifying to know that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research were invited to participate in the FAA experiments at Atlantic City). The same conditions can produce acceleration, retardation and braking aquaplaning. Their findings may revise present landing and abandoned take-off figures. However, whatever calculations are completed before take-off, an emergency allows no time for hesitation. During take-off and landing, a fully engaged captain is best served if some of his instru- ments provide simple YES/NO information. It is therefore suggested that Vj or decision speed be replaced by a distance indicator actuated by an undercarriage wheel. A preset calculated stopping distance would give YES/NO informa- tion on whether or not the take-off could be abandoned, and the aircraft brought to a stop without damage or injury. On occasion a stop would be possible up to the point where the aircraft should have reached Vr. As an example:— Sea level, dry runway, calm, 5 C, max weight, a Comet 4 requires 6,000ft of runway. Rome Fiumicino, altitude 7ft, calm, nil gradient: R/W .Temp CO R/W Length (ft) V, (kt) 07 41 6,807 113 16 5 12,800 114 34 45 12,800 114 It will be observed that, using V1:/Vr ratio to determine the power failure decision point gives almost the same speed—113—114—114 —and therefore the same distance down the runway. Beyond this speed the aircraft will continue the take-off. A captain with the misfortune to lose an engine is much too occupied to guess how much runway remains, yet both 16 and 34 have thousands of feet of solid, safe, comfortable stopping distance beyond the point where the aircraft could be flying on three engines. Landing distance is, of course, determined by calculation. Allowances are made for water, slush, snow and ice on the runway. It would be more realistic if the power-failure abandoned take-off case were considered as a special landing problem, and the emer- gency stopping distance calculated and, with a distance indicator, use made of the built-in safety of excess runway. Woking, Surrey H. T. THOMPSON R/T Phraseology Amendments? """THAT is affirmative. Sir"—There's a Yank on the line. A "1 say again—say again"—There's a private pilot loose in the zone. "Requesting Queenie Dog Mike"—/ have 15,000hr on 56 types. "Roger Dodger"—/ am a very slick pilot. "Er-Roger"—/ haven't understood a word, but my captain is nodding his head vigorously. Glasgow SI COPILOT Britain's First Seaplane FIFTY years ago, on November 25,1911, Britain's first successfulhydroplane made its initial flight over Lake Windermere, and Iwrite to draw attention to the fiftieth anniversary of this event. E. W. Wakefield, of Kendal, first concerned himself with the problem of taking off from, and alighting on water, late in 1909 and constructed many experimental floats. These floats, of different * See "British United's Report: a Postscript." Flight, November 9, page 748. The Wakefield seaplane being flown at Windermere—a photograph from "Flight" for June 22, 1912. Our issues at that time gave the name of the aircraft as "Waterhen" and not "Water Bird" as given by Mr H. F. Cowley in the letter "Rritain's First Seaplane" below sizes and shapes, were loaded with sandbags to represent the weight of machine and pilot and towed at speed across Lake Windermere. The results of these experiments were tabulated, but it was not until Mr Wakefield had visited M Fabre in France and gained valuable advice that he designed a successful float. This was made of mahogany by Messrs Borwick of Bowness-on-Windermere and was strengthened with metal strips. In the meantime Mr Wakefield requested A. V. Roe & Co to build a Curtiss-type machine. It was a two-seater pusher bi-plane with wings of unequal span, only the upper wing having ailerons. Four ailerons were fitted to this wing, the inner and larger pair having semi-circular trailing-edges. Bamboo outriggers bore the tail unit and also the forward elevator, which was operated, in conjunction with the tail elevator, by a bamboo pole in a similar way to that used by S. F. Cody on his biplanes. The unbalanced rudder displayed the name and address of the manufacturers. A 50 h.p. Gnome engine drove an 8ft 6in Avro propeller. In June 1911 the machine was taken to Brooklands, where it was tested as a landplane—Ronald Kemp, F. P. Raynham and Louis Noel being among those who flew it. On the successful completion of the tests the aeroplane was taken to Hill of Oaks, Windermere. Here Mr Wakefield, as director, had formed the Lakes Flying Co, with the Earl of Lonsdale as patron and Stanley Adams as manager and pilot. Mr Adams had gained RAeC Aviator's Certificate No 97 on June 27, 1911, on an Avro biplane at Brooklands and was to do valuable work for the Lakes Flying Co. On arrival at Lake Windermere the machine was fitted with a single central float and named Water Bird. Cylindrical airbags with spring-board protectors steadied the biplane on the water (they rejoiced in the local nickname of "Wakefield Sausages"). Modifications and preparations completed, Stanley Adams, wide open to the elements, taxied out from Hill of Oaks on November 25 and gave Water Bird her first flight from water. Her fame spread quickly and in the months that followed many enthusiasts travelled to Lake Windermere for passenger flights. During December 1911 and January 1912 Water Bird made 60 flights on 38 different days, the longest of which was one of 20 miles, when a height of 800ft was reached. Lt Arthur Longmore (later Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, GCB, DSO) made his first flight from water on FORTHCOMING EVENTS Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec 1 2 6 12 13 13 13 14 15 17 18 19 RAeS Rotorcraft Section: All-day Meeting. British Interplanetary Society: "International Law Extra-terres- trially Applied," by Bin Cheng. BritIRE (West Midland Section): Conference on "New Electronic Techniques in Non-destructive Testing." RAeS Astronautics and Guided Flight Section: "Military Require- ments of Guided Missiles," by Brig. E. W. Denison. RAeS (Main lecture at Manchester Branch): "Airlines' Approach to Aircraft Selection," by M. Nivet. RAeS Agricultural Aviation Group: Symposium on "The Uses of the Aeroplane in Agriculture." Royal United Service Institution: "Some Reflections on the Strategic Air Offensive, 1939-45," by Dr Noble Frankland. British interplanetary Society: Symposium on "Auxiliary Power Generation." RAeS Man-powered Aircraft Group: "Problems of a Man-powered Rotorcraft," by R. A. Graves. Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences: Wright Brothers Lecture, Washington DC. Institute of Transport: Annual General Meeting. Photogrammetric Society: "Adjustment of Aerial Triangulation by Electronic Digital Computers," by D. W. Proctor and Fuad Amer. Dec 19 Institute of Transport (West Middlesex Group): "Practical Aspects of Operating Jet Aircraft," by Capt J. B. Linton. Society of Instrument Technology (Grangemouth Section): "Instrumentation of Space Vehicles," by Dr A. E. Roy. Institute of Transport (Metropolitan Section): "Development of an Airport," by Maurice G. Housego. RAeS: Young People's Lecture, "Airliners of the Future," by Godfrey H. Lee. RAeS Rotorcraft Section: "Rotating Aerofoils and Flaps," by Dr S. Neumark. Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators: Livery Dinner. RAeS Historical Group: "R.I0I and Other Airships," by Sir Harold Roxbee Cox. RAeS Astronautics and Guided Flight Section: "Development of Seaslug," by C. Bayly and A. Lightbody. RAeS Branch Fixtures (to Dec 7): Dec i, neading and District, Annual Dinner-dance. Dec 4, Derby, a.g.m. and "Design and Development of the Rolls-Royce Conway," by L. G. Dawson. Dec. 5, Bristol, "Aircraft Flight Safety and Missile Reliability," by AVM H. B. Wrigley. Dec 6, trough, "Vertical Take-off by Jet Lift," by D. Keith-Lucas: London Airport, "Aviation Fuels," by W. S. Little. Dec 7, Glasgow (Graduates' and Students' Secti Film Evening. Dec Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan 21 1 4 5 10 15 Jan 16 ection).
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