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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1012.PDF
FLIGHT International, 20 June 1963 981 back to its normal level of just below 8(FC once airborne, regardless of airspeed and power. There is neither starter nor primer, but a few turns serve for sucking-in in warm weather; in colder tem peratures fuel is sprayed into the air intake. During my two flights the engine started on first and fourth swings respectively and the groundcrewman's hands remained reasonably undamaged by the sharp-edged blades. Both magnetoes have impulse devices. The "Wind" weighs a modest 5401b empty and 8501b gross, giving a nominal power : weight ratio of lOlb/h.p. There is no inverted-running fuel system for aerobatics, but the engine displays no abnormal tendency to cut under negative g. It does, however, tend to cut suddenly at an advanced stage of the take-off if the fuel tank is not completely full, the cure being either to close and reopen the throttle or to apply carburetter hot air. The tendency can be disconcerting when one is using rough or short fields. Normal fuel load of 12gal is in a tank ahead of the instrument panel—there is apparently a ferry tank behind the cockpit—with a on/off cock way forward above the pilot's shins. The cock is normally left on at all times, but to satisfy an ARB requirement a small white knob and wire are provided beside the instrument panel so that the pilot can cut off fuel in emergency without loosening his seat harness. Fuel cannot be turned on again with this control—and thereby have hung some rather unpleasant mom- ments, because the knob is readily confused with the carburetter hot air control, which has to be actuated in the same direction when the engine is throttled back. Normal fuel consumption is 4£gal/hr at 2,500 r.p.m., at which figure the Cosmic Wind bowls along at 160 m.p.h. The fuel gauge is a float-and-wire assembly sticking up just ahead of the canopy. Safe endurance is stated to be 2hr, giving an extreme range of 320 miles. Handbook speeds are 115 to 120 m.p.h. for the best climb of no less than 2,500ft/min, 85 m.p.h. with a trickle of power for the approach, and 63 m.p.h. for a power-off stall. Cockpit instrument ation includes two special clocks; g-meter; a.s.i.; turn-and-slip indicator; sensitive altimeter; two magnetic compasses; r.p.m. dial; intake pressure gauge; oil pressure/temperature gauge; and cylinder-head temperature indicator and selector. A back-type parachute is accompanied by American quick- adjusting four-strap harness. The access panel on which the little canopy blister is mounted is normally hinged open and bolted shut with a single three-point piano-hinge-type bolt. Both hinges can be pulled off from inside or outside in order to get rid of the complete panel; and the original explosive-bolt jettison system, accessible from inside and outside the cockpit, has been replaced for safety's sake by a compressed-air actuator. The controls show virtually no static friction, but there is a fair amount of lost motion in the aileron circuit. Having absorbed this "miscellany" from the handbook and from careful briefing by members of the Tiger Club, I found myself sitting in the little beast with engine running, feeling nervous and The little aircraft is distinctively and attractively finished in metallized green with yellow motifs and lettering "Now where did I put my left arm?" Though Lambert's head was closely helmeted by the plastic bubble canopy there was plenty of room for the rest of him looking up at the encouraging smiles of various people looking down. Engine noise was surprisingly low, even though I wore no helmet, and I was very comfortable. Taxying out across fairly rough grass, I found that the nose had to be swung slightly from side to side to keep the ground ahead in view, and a good deal of clanking and rocking accompanied my slow progress. I chose the longest take-off run then in use, slightly across a mild wind and, after running up the engine, gradually increased power for the take off. There was no trimmer to set and nothing to check but wind and noise. The Wind began bounding across the sward more and more purposefully, and the nearer it seemed to getting airborne the more my head bounced around inside the canopy and blurred the external scenery. I kept the stick pretty well still, because I had been shown that propeller clearance with the fuselage level was minimal. Once I thought the Wind was airborne, though I could not focus on the a.s.i., but it sank back and continued its rabbit like progress. Finally, I felt and saw that it was flying and the view came into focus. Speed was building up rapidly past 80 m.p.h. as I kept the aircraft poised close to the ground before easing the nose up gently as the a.s.i. reached 120 m.p.h. Then we were really in business and the ground fairly melted away as we zoomed straight up to 1,000ft. Pretty soon I had felt out the astonishingly responsive ailerons and realized that the Wind was a real gentleman, stable and delightful to handle. I watched r.p.m. carefully as they built up in level flight, but they did not exceed the book limit (which I proposed to observe) until we had got to somewhere near 170 m.p.h. The nose was now a good way down below the horizon and the forward view greatly improved. Longitudinal stability made itself felt by a gently increasing nose-up tendency, but the stick force was not at all uncomfortable to hold. Rapid wing waggling showed virtually no adverse yaw and the rudder was extremely powerful. A few fairly fast turns and some zooms showed no untoward tendency to lose speed in turns, despite the very low horsepower. I had rarely known an aircraft which so clearly inspired confidence. I have heard the Wind's ailerons compared to those of the Swift, which, in contrast to the rest of that aircraft, were a classic example of their kind. Before doing anything more with the Wind. I wanted to assess the stalling behaviour, particularly under acceleration, and flew rapidly to 3,000ft somewhere well east of Biggin Hill—I wanted plenty of height to spare. It was then that I gave myself a nasty moment by throttling back and cutting off the fuel instead of applying carburetter heat. As I wrestled beyond the instrument panel to find a fuel cock I had never seen—and would not see anyway—I fervently wished to avoid a forced landing at this level of unfamiliarity with the type. All my experience told me to look for a good field, or see if 1 could glide back to Biggin Hill, rather than get my head right down in the office and follow wires and pipes with my fingers while the aircraft flew, I knew not how, on a generally descending path. Then a good thrust with my right toe finally seemed to do the trick and cautious trials indicated that the fuel flow would cope with full power and that fuel pressure was ample. After a minute or so I abandoned my first intention to
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