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Aviation History
1973
1973 - 2937.PDF
946 FLIGHT International, 6 December (973 so that the percentage rise in cost to the pilot should be about half the per centage increase of the crude oil. The typical breakdown of aircraft operating cost in Table 2 is made in order to see the fuel cost as a realis tic fraction of the total. The cost calculations were based on informa tion supplied by the BLAC, and the graph of cost per hour against possible fuel cost at the pump de rived. The cost breakdown does not take account of inflation rate not directly associated with fuel cost and several items, such as the engine overhaul costs, are very difficult to predict, particularly for aircraft with low utilisation. The total hourly flying costs given in the table for the 40p/gal avgas price, which was the usual rate this "40 50 60 70 80 Fuel price, pence/gal. summer, are used as a base for the two graphs which indicate cost in crease with fuel price rise. Obviously, no real figures for flying costs can be forecast until the rationing situa tion settles down, but the graphs do give an indication of the order of increase to the private pilot. We noticed that one airfield in the south east of England was charging 50p/gal for 100L fuel, while others were still charging 40p. While it appears that the cost of An electric aeroplane BV RON MOULTON When Heino Brditschka flew the MB-E1 for 9min 5sec from Linz in Austria on October 21 he qualified for a line in the record book. For, unlike the HB-3 from which it was converted, the MB-E1 (Militky Brditschka Electric One) was silent. Heino's father, Heinz, is producing the ex-Austrian Raab "Krahe" (Crow) motor glider for either Rotax 642 c.c. or Puch 650 c.c. petrol engines, which attracted German model designer Fred Militky as being suitable for conversion to electric drive. Militky has for more than 18 years pioneered electric propulsion of flying models and development in this field has now reached a stage where control of motor gliders with on-off power selec tion permits flying in otherwise res tricted areas. His exploration of the Below, an historic photograph: the first flight of the battery-powered Brditschka. Below left, the battery and motor installations rapidly rechargeable nickel-cadmium cell and experiments with motors led him to believe that the process could be scaled up for full-size air craft. Heinz Brditschka was one of Militky's many contacts in European aviation, and willingly undertook to provide an airframe. Ground run ning checks were made in a proto type HB two-seater fuselage, and in dicated that a stock Bosch lOkW motor and Varta batteries—standard airline equipment — would provide adequate power. This combination, with belt drive to the l-5m-diameter propeller, was virtually the only change made to the standard HB-3, although theoretically the 26 h.p. is halved and the weight increased by 1321b, the equivalent weight of a passenger. A short hop of 100m was all that was expected of the first serious run way test, but thrust built up so well 30% 220% 10% f y^ JSS*u &* 40 50 60 70 80 Fuel price, pence/gal. flying will increase, as it will for all forms of oil-powered transport, the private pilot should be no worse off than the motorist. In fact he should be proportionately better off, as the fuel cost is a smaller proportion of his total bill. To be a little cheerful, we remem ber that, when the fuel tax rebate for aviation fuel was withdrawn, there were many who said that it meant the end of private flying, which in the event proved to be a badly erroneous forecast. that Heino took the MB-E1 to 300m (975ft), turning a 90-year-old wheel full circle in the process. For it was precisely so long ago that Capt Arthur Kreb's electric motor powered the semi-dirigible airship La France at Chalais Meudon. Since those days, little has been heard of electric powered flight. With an increasing energy shortage a rechargeable pro pulsion system for-motor gliders has considerable potential. During this winter the drive system is to be instru mented to check loadings and study consumption rates. With develop ment, especially using purpose-de signed batteries and motor, the pros pect of 40min power storage is feasible. More than 100V d.c. across the lOkW motor gives an equivalent of 13 h.p. in this first electric fixed-wing aircraft. Each operation has so far been trouble-free, and as simple as switching on a portable razor.
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