NEW TRAINING BIPLANE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20510, 1 April 1932, Page 12

NEW TRAINING BIPLANE.

EFFICIENT FLYIN© MACHINE. | . ... '..-_''. diou'en on coasxacoxmanr-) LONIK>N,. February 18. In its latest form that "Proteus"" among aeroplanes—the Avro 626 biplane, whiehis'designed for tie training of pilots in almost every-braneh of military flying—incorporates certain modifications decided as the result of recent Air Ministry tests and a few detail improvements. These include fat- . tyred wheels of the kind familiarly known as "doughnuts" (which experience has shown afford definite advantages, particularly in landing on' rough ground), wheel brakes, an extra fuel tank in the upper plane, and a resist-ance-reducing Townend ring around the 215 h.p. Lynx engine. The fuselage of the Type 626 is arranged to accommodate at need armament and equipment, for eight specific branches of flying training, including "blind" and night flying, offensive and defensive gunnery, bombing, wireless telephony and telegraphy, aerial photography, and navigation. Equipment needed for one particular duty can be removed and replaced with the equipment and armament required for any other form of training in the notably brief time of two hours, though in practice a military training school would probably operate most efficiently with a fleet of these craft, each fitted for one branch of.training and kept exclusively to it. Ease of tuition, calling for effective control all along the speed range and flying qualities similar to those of the service aeroplanes which the military pupil will be called on to pilot at the eoncluson, of his training period, is plainly fundamental in designing a machine of this kind, but the Type 626 is also an efficient flying machine. Its maximum attainable speed at sea level is 112 m.p.h. and its service "ceiling" 15,000 feet. With full load on board and the extra tank in use it carried enough fuel for a non-stop flight, at cruising speed of 95 miles an hour, of five hours. The land under-carriage may be speedily changed for seaplane metal floats, when the craft is at once, ready for operation from water.