PREVENTING FIRE IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 136, 5 March 1927, Page 24

PREVENTING FIRE IN THE AIR

Science, ehemistry, and aeronautical engineering are all combining to reduce, ■until it reaches negligible proportions, the risk of fire in the air (says Harry Harper in the “Daily Mail”), Many precautions can be and are being, introduced in regard to the installation of aero-engines and tanks while niping is carried well away from cabins. Most encouraging of all at the moment is the way in which metal is playing its part in tho construction of largo, mod-

ern-trpe passenger ’planes.. Our latest British air liners not only have hulls built from metal tubes but the metal construction is carried out for gome distance along each wing. Fireresisting materials are introduced wherever possible. The replacement of wood and fabric by metal is not the only key. to safety. Experiments which are yielding important results are being made in the einploynient of a crude, non-inflammable oil as "the fuel of aero-engines. This implies the adaptation to aeroplane motors of the Diesel principle of operation. Costly researches, have been going on for some time. Their success is providing one of the romances of modern engineering.

The uroblem Ims been to make a crude oil engine sufficiently light for use in the air. This has necessitated extensive researches with various light-weight alloys. Already the results are repaying'all the time and money expended. Experimental aeroplane motors are now actually running on heavy oil fuels, and reports may be available before long of tests under flying conditions. In no direction, in fact, is technical progress more encouring than in the combating of aerial fire risks. We know that extremely large passenger ’planes, constructed throughout of metal, can ba made actually lighter than similar ma, chines of wood. There is every' promise. too. that staunch, powerful, simple aero engities, running on non-inflam-mable fuel, will become practicable pro. positions for ecommercial airline use, ■spelling greater safety as well as lower running costs. Given, therefore, the all-metal air-liner, driven by engines operating on crude oil. the fire risk will Ire reduced until to all intents and purposes it is elimin. a Ud.