BRITISH AIRCRAFT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 5

BRITISH AIRCRAFT

NEW MILITARY ARM

TURRET-MOUNTED GUN

(From "The Post's" Representative) LONDON, June 28.

One of the most important developments in high-speed uiHilary aircraft is the1 inecliaiik-ally operated gun-turret in the nose of the Boulton and Paul " Overs!raml" bomber. This device menus that the forward gun may be trained on a target with rapidity and accuracy, no matter what may be the speed or tho altitude of the aeroplane. The gun and tho whole of the turret arc mounted to rotate together. The "Overstrand" is developed from the "Sidestmnd" twin-engined bomber biplane. It is equipped with two "Pegasus" moderately supercharged motors and is capable of considerably higher performance than its predecessor. Maximum level speed, attained at a height of 0500 feet above sea level, is more than 150 miles an hour, and the lauding speed only 55 m.p.h.

Simple control and wide speed range are exemplified in the "direct control autogiro, which is now being built in large numbers by the >Avro Company. No rudder, elevators, or ailerons are used; control is gained simply by movement of a' hanging lever that alters the angle of tilt of tho rotor axis. The minimum flying speed of the machine is 15 m.p.h. aud its maximum level speed,1 on the power of a 140 h.p. "Genet Major" seven-cylinder engine, is 115 m.p.h. Craft of this kind aro being built at tho Avro works for experimental employment with the six "army co-operation" squadrons of the E.A.F.

Outwardly the Saunders-Koe "Cloud" monoplane amphibian chosen for the display is exactly like the,craft which arc employed at tho Calshot base. Structurally it incorporates one important modification in the monospar wings which, as the name implies, consist hi a plane which has only one main spar instead of the orthodox two spars. Considerable saving ...in weight, with consequent increase of useful load, is the chief advantage claimed for this system of construction. The machine derives power from two Siddeley "Serval" 340'h.p. motors and attains a maximum level speed, with full load on board, of 108 m.p.h.