airisms

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 96, 6 April 1934, Page 11

airisms

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"Loop"

Return to Routine. With the North Island pageant among events of tho past, the H.B. end E.C. Aero Club has returned to its usual routine. Although much has vet to be finalised, the secretary i s sure that the club will derive acceptable financial benefits from the pageant. It is also felt that much should have been accomplished in developing “airmindedness.” In all there were 38 aeroplanes on the Hastings ’drome, comprising some ten different types of machines. This number constitutes a record for the Dominion. License Renewals. All pilots are reminded that their licenses became due for renewal on March 31. If this has not yet been done no time should be lost in taking the necessary steps. Pilots who have not yet renewed their licenses will not be permitted to fly club aircraft until they have done so. Napier Members. Pilots and pupils at Napier may note that a machine will be in attendance at the Napier aerodrome next Sunday morning at 8.30 o'clock. Arrangements are being made by the instructor to commence tuition with a further batch of pupils in the immediate future. Gisborne Display. On Easter Saturday ZK-AAB and ZK-ABB flew to Gisborne with the instructor and Mr. Maurice Field at the respective controls. During the day various items were given at the local motor cycle sports. Bombing, balloon bursting, air-battles and aerobatics were on the programme. In a race between the two machines Mr. Field managed to get home in a very close finish. Flight-Lieutenant Gerrand was also able to defeat two motor cycles in a race of two laps round the course. Cross-Country Flights. With the Easter holidays the club found that its services were required. for several hurried flights. Many trips were made between Gisborne and Hastings, and on one occasion a return trip was made between Gisborne and Wellington in the one day. Even then the passenger was able to enjoy several hours in Wellington. First Moth Flies Again, ZK-AAB, the first Moth to fly in New Zealand, was recently rebuilt in the H.B. and E.C. Club’s hangar by the capable bands ot its ground engineer. It will be remembered that this machine was crashed some months ago in Gisborne by an ovei-confident pupil. ZK-AAB has been fitted with the Gipsy engine from ZK-ACI , and with her new paint and stream-line effects looks particularly smart. After a lengthy test flight, the instructor pronounced the machine to be thoroughly airworthy. Pageant Aftermath. One result of the pageant that will require the immediate attention of the H.B. and E.C. Club's executive is the state ot the ground. Dry weather and much taxiing by many machines, including the heavy Southern Cross, has cut up the surface ot the aerodrome to a big extent. The local Borough Council unofficially iiitimati’d that they were willing to assist during tho coming winter in the formation of a good aerodrome surface at Bridge Pah, and it would appear that the club is going to be particularly grateful for this offer. The council also indicated that they would probaldy be aide to extend the tarmac area in bitumen, and this should also be more than welcome. Wing Spar as Fuel Tank. A small twin < ngineii monoplane which has Ineii flying lor the past lew weeks at Brough aerodrome. lotkshire. may he the lorerunm r ot a range ol .lircra.t notable tor high aerodynamical efficiency ami tor proportion of useful load aiilHirne. It is fitted with a new kind <1 single-spar duralumin 1 wing ol tubular cons.rm >mn. lie- invention ol Mr F Hum nson. Im joined the li'aekbum Company some time ago. The spar is hollow and liquid-tight; a portion of it is used as a fuel tank, eliminating the need lor separate tanks and saving much weight. Before the wings were fitted to the aeroplaneone of the old Blackburn “Segrave metal cabm planes—many severe tests

of the new spar were made. Its strength and its resistance to torsional and other stresses, was found to be enormous. Vibratory tests disclosed no danger of leakage in the tank sections of the spar. If complete success attend these finst flying trials a range of machines, some of them already far advanced in design, will be constructed around the new wing system. Its potential importance in making for increased economy of operation gives it interest for every aircraft user. British Statistics for 1933, British flying schools did well in 1933. Statistics which have come to hand indicate especially the advance of the bigger establishments, such as Air Service Training, Ltd., the Brooklands Scnool and Airwork. A.S.T. piled up 6428 hours of instructional flying during the year. Second in aggregate of flying time was the de Haviland School, with 1310 hours. A close third was North Sea Aerial and General Transport, with 4300 hours; this school's activities increased considerably in 1933 as the result of re-equipment with a fleet of thirteen of the new Blackburn 8.2 trainers. Brooklands notched 3500 hours and the Airwork School at Heston 2550 hours. British Air Transport accounted for 1168 hours, and Surrey Flying Services for 1302. Amateur “A” pilot’s licenses were gained by 215 school members during the year. Thirty-nine qualified for the “B” or commercial pilot’s ticket, the bulk of them from A.S.T. (16) and Brooklands (12). Nine qualified as second-class navigators, of which six were from A.S.T. Fifteen passed through as ground engineers (A.S.T. 6, Surrey Flying Services 5). Seven pupils of A.S.T. qualified for the Postmaster General’s radio operator’s license. Seventeen different types of aeroplane were flown by the schools, the most diversified fleet that of A.S.T., which ranged from a three-engined transport 'plane to light craft and an amphibian. Excluding the A.S.T. fleet of 21 machines, the most favoured machine was the “Gipsy Moth.” used in seven schools. Blackburn 8.2 trainers and “Bluebirds” made up the entire fleet of the North Sea school. Other craft employed were Avro “Cadets,” who earned high opinions at Heston and with A.S.T., “Puss Moth,” D.H. 9.1, “Tiger Moths.” Spartan and “Bedwing.” Altogether, nine schools employed 75 aeroplanes. Cipsy Six, The most recent addition to the very successful series of Gipsy aero engines is known as the Gipsy Six. It is an inverted six-cylinder in line air-cooled engine developing 205 b.h.p. With a weight of 4321b5. it has a weight horsepower ratio of the amazingly low figure of 2.11. It is fitted with dual petrol pumps, and electrical starter. Its petrol consumption is low, being about 12.5 gallons per hour at cruising revs. Many parts—cylinders, valves and valve gear, pistons, rings, gudgeon pins, connecting rods, big ends—are all interchangeable with the Gipsy Major. This is an important consideration to the operator. This engine is employed in the new De Havilland air-liner, the D.H. 86, and may also he used in an ordinary Moth, Leopard Moth. Fon Moth and Dragon Moth.