airisms

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 18 August 1934, Page 9

airisms

"Loop"

by

Kessell Cup. Last week-end pilots of tho H.B. and F..C. Aero Club competed for the Kessell Cup which is awarded annually for bombing. Each competitor was required to drop six Hour bag bombs from a minimum height of 300 feet on a fixed target on the aerodrome. The snots on tne whole were good and the winner s placing was remarkably accurate. the unal results were as toilow: R. I>. brown 1, K. Al. Field 2, E. A. Barker 3. Efficiency Trophy, Points were also allotted for the Efficiency Trophy on the results of the bombing lor the Kessell Cup. The leading pilots in this are E. A. Barker 1. R. D. Blown 2, Al. Field 3. Although Teddy Barker still retains his position of first place the second and third men are in quite handy positions. To-morrow's Competitions. To-morrow at the Bridge Pa 'drome there will be a message uropping competition for pilots of the H.B. and E.C. Aero Club. Entrants are urged to attend early in order to ensure that all may compete before dusk. There will also he competitions for the trapshooters at the Uioine to-mqrrow. Last week-end only one sweepstake was shot for and was finally won by B. Franklin who put up a really fine performance. Cross-Country Flights. During the past week several crosscountry liights have been made in the club’s machines. Flight-Lieutenant Gerrand made a return trip to Blenheim, calling at Alasterton and Wellington on the way down and at Wellington on the way back. The Desoutter was used for the Hight. In the same machine the instructor also took two persons to Christchurch for tho National meeting. Good flying times were recorded on the down trip which took in all only three and a half hours actually in tho air. The return trip was done in 45 minutes longer. Teddy Barker made a trip to Hamilton and Te Aroha in ZK-AAB and the same machine was used by the secretary who flew to Wellington and back. Teddy Barker also made a return flight to Gisborne during the week in AAB. Overhauls. A top overhaul has just been completed on the engine in ZK-AAB. The i instructor has flight-tested it and reported afterwards that all horses were present and correct. • A complete overhaul has just been commenced on the engine of the Desoutter which will consequently be out of the air for the next few days. F»g and loe. The two greatest setbacks to the successful and punctual operation of air services in all weathers are ice and fog. Aluch preliminary work has been undertaken in connection with the latter and that danger has now been I practically overcome. I The formation of ice on the wings and propeller of an aeroplane has three detrimental effects. The coating of ice on the wings not only adds to the weight; but materially alters the shape of the wing, reducing its efficiency and lifting power quite considerably. Moreover, much of the benefit obtained from streamlining is lost, owing to the

greater resistance which a machine coated «ith ice offers to the air. Several methkids have been tried to remedy this dangerous state of affairs. One is to instal rubber de-icers on the propeller ami pneumatic de-icers on the wings. A hollow rubber covering is lixed along the leading edge of the wing and inflated and deflated by means of an alternating pump, thus cracking up the ice. Ibis method has proved so suecesstul that the American company winch introduced it paid Wr the installation of the equipment during the first week ot operation by .n--,creased regularity of services. Among other schemes, one has been to place a gelatinous preparation on tho leading edge to prevent the I'otmation of ice. This, however, was found unsatisfactory because at times it retarded the formation of ice and at others it seemed to accelerate it. Another method, which had to be abandoned owing to the increased risk of fire, was to divert the exhaust gases through the wing. Electricity has also been suggested as a wav out of the difficulty, but the weight of the heaters and generators decreases the payload to such an extent as to make the scheme impracticable. Collisions!—With Birds, A number of collisions with vultures, kites, and other birds of similar habits has occurred recently in India. Of the cases of collision with civil aircraft recorded, none has so far involved the complete structural failure of the machine in the air. Damage has been caused of varying degrees of seriousness, and in one ease a forced landing subsequently made as a precaution resulted iu a fatal accident and the complete destruction of the machine. Although the majority of tho collisions recorded in India resulted in minor damage only to the aeroplane, sonic have involved serious damage to mam structural members of the airframe. Birds are met with in flight at all heights up to 10,000 feet, and on rare occasions higher, but the majority are found at heights below 2,000 feet. Owing to their habit of soaring on rising currents there is a tendency to find them at higher altitudes in regions where these conditions exist. These carnivorous birds are found in larger numbers in the vicinity of towns Pilots, therefore, have to keep a constant watch, particularly when approaching or leaving an aerodrome in close proximity to a town. Only one rule for the guidance of pilots can be given. No attempt should he made to avoid the birds by passing beneath them since they invariably dive when alarmed. Birds in flight should, therefore, be avoided by changing course. Eddies Round the Tarmac. On May Day 528 war machines flew over Lenin’s tohib. A woman, Fraulein Kerin Mannesmann, has been appointed assistant engineer on the Graf Zeppelin for the South Atlantic service. Tho following are vital performance figures for the Gloster Gauntlet, a new British single-seater: Maximum speed 228 m p.h., stalling speed 59 m.p.h., service ceiling 35,560 feet. Imperial Airways now give five services each way daily to Paris. The first departs at 8 a.m. and the last at 6.30 p.iu. There are also four daily services to Brussels, two to Cologne, and one each to Basle and Zurich. All these services are each way.