NEW FAIREY AIRLINER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23734, 15 February 1939, Page 17

NEW FAIREY AIRLINER

\ . RETRACTABLE AUXILIARY WINGS RESULT OF SECRET DEVELOPMENT, (From Ouh Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON. Jan. 19. High cruising speeds and the reasonably low take-off and landing speeds are combined in performance of the new 270 m.p.h. Falrey airliner through the medium of retractable auxiliary wings. This notable invention, the result of three years’ secret and intensive development, provides an effective means of varying the wing surface of an aeroplane and, therefore, of changing the load carried by each unit of wing area —a vital factor in speed. For take-off the auxiliary wings are let down from recesses in the after portion of the main monoplane wings, converting the machine temporarily into a biplane. In this position they add sufficiently to lifting area to reduce the load carried by each square foot of wing from 321 b—appropriate, for fast cruising—to 251 b, a figure suited to relatively low take-off speeds and to quick rate of climb. For landing the auxiliary wings are further extended to form a kind of wing-flap which serves as an air brake and again increases lift. Landing speed is thereby reduced by about 10 miles an hour Adoption of the device states the company, has enabled the designer to make the main wings of the new airliner 30 per cent, smaller than would be necessary to ensure safe take-off and landing speeds, if only the usual split wing-flaps were employed The smaller wings mean less head resistance, as well as high wing-loading, and performance is again improved, CRUISING AT 220 M.P.H.

The F.C.-l airliner is scheduled for series production next year. It will probably form an important section of fleets operating main British Statesubsidised air lines. Weighing approximately 42,0001 b (nearly 19 tons) with full load on board, it is designed to carry up to 30 passengers at a cruising speed of 220 m.p.h. on only half maximum power delivered by the four 1000 h.p. engines. For long journeys, fewer passengers will be carried to offset the extra fuel. An alternative design embodies sleeping berths. The F.C.-l is built entirely in metal, to the “ stressed skin ’’ formula which imposes much of the loads and stresses to be carried by the structure directly on the covering surfaces of wings and fuselage. The first machine is in construction for the Air Ministry “ off the drawing board” without preliminary building and testing of a prototype, a procedure successfully followed by the Fairey company, in design and production of the Battle medium bomber, which is in service in great numbers with Royal Air Force squadrons. Conditioned air supplied from a supercharger will maintain low-level pressure in the cabin when the aeroplane is flying high, enabling the aircraft operator to take advantage of the most economical flying conditions without discomfort to the passengers Crew accommodation is provided for two pilots, radio operator, flight engineer. cook, and two stewards. Full restaurant facilities and spacious mail and cargo compartments in wings and fuselage are planned.