FAST MAIL ’PLANE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17954, 5 December 1932, Page 9

FAST MAIL ’PLANE

CRUISING SPEED OF 172 M.P.H. IN OPERATION NEXT YEAR Early next year Great Britain will have iii operation a- mail aeroplane with a top speed of 195 miles an hour, a cruising speed of 172 miles an hour, and a range of ICOO miles. This is the special machine ordered as an experiment by the Air Ministry. Its construction lias been nearly completed by Messrs. Boulton and Paul, Limited, and it will lie flying shortly.

The performance of the machine is based on tests with models in tlie wind tunnel arid on careful calculations. If the estimates are fulfilled the minimum requirements of the Air Ministry will have been notably exceeded. The specification required a erasing speed of 150 miles an hour. The constructors expect to be able to guarantee that speed, with tho full load of 10001 b. of mail, when only half the available engine power is used.

This mail carrier is a biplane with two Bristol Pegasus engines set- in nacelles just beneath the top wing. Jt lias most graceful lines. A very low undercarriage is made possible by giving the inner portions of the lower wing an anhedrnl angle (or upward tilt) to allow sufficient clearance for the fuselage. Tho machine has two compartments—one forward for the crew of two, and behind ‘hat the rnait cabin. In tlie former there is room for one of the pilots to lie down while the other flies the machine. Tlie mail compartment has a central walk, so that the mails may be attended to during flight. Ono of the Air Ministry’s requirements was that there should be space for tho apparatus which would allow mails to be dropped and picked up in flight. The roomy cabin provides for this, but it remains for tho Ministry to decide on such an installation. Tho frame of the machine is of metal. The wings are fabric-covered and the fuselage is covered with plywood and fabric. Five petrol tanks are set in the upper wing. The oil tanks and oil coolers- are contained in tlie engine nacelles. Each engine is fitted with a Townend ring in order to reduce head resistance. Althoucrh its speed and load are high, the machine is expected to land at 60 miles an hour, and it will be able to maintain level flight on one engine.