SAFER FLYING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17956, 7 December 1932, Page 3

SAFER FLYING

EXPERIMENTS IN ENGLAND S2 FUTURE OF DIESEL ENGINE LONDON, Oct, 6. I Supercharging with the object of reaching great heights is one of tile many 1 problems, which have recently engaged Urn attention of tile British Aeronautical Research Committee. The committee has fixed oil 50.000 ft. as the altitude at which to aim, and is not inclined to regard its ambition in this regard as in Uie least fantastic. The annual report describes the objective in earnest language, and emphasises that it should not be looked upon "merely, as an amusing extravagance.” That it is not in any sense an extravagance, 1 amusing or otherwise, has been clearly demonstrated by Professor Piccard’s balloon ascent to a height of 54,800 ft., and by Captain Unwin’s climb in an ordinary Vickers Vespa aeroplane to 44,CCOft, Tho latter machine was equipped with a slightly modified Bristol : Pegasus engine, but it is quite Conceivj able that with specially designed mechanism tho goal of 50,000 ft. might easily be exceeded. Indeed, there is already some talk of the Air Ministry constructing a special experimental plane for tho purpose. It is felt that success would lead to a general increase of scientific and technical knowledge which would more than justify the expense. More than anything, however, the committee has been concentrating upon an increased margin of safety in flying, and in this regard the outstanding unsolved aerodynamic problem is the discovery of features in an aeroplane which will ensure that it. can be brought satisfactorily out of a spin. The secret heroism of a pilot who lias been deliberately risking his life in mid-air to find asolntkm for ibis mystery has jus), been revealed. Flight-Lieutenant C. E. Maitland, has, from time to time, taken up a machine and spun it earthward. In

some of the tests at Favnborongh, Hants, the pilot had to struggle with the controls to save himself from crashing to death. In others, to pull the ’plane out of a serious spin lie bad to exert n force of 1001 b. on I lie rudder bar to correct the descent. In two spins, his machine made 34 and 40 turns before it was righted! Thus, for the first time, the committee was able to have full instrument records of a perilous spin. I > ANOUROUS TEN DEN Cl ES

At the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough a vertical wind tunnel has been erected in which light models

of Balsa wood are set spinning and photographed by a cinematograph camera. It has been found that the spinning' vice can he much mitigated by raising the tailplano in respect to the (in and rudder. One machine which had

extremely vicious spinning tendencies was treated in that way, and was completely “cured” without spoiling tho good flying points of the machine. •Control of stalling when an aeroplane has lost flying speed is another problem studied by tho committee. Slots have largely solved tho problem, but .the' whole question is not completely understood. Types of unslotted machines vary considerably in I he amount of control possible in the stalled condition, and the reasons have not been explained. ’The committee believe that a sufficient degree of safety for many purposes

might he achieved merely by correctly shaping and arrauging-the wings and tail without using slots at all. It is also supposed that the shapes of wing-tips have a bearing on the matter, and research and experiment are being pursued. t

Flutter of wings or tail was a phenomenon which caused much perturbation a few years ago, but the problem has -practically been mastered. “Enough is known,” writes the committee in its annual report, "to render it unlikely that wing or tail flutter will occur in future: designs if use be made of the existing information.” FEAR OF LIGHTNING Another possible danger which exercises some members of the public is lightning. The committee records that several cases have occurred where aeroplanes in flight have been struck by lightning and no serious consequences have occurred, although the wireless apparatus was damaged or destroyed, and once some metal was fused and put an aileron out of action. “-Ordinarily, all the, metalwork in an aeroplane is-com-pletely bonded, and this,” writes the committee, "is considered to provide a satisfactory protection.’’-—Sydney Morning Herald.