NEW GERMAN AIR LINER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19133, 30 September 1936, Page 15

NEW GERMAN AIR LINER

VISIT TO CROYDON HEAVY OIL ENGINES LONDON, Aug. 19. The visit to Crovdon air port to-day of a German air liner fitted with four 750h,p. Diesel heavy-oil engines is a. marked step forward in one of the most important aviation developments of the present time. In this country engines of this type are being fitted as an experiment into one of the new Blackburn Hying boats, and in France the Air Ministry has offered a prize of £135,000 for a heavy-oil aeroengine of French design and construction. The German machine, due to arrive at Crovdon to-day, is a Junkers (! 38, carrypassengers and a crew of seven. Heavy-oil engines, in which ignition is due to intense, heat of compression in the cylinders, are now in regular use on some of the G?rman air lines. Such engines are used also i.n the big German airships. The British airship P 101 had heavy-oil engines. BRITISH UEYRI.Oi'MKNTS On tlic Gorman air lines there arc five single-engined. two four-ongincd, one three-engined. and one two-engined liners using .Junkers heavy-oil engines. In Britain the Junkers "Jumo 4" is made under license by Napiers. and some have, been ordered by the Air Ministry. The principal British aero-engine makers are developing heavy-oil engines. bul owing to important recent improvements in their fuel system petrol engines will not easily be ousted. They will certainly continue in use in certain classes of aeroplane. The greater weight of heavy-oil engines prevented their adoption for Hying until recent years; but now that the weight has been much reduced .their fuel economy becomes an important factor. The advantage of this manifests itself in journeys exceeding about six hours. For the shorter flights of most military and civil planes the petrol engine is still preferred. Heavy-oil engines offer comparative but not absolute immunity from risk of fire. They require less fuel, thus saving in tankage space on long voyages. The oil costs about 9d a gallon, against about, Is 6d for petrol. SOUTH ATLANTIC; SERVICE

The efficiency and economy of the Junkers heavy-oil engines are valuable over the long ocean route from the west coast of Africa to South America. They are. fitted to the "Do. 18"' flying boats, and have extended the flight range of these machines to 2670 miles without, sacrifice of useful load. This is a good margin over the 1860 miles of the South Atlantic stretch. Two "Jumo" engines, built under license in France, have been officially approved after a 50-hour test, and lor (lie heavy-oil aero engine competition these engines will be used in a •'Hernhard 82" long-range bomber.