DEFENCE OF LONDON

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1934, Page 8

DEFENCE OF LONDON

THE LATEST AIRCRAFT SINGLE-SEATER FIGHTERS. DAY OR NIGHT SERVICE. London, Dec. 6. Defence of London against aerial attack will be the primary duty in war emergency of the new “day and night” single-seater “Gauntlet” fighting aeroplanes ordered by the Air Ministry (says the Wellington Post’s correspondent). They will patrol the skies, each flight in its allotted sector and flying at predetermined heights, on the look-out for enemy raiding machines. Considerable endurance on one fuel load, rapid climb to operational height, and great speed high above the earth are essential. The new aeroplane, which has been ordered as a first step in numbers sufficient to replace obsolescent equipment of one squadron of the Home Defence Force, meets admirably the demands of the exacting work that would be its portion in a future conflict. Its speed of 216 m.p.h., reached at a height of 16,500 ft above sea-level, makes it the fastest radial-engined military aeroplane yet ordered for any air force. Though it carries a big fuel load and much equipment, its rate of climb is impressive. From sea-level to 20,000 ft up occupies less than twelve minutes. The service “ceiling”—the height at which the rate of climb has decreased to 100 ft a minute—is no less than 33,000 ft, or 4000 ft higher than the summit of Mount Everest. Originally, the machine, which marks the re-entry after some years of the Gloster Company to the ranks of service contractors, was designed as a “multigun” fighter, armed with the usual two machine-guns in grooved channels at the sides of the fuselage and with four additional guns in the front edges of the wings. Even with this formidable armament the aeroplane was notably fast and efficient, attaining maximum level speed of 194 m.ph. on the power of an engine which is now obsolete. Later, the multigun idea was shelved, and the craft was redesigned as a normal two-gun day and night fighter to take power from the new Bristol “Mercury” supercharged engine. TWO-BAY CONSTRUCTION. Like every other military aeroplane at present in the Royal Air Force, the “Gauntlet” is a biplane, and possesses to the full the advantages of light wing structure and swift manoeuvre which are Characteristic of the type. Curiously enough, the . wings are joined by two pairs of struts on either side of the fuselage, an arrangement which at first sight would appear to offer considerably more resistance to movement through the air than the more usual one-bay system. Nevertheless, the advantage gained in rigidity of the two-bay construction has been effectively wedded by the Gloster designers and extremely low “drag,” or air resistance; the performance achieved by the machine provides sufficient evidence of its success. Every detail of the external structure was studied to eliminate sources of “drag.” The result is an exceptionally “clean” aeroplane. Stream-lined cases enclose the landing wheels. A Townend resistance-lessening ring encowls the radial engine. The fuselage is fundamentally a fine stream-line shape, and is not unduly spoiled by the necessary excresences such as wind-screen, gun grooves, and so forth. In addition to 81 gallons of fuel and six gallons of oil, the “Gauntlet” carries two Vickers guns and 1200 rounds of ammunition, complete night flying gear, radio receiving and sending apparatus, and oxygen-breathing equipment. Provision is made for the carriage of four 201 b bombs, held in light racks below the bottom plane. Though its maximum speed places it in a class by itself among the radialengined machines at present in the R.A.F. fleet, the “Gauntlet” does not stall, or lose flying speed, till the needle of the air-speed indicator has dropped back to 54 m.p.h. The four-to-one ratio between maximum and stalling speeds is notable, and represents a considerable technical achievement. Further, the slow landings thus made possible are important in a craft which is intended for use by night as much as by day. OFFER BY LADY HOUSTON. Lady Houston, who is at present on board her yacht at Sandbanks, Dorset, announced through the Press Association that she was prepared to renew her offer to give £200,000 for the air defence of London. “When the £200,000 offered by me towards the £5,000,000 needed for our forces of defence eighteen months ago was refused by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after a delay of several weeks’ consideration (her message reads), I am told privately that Mr. Neville Chamberlain wished to accept my offer, but the Prime Minister would not permit this. “Afterwards I’ was asked if I would give this same sum of £200,000 to form an Air Defence for London, which was, and still is, the only capital in Europe that has no defence against an invasion from the air. .“I agreed to do this, but after another delay this was also refused, not by the Minister in charge, but by order of the Prime Minister. “Every paper to-day takes up this crying need for the defence of London which still exists, Lord Londonderry, the Duke of Sutherland, Viscount Cecil, Lord Lloyd, and Admiral Sueter are all voicing their indignation of this shameful neglect of the Government, and therefore I gladly renew my offer of £200,000, and I am willing to give this sum for the Air Defence of London. Will the Government still dare to refuse this offer?”