OIL-BURNING ENGINE TESTED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 153, 30 June 1934, Page 7

OIL-BURNING ENGINE TESTED

Equipped with the most powerful aircooled oil-burning aero engine yet flown successfully anywhere in the world, a British biplane has ascended to a height of approximately 28,030 ft.. which is 5000 ft. higher than any simi larly powered flying machine has climbed. The flight was of vital importance, because it proved decisively that the heavy oil-motor does not possess inherent inability to work in the thin air of the great heights. ImnoDant results in the design of future range, high-flying military aircraft are certain. The aeroplane, a Westland Wapiti biplane, ascended from Yeovil aerodrome, Somerset, in excellent weather. In the nose of this machine w*as installed a Bristol Phoenix radial ninecylinder engine in which the fuel mixture of air and heavy-oil spray D ignited by compression, without the help of any electrical ignition system A resistance-lessening ring eneowis the motor and much elaborate recording instrumental equipment was carried in the two open cockpits. Two officiallyscaled recording barographs, placed on board by a representative of the Koya l Aero Chib, were important details. Ths pilot was Mr. H. J. Penrose, test pilot i)f the Westland aircraft works. Bal last comprised the remainder of th<» load, in the place of the occupant o f the second cockpit. The test was, therefore, a full-load trial. The machine climbed quickly far above 20,000 ft. At the greatest height reached—2B,oooft. —the outside temperature was 40 degrees below zero Centigrade. Air density was 40 per cent, less than at ground level, and Mr. Penrose breathed continuously through his oxygen apparatus. Contrary to some expert predictions, the compres-sion-ignition motor continued to run satisfactorily in the rarified air. There was no sign of failure to burn the mixture, with consequent stopping of the engine. Actually, the machine attained a height greater than was

reached with its normal petrol-burning engine of approximately equal horsepower, which lost power with increase of height at about twice the rate observed with the Phoenix. Once again in the history of engineering, actual test has proved the fallacy of apparently well-founded theoretical expectations.