Across the Skyways

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19462, 29 December 1934, Page 17 (Supplement)

Across the Skyways

AIRCRAFT GUNNERY.

IMPORTANT FORWARD STEP.

MECHANICAL -GUN TURRET. A BRITISH INVENTION. Mechanically operated gun turrets, working in similar fashion -to the turret of a battleship, are embodied in the structure of new large, long-range bombers for whioh the Air Ministry has just placed a substantial order. A 'British invention, the turret Is considered in service circles to be the most important forward step In aircraft -gunnery since the creation, during the war, of the synchronising device which enables -the pilots -of fighting aeroplanes to fire their flx-ed guns forward through the disc swept by the airscrew without risk of damaging the airscrew blades. It promises to revolutionise the tactics of aerial combat.

For some years past, 'aircraft gunners have found manual operation of the guns a matter -of increasing difficulty,. because of the increase in the -speed of aircraft and in the height ■at which ..they normally fly. Further advances in speed appeared of doubtful advantage; at the higher speeds the aeroplanes were defenceless because the gunners could not work their guns satisfactorily. When attacked by single-seater fighters, the guns of which are fixed and not affected by -air pressure, the bomber and other large aircraft equipped with movable guns were obliged to slow down nearly to stalling speed to give their gunners a chance -of accurate fire. In addition to air -pressui'e, which at -speeds of 150 miles an hour and more is enough to demand great physical strength to overcome it, height and the big accelerations set ; up im aerial evolutions hamper operation -of the machine gun. Above levels of 10,000 or 12,000 feet the effort demanded to move the gun becomes more and more tiring, while the violent accelerations imposed on the bodies of the crew in the course of an aerial combat have been known to cause serious injury; the gunner In the past has bad to stand up to work his gun and consequently has not been able to brace himself against the movements of the machine. Accurate Fire. The new turret, which was invented by the old established firm of Boulton and Paul, eliminates all these difficulties. It makes markmanship from an aeroplane moving at more than 200 miles an hour as accurate and untiring as fire from a fixed base. The gunner Is seated -and is not called upon for physical effort, no matter at what -speed the machine is flying or in what -attitude it may be. All he has to do is to point the gun in the-required direction; the turret mechanism does'all of the work -for him. The conditions under which the gunner works in the turret, free from -strain and protected adequately from the rush of air, have resulted during exhaustive tests in shooting far more accurate than has ever been previously attained. 'Further, the rate at which the guns can be moved is no longer limited by the physical power of the pilot. Even if a hostile aircraft be moving at high speed across the bows of an -overstrand the turret can rotate fast enough to follow it; many -of the classical methods -of attack on bombing machines are thereby rendered not only impracticable, but extremely perilous for the attacker. The Overstrand is a high performance biplane, developed from the Sidestrand twin-engined craft which have formed part of the standard equipment of the Royal Air Force for several years. It derives power from two Bristol Pegasus air-cooled radial motors, and is capable fo high speed and rapid rate -of climb to operational heights of 20,000 feet and -more above sea-level. It is designed to fulfil the functions both of a day and of a night bomber, and for that reason lias been dubbed by the makers the “24-hour” bomber. The gun turret is installed in the nose of the fuselage; its fitting resembles an egg held- between finger and thumb so that it is free to revolve. -Its framework is covered with transparent material, providing magnificent outlook for the gunner forward, upward, downward and to both sides; simply by movement of the - gun he can keep the sights on any target within his zone of vision.

FUTURE OF COMBAT TACTICS. At present the turret can be fitted only in one end or other of the fuselage. One new-style warplane which is obviously well suited for installation of the turret is the tailless Pterodactyl lighter, In which the observergunner possesses unrivalled outlook and might be depended upon to employ the advantages of the turret to the fullest possible extent. By improving life lire power and accuracy of the larger typos of aircraft the turret may also lead to reconsideration of the design of single-seater fighters, which up to the present have ruled the sky by virtue of their superiority in speed, rate of oilrnb and rapidity of manoeuvre. Whether the present tactics governing single-seater attack on larger •machines can .he adapted to secure success against machines equipped with Ihe new turret is subject for argument.

LOCAL JOTTINGS. ACTIVITIES AT TE RAPA. Witli many members away on vacation there was nut a great deal of Hying undertaken at flic To Rapa aerodrome during the week. Only one visiting plane called in and thal was 111 p Hawke’s Ray and East Coast Aero Club’s Gypsy Moth, ZK—AAR. This is Hie first brought to New Zealand. AI that time the machine was a Cirrus Moth bill it lias been altered mnv to a Gypsy .Moth.

The 'Hawke’s Bay machine whs piloted by Mr E. A. Barker of Hastings and called in at To Rapa early on Wednesday morning. The passenger was Mr 1). M. Douglas of Hawke’s Bay. owner of Gold Trail. Ihe winner of the Auckland Cup at Ihe Auckland Racing Club's meeting al Ellerslje on Boxing Day. Mr Douglas chartered the plane to see his horse run in Hie event. Being Hie owner of the win- j ner be was presented to 11.11. H. Hie j

I Duke of Gloucester and to His Excellency the Governor-General, Lji'U Bledlsloe. Mr Douglas was llowi back to Hastings later in the afternoon. Mr Barker again calling in a; Te Rapa on his way home.

Another instance of the value of the speedy and comfortable transport possible by aeroplane was evidenced lasi Saturday when Flight Lieutenant W. H. Lett flew an elderly woman who had just come out of hospital to her home in Hawke’s Bay. Early on Saturday morning Mr 'Lett took the Gypsy Moth 2K—A'OK stationed at Hamilton to Auckland and returned to Rukuhia in in the Auckland Club’s Puss Moth machine, ZK—-ACB. There he picked up his woman passenger and a sister from the hospital and flew down to Gisborne.

When 'Over Rotorua 'Flight Lieutenant Lett struck bad weather and flew to Napier and from Napier up the coast to Gisborne. Despite the much longer trip occasioned by the bad weather the patient was none the worse for the experience. A trip by road, the only other possible way from Hamilton was out of the question, no I only becaluse of the time involved but also because of the rough nature of the trip.

'Bad weather was experienced al 'Gisborne and Mr 'Lett did not return until Sunday when with two passengers, 'the woman’s husband and. the sister, he made 'the trip to Rukuhia via Rotorua In one hour 45 minutes. Mr Lett landed his passengers and continued on to Auckland flying back in ZK—ACK and arriving at Te Rapa shortly after 1.30 p.m.

On Sunday Mr. R. Charlton, , flew ZK—AC'C to Huntly and back again without landing while on Thursday afternoon Flight Lieutenant Lett flew ZK—AGK to Te Kuiti where he conducted several flying lessons.

On Boxing Day three Gypsy Moths and the Puss Moth from Auckland flew to Taupo where they staged a pageant making many passenger flights during the day.

Mr S. J. Blackmore had no difficulty in re-gaining a certificate of airworthiness for 'his Desoutter monoplane and on Saturday afternoon left with “Scotty” Fraser the parachutist for a short “barn storming” tour. While “Scotty” Fraser was stunting at Waihi he received an unexpected ducking when the distance, was misjudged and instead of landing on th„e beach, he landed in .the sea about 50 yards from the beach.' However, be experienced little difficulty in getting to shore.