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MOTORING
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THE MACHINE ́AGET|
-}
Skilled Workmanship of Vital Importance.
ENGINEER'S VIEW.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1931,
BRITAIN'S DOUBLE SPEED TRIUMPH.
A Wonderful Achievement of British
Engineering and Pluck.
be regarded as one of the most brilliant feats of Internal combus- tion engineering the world – has. веол.
The Vickers Supermarine S6B.
The problem of squeezing still more speed out of the beautiful 1929 racing seaplanes was one of the most. diffeult that Mr. R. J. Mitchell has tackled. The men-
Liöutenääk when ho won tko
Flight Lleutenant G. H. Stain- New problems had to be faced sure of his This period of history has been called the Machine Age so often, forth's three kilometre world's almost every day; the organisation the feats of Flight Wetton in and the name has been no univer speed record of 408.8 mph. is a alone, which formed the back-Boathman anlly accepted, that it comes as fitting companion to Flight Lieu- ground to this technical offert, was Schneider Trophy and of Flight unprocedented Lask. The Lieutenant Stanforth when he sot something of a surprise to have tenant. J. N. Boothman's previous an a question rafsed as to whether success in the Schneider Trophy efforts of France and Italy, both up that astounding world's three- Filence, when no less an authority speed triumphs were secured with resources of their Governments m. Mitchell, the chief designer that appellation in night or not. contest at 340 m.ph. Both those of which countries had the full kilometre speed record of 408.8
Than IF
Weeklor,
Mr. works a certainty that has excited univer- behind them, to be roady in time
Fave
against Grent
Britain of Vickers Supermarine, Ltd., con- manager of the Buick Motor Comal admiration, and in both the to
Was a Rolls-Royce deserve the fullest recognition; trived, in the seven short months pany, asserts that really the man power unit
but biore Important
the twelve-cylinder aero engine.
in the event they were not able at his disposal, a machine which than
to be ready in time.
That fact is faster and easier to handle on machine, it is interesting to find It would take a volume to tell alone, perhaps, gives a better the water than his previous model. out why he thinks on
742
41
18
the entire story of how the Vickers It is the skill of the Individual Supermarine Rolls-Royce 36B sen-ure of the magnitude of the And na the 1929 machine was un- workman, and not the
1-sk than any other. Two the bentable by the aircraft designers merdane was developed to that stage uching or tool that he uses, that when it proved itself to be an- leading air Powers in the world and constructors of the entire determines funt how fine any piece beatable. The work that has been ware not able to complete their world, so the 1931 machine has unbeaten. Before St# of handiwork will be, Mr. Weckler one would have to be traced back preparations for the rnes in time. proved believes. He eltes the guild for many years, and its ramificu- Compare the results of the efficiency, its reliability and its spirit, that unde the workshops of tions are countless. Bat some British development. The 1931 speed. the foreign chailonge for
the Schneider race collapsed. uld “London_famous for honest brief account may here be given of engine used by Flight Lieutenant craftsmanship and sturdy quality, the problem which the designers Boothman gives 2,300 b.h.p. at In essentials the Vickers Super-
time-honoured instance. That same spirit la alive to-day and constructors faced, and of the 8,200 r.p.m. and weighs 1,63ah marine SGB remains the same ant Thus nearly 16 hp. are developed the S6 of 1929. It is a low wing, in many industries, for men have means they used to, solve it. not chaliged and pride in the work Previous experience in the de-for every lb. weight. The Increase twin-float monoplane built of steel It carries its of the hands in still to be found sign of high-speed seaplanes. had in power on the 1929 engine is 21 and duralumfn amon them.
shown that, in order to increase per cent., while the Increase in patrol in the floats and its oil in The Suest machinery and tools speed, there were three chief re-weight is only 6 per cent. The the tail fin, while almost the entire will not produce the automobiles, quirements to be fulfilled by the volume of the engine remained the surface of wings and flents is To engine. It must give more power; me so that the output whether occupied by surface radiators for expertly handled. scientifically developed steels and it must be lighter and its frontal regarded on a weight basis or on cooling the engine water..
volume basis is truly pheno-although externally the machine seems much the same, it actually other metals, to expert engineer-aren must be less for ing, the best types of equipment borge-power
embodien many vitally important modifications. and infinitely accurate tools and gines. measuring instruments, there must
unless.
he added the touch of the thorough
of
given
than previants eu-menal.
Seeming Limit,
The Super-Charger. Bluck was due to the special
ол
But
The experience of 1929 prompt-
for
por
mechanic to complete the cycle. For the 1929 Schneider Trophy | supercharger. This draws in aired some interesting changes and When a group of experts has been race the Rolls-Royce Company had on both sides of the rotor, while the introduction of new features. gathered together in any com-developed their "R" engine until the air intake channel is shared The efficiency of the oil system. munity, that community becomes a it seemed to have attained these that the air le compressed and example, was increased by 40
It then its flow retarded by the cent, and hot oil from the engine centre
that could scarcely be limits in these three things.
divergence of the channel before entering the oil radiators was rave more than 1.300 horse-powerit roaches the carburetter. moved to a new selting.
The actually cooled 60 degrees contri- grate before it reached the outlet "Here in Flint there has been it weighed 1,5301b., and its height
energy pre bullt up
and width were 40in. and 30in. reduction in kinetic
duces a gain in pressure energy an immense force
the way back to the power The engine hnd expert Buick
The coolers are located craftsmen. Mr..
tectively. Weckler says, "constituting
It there Rayce patent and is now in un
far aft as the tall unit, and the community in which the guild stroke of Gin, and 6,6in. spirit is very highly
pilot therefore aile in a cockpit of During development to cu. Ins, of nearly 90, an astonish-
the with all much hotter than boiling build Buicks anywhere else. Weing figure, as will be appreciated engine the aim was
The attain-ither side.
water flowing through pipes on could set up our machinery in any when it is remarked that the nor-hour at full power. community, but without the force mal engine given about ment of this objective was fraught
By the The Greatest Difficulty. of trained men we have here, with 37.8 b.p. per 100 cu. ins, and the with many difficulties.
Dissipation of unwanted heat is the experimental backbone of old-time Buick moderately sugercharged engine end of April the workers, we could not build Buicks about 40.5 b.h.p. per 100 cu. inn. engines would usually last about perhaps the greatest difficulty con- RS some 2,000,000 owners know The engine could well claim to 20 minutes before there was some fronting the designer af a racing kind of failure. By the middle aeroplane, The new engine this year necessitated the
evlinders with n bore and This type of air intake Is a Roll the sides of the fuselago as In fact, it would be inveloped fore gave a horse-nower per 100 on many Service aircraft,
its
them.
career."
nero
be the lightest and most compact
When
to run GUL
Bulck cominunity.. has prime mover for its power, inot July they would still do only using of radiator Rurfaces able grown up like a city in itself, with existence. Nothing had previous about half an hour non-stop. But technical training courses, recrea-13 approached near to the figures on the 3rd August a run off to dissipate 40,000 E.T.U.s every
minute. The S63
monoplanes arc, tions and opportunities for self- attained by that 1929 Rolls-Royce minutes was done at 2,350 b...
fact, flying radiators, Not only improvement that makes building racing engine. But to its high and the hour non-stop was finally our automobiles an industrial power output and low weight must accomplished on the 12th at 2,350 is almost every inch of the wing When b.h.p. added its reliability.
surfaces, above and below, given ba
One of the new features in the over to water cooling: the upper ticking over this engine ran as smoothly and as well as a normal engins was the connecting rod and sides of the big seaplane foats are 4low duty
duty engine, and in the 1929 crankshaft and crankcase were covered entirely with a double
Some idea!
idea radiator
of the usual instead of race none of the British machines considerably modified.
A further improve. xperienced Any mechanical of the magnitude of the crank- shell plating,
It will be re-chamber stresses may be gained ment, though strictly it was an trouble whatever. called that in 1929 the average centre main bearing dua to cen-
from the fact that the load on the engine and not an airframe Im-
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TELEPHONE 30228.
33, WONGNEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY, "
MOTORS. PRODUCT OF GENERAL
217 miles was 328.63 miles All hour, a record which was set up by. the lute Flight Lieutenant H. R. D. Waghorn.
The 1929 Record.
separator
akin
speed for the entire course of over irifugal and inertia forces was ovement, was the use of a steam tank designed to prevent nine tona.
loss of water from the radiator The test apparatus for this system, only steam being development was in itself some-ted to escape Into the thing of an achievement. Several The half-ton load of fuel in high-powered aero engines were carried in tanks located in the Flight Lieutenant Alcherley, used to maintain an air blast to floats, from which the fuel! with the same engine, set up a new simulate conditions of flight and pumped to a small pressure tank world's apced record for the 100 nothing was left undone to ensure in the fuselage. On steeply bank. sed turns, when the increased cen- kilometres concurrently with the that the ground tests were
they could
be, trifugal loading may amount to race. The figure he obtained waste
was left to chance and five or six times gravity, the fuel 331.75 m.p.h. After the race, fol-
of Parts" list was drawn pumps, which are engine driven, lowing a plan similar to that which parts were discarded after cease to, operate, and the engine
has been followed this year, up and
runs during the turn
on the fuel Squadron Peader Orlebar, again they had comleted their allotted with the same engine, established span whether they had failed or stored in the pressure tank.
or Bot. woar
"torque" The enormOUS engine a world's record for the three kile-shown signs of
the part of metres with an average speed of There is hardly a 367.7 m.p.h.
engine that has not received sufficient at full throttle to transfer a weight of 500lb. from special design attention, and the starboard to the port float. It was the engine that had almost every component has been This is balanced by uneven distri ulready accomplished these feats improved in some way or other. bution of the fuel between the two that was used as the nucleus of
The
aro
B
the 1931 Rolla-Buyco racing And the proof of the engines was floats, much more being carried in engine. It seemed in 1929 as if in the flying. No more completo the starboard than in the port
For feat.
The floats themselves, as the last ounce of power had been proof could be imagined. wrung from that engine; but if the when Flight Lieutenant Booth- Schneider Trophy was to be won man's engine was dismantled and result of the extensive research again in 1931 more power had to absolutely
examined it was found to be in and development work undertaken
condition.
Vickers perfect
Supermarine, by
the be obtained somehow. Work was There were no broken parts and markedly more efficient on therefore begun on raising the from the condition of the bearings water and in the air than earlier power of the 1929 engine and it is clear that the engine might types. Each flont is about the modifying it so as to cuable higher| speeds to be reached.
have been straightway assembled same length ns the fuselage, or again and set to perform the same longer than in the 1929 machines, The engine was gone over with task all over again.
and they show improved stability the aim of reducing weight
The culmination of the British on the water, combined with a re- wherever possible. Every nut and
duction of air resistance in flight. effort is still fresh in mind. bolt was scrutinised to see If Blight saving might not be effected. machines were ready, and they Their design is mainly responsible for the better take-off qualities of Cole proved faster than the machines of for The work was extremely costly and 1929. In the race Itself, in the the 1831 racers. interesting
One of the most extremely dificult,
same 100 kilometres world's record, and time that the waight was being the 8 kilometres world's record features in the new machines is the static balances on the control.
to eliminate are squeezed out of the engine.
of Flight Lieutenant Boothman was run on the test bench until himself, "behaved perfectly." all risk of Home weakness became apparent,
most serious of the troubles to Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth's which highspeed aircraft may be. and then Sir Henry Royce, in con- Bultation with Mr. A. J. Rowledge, record was made with an engine would decide upon the modifica- still further developed and giving tiona necessary; they would be some hundreds of horse-power incorporated, and further tent more than the rating onginc. runs would take place,
15.
At the same
in
One
reduced more and more power was the British machines, in the wordsurfaces. Thor" one of the
Against Time.
Control
Was
also-
"Is"
to the elevator and
by the fitting of These consisted of small The affect of that power increase metal strips fitted to the trailing is apparent
ent in the figures. The edges, and they allowed the trim
fastest run
was 416.2 m.ph, of the aircraft to be accurately A dato had been fixed for the truly astonishing figure, and the adjusted, so that no strain falls Schneider Trophy race, and it was average of 408.8 is such that the upon the pilot during flight. essential to have the engines ready more statement of the figure is
Comparisons.
by that date. Thone who have perhaps the most eloquent tosti- followed mechanical racing! in any mony to the power and trust- Comparative figures for the now of its forms will appreciate the worthiness of the engine that is seaplanes and those built for 1920 magnitude of the task involved. possible.
revonl a number of Interesting
eller with
No thought could be given to keep- There is nothing to compare points, ing down the expenditure of
with this double speed triumph time or money; an intense concen- which has been accomplished for tration of effort which can have Great Britain by these wonderful Weight (empty). been only those thoho watchod Every
appreciated by
Rolls-ponent
seaplanes. Pilot
and amongst Fuel
Flight Lieutenant Boothman flying them must be included the Pratts Oll round the course with such perfect special. Ethyl, which was the fuel
1931. 1929,
lb. lb.
4,500 4,080
100 180 1,125
.960. 180 100
regularity on the day of the race used for both victories, performed Weight (fully loaded) 5,998 - 5,280 -was demanded;"
its duty and aided in what must
(Continued on Page 8.)-