1937-05-22 — Page 8

KUUN

Mechanical (BRITISH MJED Difficulties AIR LINER OG

Of The Helicopter

SECRETS 210

Modern skill and technique in the construction of all-metal' "stressed- skin" aeroplanes is shown in the new "Bristol 143" commercial monoplane, details of which are now revealed.

Production of this machine is over- Scientists of the National Physical shadowed by military urgencies, but it Laboratory have recently attempted to indicates the advanced state of British compare the performances of an aero-all-metal technique, and is probably the plané and wo rotating-wing aircraft- an autogiro, in which the lifting rotors forerunner of Bristol civil craft of high

performance. turn 'in flight under the influence of the air forces acting on them, and a heli- copter, equipped with power-driven

rotors.

The laboratory's report states that if the great mechanical difficulties in the way of making an efficient helicopter could be overcome without involving structural weight greatly in excess of that of the other two types of aircraft then the helicopter should be able to climb as rapidly as the seroplane and considerably faster than the autogiro.

Low Landing Speeds

"In top speed," adds the report, "the aeroplane has a decided advantage over both the other types, which are about equal in speed.

"At low speeds the helicopter alone can descend vertically, but it has rather a high rate of descent; the autogiro comes next as regards low landing speed, but is not strikingly better than an aeroplane can be made by use of modern flap devices.""

Type 143, which is equipped with two 500 h.p. "Aquila" sleeve-valved engines, is designed to carry a crew of two and passengers, ・・ or, alternatively, eight freight. or mail, at a cruising speed of 200 m.p.h. for distances of more than 1,000 miles non-stop.

Low-wing Monoplane

It is a low-wing monoplane with re- tractable undercarriage, and is a fine. example of streamlining and the elimin- ation of excrescences that might add to head-resistance.

.

are

Body, wings, tailplane and fin built entirely in metal with coverings of light metal alloy. The fuselage is a shell, without internal bracing struts or wires.

Fuel is carried in two tanks in the centre section of the wings, each of 102 Oil is contained in gallons capacity. two tanks in the leading edge of the central section of the wing, and is cooled by passage through the tubes of a skin-type radiator which does not add

This statement explains the relatively small present interest among aircraft to head resistance. constructors in rotating-wing aircraft.

The wing-span is 56ft. The ma- Recent advances in the wing-struc- chine, fully loaded, weighs approxim- ture of fixed-wing aircraft, in particular ately 9,000lb. the improvement of flaps and other lift

devices, enable the designer to plan HOW R.A.F. DEALS

aeroplanes slowly.

that land comparatively

Take-off, already facilitated by these devices, has the added help in many modern aeroplanes of a controllable- pitch airscrew which enables maximum useful power to be taken from engine.

NEW ALLOYS FOR AIRCRAFT

Improvement On Aluminium

the

British scientists in the Metallurgy

aircraft.

WITH TRIBES

BLOODLESS RAIDS ON ARABS WARNING BEFORE

BOMBING

Incidents reported from the Aden

a

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 22, 1937.

CAJATE LIT:

Looking forward to a pleasant swim, this sun-maid wears the latest in knitted wool beach and swim suits, a wide pantlette mo- del with tailored effect brought about by the perpendicular seams. Contrasting roped bow and belt (with Ivory buckle) give the smart touch to finish off the costume.

Oliver Hardy, partner in the film The Australian Federal Labour Ex- ecutive is likely to favour reinstate-comedy team of Laurel and Hardy, has ment of 21 political and Industrial filed a divorce petition on the grounds leaders expelled from the New South of his wife's "mental cruelty. Wales Labour movement by the Lan- gites.

A motion, supported by Lord Pon- sonby, "that true national defence can

bate.

Protectorate have again demonstrated Five German monks, all lay brothers, only be effectively secured by indivi- the efficiency and mercy of the control} employed in a hospital at Bonn, have dual refusal to bear arms and by com- exercised by the British R.A.F. over been sentenced to terms of imprison-plete disarmament" was passed by 94 large regions of southern Arabia.

The Ahl Haidara Mansur, a trouble-ment ranging from 10 months to three votes to 90 at a Cambridge Union de- Department of the National Physical some section who for many years had years, on charges of immorality.

Twenty-six persons have been sen- Laboratory at Teddington have develop-been disloyal to their overlord, the ed two important new series of light Fadhli Sultan, recently attacked

A fast liner of 20,000 tons for the tenced at Bratislava, in Czechoslovakia, Dutch to a total of 170 years' imprisonment alloys of magnesium, which will be of caravan outside Aden. The political run between Holland and the great importance in the production of authorities decided that the raid, affect East Indies is to be built for the for espionage according to the Brno

newspaper Lidove Noviny. The discovery is announced in the ing the integrity of the main trade Netherlands Steamship Company.

the annual report of the Laboratory, pub-route, called for help to assert

power of the Fadhli Sultan. lished by the Stationery Office.

The sheikh of the Ahl Haidara Man- Magnesium alloys are lighter than sur was ordered to meet a Political those of aluminium, but hitherto have Officer and the Sultan at an appointed lacked their strength. This has been place, but the command was ignored.- the main obstacle to their greater use. An ultimatum was sent to him by The report states that one of the messengers, and copies dropped on his new series of alloys containing magne- village from the air, ordering him to sium, with small amounts of alumin-

pay a fine in cash and rifles, and to re- ium, silver and other metals, has great-turn three times the value of the loot- ly increased strength at ordinary tem-ed property. peratures, and is considerably lighter No sign of an attempt to pay was than good aluminium alloys. The received on the appointed day, and 48- second series, containing ceriuma hour bombing warnings were dropped rare metallic element and small pro- from the air, while a squadron in portions of other metals, retain their formation demonstrated overhead. strength at high temperatures better Later that day the Political Officer than the light alloys previously in use. received information that the offenders

Eliminating Noise

were making a genuine effort to pro- Children would be fascinated by some duce the fine, and they were told that of the devices used in the Physics if they produced the rifles by noon Department for investigating noise next day they would be given an ex- problems. One of these is a tiny wind- tension of time to raise the money. mill, each sail of which is tipped with a They failed to comply with the letter "boot." As the sail revolves the of this concession, but on the following "boots" deliver a succession of blows evening, before bombing was due to on a floor, The noise represents that begin, about 50 Mansuris brought in a of a person walking in an upstairs fat. part of the fine,

By substituting for the ordinary floor

Finally, after a great deal of hag- an insulated floor resting on rubbergling, the Haidara Mansur handed over supports it was found that the sound of rifles, camels and cash as the first in- footsteps could be almost eliminated. stalment of the fine.

One of the most highly sensitive în-

Bloodless Bombing

year is

struments made by the laboratory this A Royal Engineer officer, who had a microphone-amplifier equip beer engaged in surveying the course ment, with which it is possible to de- of a proposed motor road from Mokalla tect the presence of destructive insects to the Hadhrdamont Valley, was fred in timber.

at by Bedouins: The driver and an It has even been found possible, to Arah sitting beside him was wounded, distinguish between different kinds of and the car was damaged. After insects or larvae, by noting the differ- parley and payment of a bribe the party ences in the sounds made by them, was allowed to proceed. though the insects may be far below the surface of the timber.

a

Aden headquarters promptly ordered the offending tribesmen to appear be- fore their Sultan and a Political Officer, Capt. Rossi, the French airman, set by whom they were fined. up a new world's flying record for 5,000 kilometres — 3,107 miles covering the distance in 16 hours minutes at an official average speed 311.184 kilometres 194 miles hour

The culprits failed to pay, the uapal by bombing notice was ignored, and air. 4action was taken. The operations had of lasted four days when information an reached headquarters that the Ane was being collected. No one was hurt.

42 DAYS

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