1932-12-09 — Page 6

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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1932.

THE BENNIE RAILPLANE

PROF. W. BROWN'S ADDRESS TO LOCAL

ENGINEERS

GLASGOW ENGINEER'S REMARKABLE INVENTION

An interesting lenture entitled the Bannie Ralipiano, was given yesterday evening by Professor W. Brown, M.A., B.80., F.R.S.E., A.M.LE.E., at the Instintion of Engineers and Shipbuild. ors of Hong Kong.

.

In the course of the lecture professor Brown showed some vary interesting lantern glides illustrating the various possibilities of the Bennie Raliplane, and its economical advantages.

Most of the Papers read before comfort, and an average speed this Institution of Engineers and; about double that of the fost train. ! Shipbuilders are atributed by

men who are chgaged in the prac tice of one or other of the many branches of engineering. Their au- thors, naturally and rightly, find their homes in their own daily life. The records they compile, the problem they discuss, the views they bring forward, the suggestions they have to offer, arise from their is precisely the eloso relationship own every-day experience. And it with professional practice t makes auch papers of vital interest, and gives weight to the opinions expressed in them.

t

Speed with Safety,

BOARD OF EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS

دم

The 87th mocting of the Board of Education was, hold on Wednesday, December 7, at 3 o'clock. Mombers present were:--Director of Educa tion, Mr. G. P. de Martin, M.A., Chairman, Senior Inspector of Eng- lish Schools, Mr. A. R. Sutherland, Md., Senior Inspector of Verna cular Schools, Mr. Y. P. Law, B.A., Chov. J. M. Alvee, Mr. A. el Arculli, Rev. Fr. Byrne, S.I., Ph.D., Capt. P. S. Cannon, M.A., A.E.C., Mr. H. B. L Dowbiggin, O.BE Sir William Hornell, OLE, M.A., Hon. Mr. S. W. TRO, D.D.E, LL.D., Rov. F. Short, Very Rov. A. Swann, M.A., D.9.0., .Mr. H. K. Woo, LL.B.

::

The Chairman informed the Board that the Principal of the new Junior Technical School was expected to arrive on December 15.

The reports of the Medient Officers of Schools for September

To indicate in the fewest words the character of the Bannie Rail plane, we might call it an attempt to combine the speed of the scre plane with the safety of the train. October worn laid upon the Hence the name rail-plane. The table and the Chairman explained new carrier is like an aeroplane the action that had been taken with that cannot fall, at any speed or reference to some of the point! and in appearance resembles rather that the Hong Kong University at on speed; though it has no wings, raised by the Medical Officers.

The Chairman informed the Board a small airship.

would hold a Senior Local Examina tion in November, 1933, for the last time and in June, 1933, the School Leaving Certifiento Examination fur

The idea of the railplane ori ginated in the fertile brain of Mr. George Beanie, a well-known Glas. gow engineer, who has several other inventions already to his credit. In

The paper, or lecture, which I have the honour to submit to you Abia evening is rather an excep- northern suburb of Glasgow, Mr. tion to the general rule. For my Bennie has had a full-scale démon- eelf, I am not now engaged in, nor stration rail-plane track erected have I any close connection with, over a short length of disused rail. practical engineering, and my subway siding, and in his city office ject, the Bonnie Railplane, has he has a wonderful working model hardly rot reached the stage of in which all the operations are con- established practice. This novel strolled electrically from a switch- method of rapid transportation is board. just emerging from the stage of invention and experiment, and the interest of it lies not in the pro- scht or the past for it has no past and very little of a present, but in its potentialities for the future.

Varled Interesta.

Description of Car,

The full-scale car has accommo- dation for twenty passengers but with ordinary seating instead of arm-chairs it could take in double that number.

The body is largely of duralu- min, an alloy of aluminium which, with virtually the same strength as mild steel, but only-one-third of its weight, has come into general us in recent years in the construc- tion of neroplanes and airships.

With motors and all equipment the car weighs only about four tons, and thus it has a carrying capacity about equal to its unload

All modern railway work involves civil, mechanical, and electrical en- gineering, The proposed Bennie Railplane includes all these, and adds anime aeronautical interest, as it was air propellers as its means of propulsion. I hope then that what I have to say, and the lantern. pictures I have to show, may prove of general interest to the considered weight. Constrast this with an able variety of engineers in this ordinary railway-train, where all audience. I have the initial ad- the passengers and their baggage vantage over most of you, per may weight only six or sevca per haps over all of you,-of having cent of the empty coaches. met the inventor, Mr. George Bot. nie, (during my repeated visits to Glasgow in 1931), of having dis cused the railplane with him, of having seen the splendid working model in his city Office, and in spected the full-scale demonstration lino in running order.

Exactly bight months ago this evening, I gave an informal talk on the railplane to the engineering students at the University. I sent a newspaper report of it Mr. Bennie, and a covering letter in which I mentioned the possibility that I might, towards the end of the year, be asked to give a similar lecture to this Institution. With

Overhead Track,

01

the first time.

The Board agreed that the offer of the University to hold the Leav ing Certificate Examination in 1933 be accepted had that the change in the school year be postponed till

1031.

The Chairman axpressed his thanks to the Vice-Chancellor and the officers of the University who

and devoted much time and trouble to the consideration of the School Leaving Certificate Examination.

4

per hour claimed for normal run- ning conditions may be readily ac cepted, as it is based on the very accurate knowledge of air-resistance and propeller performance obtained from aeroplane experience and ro Board. Aero-dynamics has now be

como almost an exact science.

Wherever electrical energy, either DC or A.C is readily available at cheap rates, the Bennie Bail plane would naturally make use of it; but in the absence of such, high- speed internal-combustion engines of the "nero" type could be used once in weight, or efficiency. instead, with no important differ

Such a car ne is here used, of light weight, and suspended from an over-hend rail, would be, liable The car is suspended from ELM

to sway a good deal, especially in a strong wind. It would also swing over-head monorail supported treaties. The track-wheels are of out through a big angle when special design, running with the rounding a carve at high speed. minimum of resistance on roller-These tendencies are however con- bearings, and embodying a novel trolled by horizontal wheels, attach- idea of Mr. Bennie's to eliminated to the underside of the car. noise, a solid ring of rubber in which cone into contact with a side the tyre. The same device has guide rail.

(Continual on' Page 1.) been successfully tried-out on some of the underground railways in London, though thus for only on trailing wheels, and not on driv-. ing-wheels which have to transmit torque.

The track-wheels of the railplane have no function but to support the

a view to this, I asked him to sead | car, and run quietly and smoothly. me as much technical data as he They are used for neither driving could, facts and figures of all sorts nor braking. In the case of the relative to materiala, dimensions, railway locomotive, the pull it can weight, costs, powers, records of give to the train is proportional to performance and efficiency; any the weight pressing the driving- thing and everything that might wheels against the rails. The trac- enable me to offer an 'interesting | tive effort can be augumented tem- and instructive paper to an au- porarily, but using sond to increase dience of technical men, and to the coefficient of friction, and it answer intelligent questions in may be reduced almost to zero if satisfactory manner. Mr. Bennio from any cause the rail becomes acknowledged my letter, and pro- slippery. But in the Bennie rail- mised, to write later with regard plane the condition of the rail to the points I had raised. Thus makes no difference to the running; far, however, no fresh information and adhesive weight is of no value, has reached me, and in submitting as the car is driven, not through what follows I am largely depen dent on my recollections of what I heard and saw in Glasgow over fifteen months ago. I trust how ever that the interest of novelty may compensate for any docien- cles that may be observed as re gards technical details.

Evolation of Transport,

|

the track-wheels, but by means of air-sorowa,

The Demonstration Line.

This mode of propulsion has some striking advantages. Starting up is very smooth; the absence of all jerking is decidedly attractive. Also, the reversal of the propellers, which can be done easily and al- most instantaneously, mankes, a very gentle but effectite brake, Brake shoes, acting not on the wheels bur The ceaseless demand for improv

on the track rail, and on an in- ed transport, with greater speed verted rail on the under-side of the safety, comfort, and economy, has track-girder, provide more vigorous directed the evolution of railway and positive braking. These fric trains, automobiles, steam-and-tion brakes can be operated by motor-ships, airships and aero-hand and also by power, and the planes, to their present remarkable electrical application of them can stages of development. Fach of be made automatic, controlled by these means of travel has its own the signals along the track. special advantages and limitations, and each is a compromise. Where speed is the prime consideration, The demonstration line in Glas the templane is an easy first. It gov takes its power from the ad has the further merit that no track jacent tramway system; which need be constructed for it, and in operates on direct current at 500 this respect it resembles the ship volts. The air-setowa, one at each that ploughs the pathicas ocean. But end of the car, are under the series. though improvements are continual parallel control usual on tramways. ly being devised, it cannot yet be

Each motor has a 'normal rating said that the aeroplane je by any of horse-power, but is capable means free from danger, and there of a very large-overload over short are atill many travellers who, with perioda. The usual-propeller speed ample opportunities, are unwilling 18 Bount 1,800 revolutions por to trust themselves to the thrills of minute, and this should give the fying.

car a linear speed on the level of about 120 miles an hour. The de- Long-distance trains in highly demonstration line is only a very voloped countries provide luxurious short one, and it is impracticable accommodation, with an average to get up, any high speed, in fact spred of approximately sixty milsanok mate, thin, 20 op 20-milos-an- per hour, while the passenger-plane hour. But the figure of 190 miles of to-day can give quite remarkable (Continued on neft column.).

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