Flight 1939-01
Flight
“In the air the Blenheim looks quite different. It is slim and lean and purposeful.”
"What! Will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?" (Macbeth) - Some of the Blenheims of No. 90.
An aerial impression of some of the Blenheims of No. 90 (B Squadron in formation.
Decorative effect - three Blenheims seen through the bomb aimer's window of a fourth.
A life on the rolling sward - pilots of No. 90 demonstrate the “launching” of the automatically inflated dinghy carried in each Blenheim. A static line starts inflation by CO2 as the dinghy is thrown overboard. Blenheims have sealed fuselages and wings, so can remain afloat for a considerable time in the event of a "ditching".
HOUNDS AND HURRICANES: The Puckeridge met last week at the Royal Air Force Station, Debden, Essex. Debden is the home of Nos. 29, 85 and 87 Fighter Squadrons.
Although of reasonably small dimensions, the Harvard has commodious cockpits and, indeed, many other characteristics found in larger and faster types.
In side elevation the Harvard could hardly be called beautiful, but it has an air of usefulness which becomes a training aircraft of this type.
TRAINER FROM THE STATES: A general arrangement drawing of the Harvard, the first of which has been delivered to the R.A.F.
Practical experiments; the Mayo composite. During 1938 Mercury made a number of outstanding flights after taking off with the help of Maia
UNIFORMITY: Not only has the Egyptian Air Force adopted British aircraft types (including the Westland Lysander as seen in the picture) but a similar design of uniform. Officers are seen being inspected by Ali Islam Pasha, in command of Egyptian military aviation.
The invention which has made the F.C.1 possible. Diagrammatic representation of the Fairey auxiliary aerofoil, which can be used both for take-off and landing, according to its position. The rear links are partly housed in fairings on top of the main wing.
The absence of a nose gun turret is noticeable in the view, which also shows the characteristic method of fairing the wing to the fuselage.
The view emphasises the fact that the old B.M.W. VI does not lend itself to good cowling lines. Note the squadron marking.
Two other Do. 17s, in echelon, seen from the gun position above the wing.
The gun above the wing - a standard German type of observer’s machine gun. It has a limited arc of fire; the Germans do not favour powered turrets.
A camouflaged companion seen through the nose window.
DESIGNED BY CASTOLDI. The Italian Macchi C.200 single-seater fighter (840 h.p. two-row Fiat A.74 RC) which does rather more than 310 m.p.h. It will be seen that great efforts have been made to give the pilot a good view. The helmets on the cowling are unusual.
Another modern Italian type demonstrated was the Macchi C.200 single-seater fighter. With an 840 h.p. two-row Fiat A.74 RC the top speed is in the region of 315 m.p.h.
R.A.F.V.R.: Lt. Col. (Hon. Wing. Cdr.) G. N. Buckland (right) in charge of No. 34 elementary flying school of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, newly opened at Southend and operated by Air Hire, Ltd. With him is Flt. Lt. L. P. Rowley, the chief instructor. The aircraft is a Hind Trainer.
The close-up view shows how the wings can be folded with bombs in place. The engine is a Bristol Pegasus IX (785 h.p. max. at 6,500ft.) which drives a wooden airscrew with detachable blades.
A Blackburn Shark III floatplane as adopted by the Royal Canadian Air Force for general-purpose work.
Mr. Lankester Parker, who tests the Sunderlands before delivery, surveys casting-off operations.
This view of the Sunderland I shows to advantage the shape of the planing bottom with the “knife edge ” rear step.
The tale of a Sunderland.
The design of the pilot's enclosure on the Sunderland is generally similar to that on the Empire boat. The layout of controls is likewise similar, though items of equipment impart a military - or perhaps naval - air.
An impressive view taken from the rear gangway showing how the hull is divided into two decks. The formation of the structure is also in evidence.
INTENDED for long-distance reconnaissance, patrol and bombing operations, the Sunderland I (four Bristol Pegasus XXII, giving 1,010 h.p. for take-off) is already extensively used by squadrons of the Royal Air Force. This special Flight drawing - prepared with the co-operation of the Air Ministry and Short Bros., the manufacturers - gives an indication of its size and comprehensive service equipment.
UTILITY RATHER THAN BEAUTY sums up this Avro Anson, which has suffered in appearance by reason of its dark camouflage. It is one of those used at Desford for training direct-entry observers. There is not a tea-party in progress in the cabin - merely a navigational lesson.
Training of direct-entry air observers at the Desford school. Left to right: Sqn. Ldr. G. H. Reid (managing director of Reid and Sigrist, who operate the school) with Air Comdre. Sydney Smith, A.O.C. No. 26 (Training) Group, and Mr. George Lowdell (chief instructor);
A pupil is seen at work with map and C.D.C. <...> Ansons;
JACK AND THE SWORDFISH: The Navy gets to work on a Fairey Swordfish torpedo spotter reconnaissance machine at Eastleigh, where units are stationed prior to embarkation in H.M.S. Ark Royal, Great Britain’s newest aircraft carrier.
Sqn. Ldr. J. Addams, who is performing acceptance tests of the Lockheed 14s for the Royal Air Force at the Burbank, California, factory, with Mr. C. L. Johnson (the company’s chief engineer) and the first of the machines to be passed off test. Notable differences from the civil Lockheed 14 are the bomb aiming windows in the nose, windows in the roof of the pilot’s compartment and the large turret aft. The camouflage suggests that although the machine is designated a G.R. type its activities will not be confined to over-water flying. Other points of interest include slinger rings on the airscrew hubs and guides for the Fowler flaps
THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE: The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who is one of the C.A.G. Commissioners, takes delivery of his new two-seater Tipsy at Hanworth.
MAIL SPECIAL: One of the two Imperial F-class machines, the D.H. Falcon, at Alexandria after a fast flight from Croydon with Christmas mails. Each of the two Albatross machines which made the journey averaged just short of 219 m.p.h., while consuming only 78 gallons of fuel an hour (2.8 m.p.g.). Both Falcon and Frobisher weighed 13 tons at their take-off.
The D.H. 95, or Flamingo, treads the Hatfield snows.
FOURTH FLIGHT. The opinions of D.H.’s chief test pilot, Mr. G. de Havilland, Jr., on the Flamingo’s flying qualities may be guessed from the fact that this flying view was taken on the machine’s fourth test flight.
FLAMINGO FLEDGED: Seen here on one of its early test-flights, the De Havilland Flamingo presents a picture of beauty that belies its somewhat ungraceful name.
Odd zoology: One of the Flamingo’s legs and some of its gills. The engines are Bristol Perseus XII C sleeve-valves of 850 h.p. each.
The Flamingo - which seats up to 20 passengers - is an attractive breakaway from the erstwhile “modern formula.”
A British light single-seater rotary-wing machine - the Kay gyroplane.
REFUELLING EXPERIMENT: For some time experiments have been going on at Ford aerodrome under Sir Alan Cobham's direction. In this photograph the Short Cambria is being refuelled by the A.W.23 used for the work.
Refuelling will be the important feature of this year's Atlantic experiments as far as this country is concerned. Cambria is shown above taking on fuel (or pretending to, for the benefit of the photographer) from the A.W.XXIII, which has been used for experiments at Ford aerodrome.
The sole AW23, K3585, makes a refuelling contact with Short S.23 G-ADUV Cambria.
CAMBRIA, at Southampton, provides a frame for the Canadian Pacific liner Montcalm
A close-up of <...>ng hatch in the tail of the machine.
OVERWEATHER: A glimpse from the cabin of a Messerschmitt Taifun flying over the Orgaos mountains near Rio de Janeiro.
During 1938 D.L.H. made twenty-eight experimental crossings of the North Atlantic, using Blohm and Voss Ha.139 diesel-engined float planes. One of them is shown here in the act of leaving the catapult track of one of the supply ships.
The Do.26 is being taken aboard.
FORCEFUL ASSISTANCE: The new Dornier Do. 26 leaving the D.L.H. Atlantic supply ship Friesenland. At the moment the machine was loaded up to an all-up weight of 19,000 k.g. (42,000lb.).
ENTER THE STRATOLINER: A first view of the Boeing 307-s high-altitude transport which rejoices in the registered trade name of Stratoliner. The cabin will be equipped to maintain a pressure differential of 2 1/2 lb., and the machine will normally cruise at 16,000ft. with 33 passengers. The first three Stratoliners will probably be delivered to Pan-American Airways, and one example may be developed for transatlantic work. Transcontinental and Western Air are interested in the machine. The engines are Wright Cyclones driving Curtiss fully feathering electrically variable airscrews.
The plan of the Boeing 314’s control cabin.
America’s contribution: The Boeing 314 boat, which is designed for an all-up weight ol 82,500 lb., in its latest form with redesigned sponsons and triple tail. This is the largest flying boat to be produced since the Dornier Do.X, which had an all-up weight of 113,000 lb. The Boeing is shown here flying on the two starboard engines.
The flight engineers' station, with the various engine instruments and controls.
CENTRAL SKYPORT: A Cessna on the sloping turntable at one of New York’s seaplane bases.
General (and somewhat startling) appearance of the experimental section on the Miles Whitney Straight.
The cabin manometer to which the pitot comb shown in the previous picture is connected.
The experimental section. The side plates are intended to prevent the spilling of the air. The strut behind the trailing edge carries the pitot comb for measuring the profile drag.
Jemima on the slipway. The stabilisers on the tailplane are to counteract the effect of the forward float area.
One-man seamanship: Jemima behaving obediently at the end of her painter.
FLOATPLANE BOMBER: France, for many years, has favoured the floatplane bomber. With a view to replacing the obsolescent types now in service she is testing this Marcel Bloch 480 at Marignane, near Marseilles. The engines are Gnome-Rhone 14N0 two-row radials, very carefully cowled.
An exterior view of one wing, showing the extent of the perforated surface through which the boundary layer is withdrawn.
Bench tests on the exhauster equipment, prior to its installation in the aeroplane.
Corresponding tests of the experimental equipment after installation.
The wing ducts for removing the boundary layer, before the perforated skin has been put on.
FRANCIS CHICHESTER (wearing a beard grown by force of circumstances) with his Moth seaplane during one of his long-distance solo flights.
The problem of "jump starts" or direct lift has been successfully tackled by the designer of the Weir single-seater Autogiro.
The Weir Jump-start autogiro leaps straight off the the ground. It is fitted with a Weir engine of 45 h.p.
When the turret is retracted the A.300 has fine lines.
The retractable turret, showing the "dome" which permits the gunner to keep watch when the body of the turret is retracted.
The installation of the Bristol Mercury IX engines. The well-designed nose may also be studied.
A drum feeds ammunition to the floor gun via a flexible guide.
An interior of the nose, which houses a belt-fed machine gun and the bomb sight. The “visibility” is of an exceptional order.
General arrangement of the Czecho-Slovakian A-300 bomber.