Aircraft : $b its development in war and peace and its commercial futureDavid, Evan John
History
Aircraft : $b its development in war and peace and its commercial future
David, Evan John
Aeronautics; Airplanes
The two-passenger models are similar in design to the army
training-machines. They have more powerful upright and V-type four or
eight cylinder motors and generate two to three hundred horse-power.
The fuselage is built so that the pilot sits in front of or beside
the passenger. The control is dual. The machines are mostly tractors,
but in a few cases the nacelle is built in front of the plane like a
bomber, and the propeller and engine are behind. These pusher types
obviate all the blind angles and afford an excellent unobstructed
range of vision. They are especially good for hunters, who desire
no obstruction in gunning for birds. In case of a crash, however,
there is the added danger of having the motor crush the passengers
underneath. The Canadian Government has sold over ten thousand of their
training-machines to an American company, which is reselling them at a
low price to men who wish to own an aeroplane.
The aero-mail type is about the same as the two-passenger model in
wing spread and fuselage, but the motor is a twelve-cylinder V type
and generates anywhere from 250 to 450 horse-power. Cost is not so
much a consideration here as carrying capacity. Most of the two-seated
fighting-machines built for war purposes can be adapted by the
Post-Office Department for this purpose, and plans are afoot to extend
the service all over the United States.
The big bombing bus type is designed for carrying great numbers of
people from one aerodrome to another. These machines are biplanes
and triplanes with a wing spread of anywhere from 48 to 150 feet.
They are driven by V-type, twelve-cylinder engines generating 400
to 700 horse-power. They have one or two fuselages in the centre
but the nacelles are usually forward of the wings, so that nothing
obstructs the vision of the passengers. These machines will be sold to
transportation companies, which will make a business of carrying people
from aerodrome to aerodrome. They are so large and are equipped with so
many motors that they are not intended to be landed anywhere except on
properly prescribed flying-fields. Several transportation companies are
already organized for that purpose.
All the above types of aircraft are so designed that pontoons or
flying-boats can be substituted for wheels and landing-gear, and so
that most aircraft manufacturers can make both. Of course, in most
cases the boats and the motors are made by different manufacturers.
Several companies, however, construct aeroplanes complete with motors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account