Portholes in an Airplane Hull 



The engines are carried separately and 

 the pilot occupies the fuselage alone 



A Real Aero-Cruiser with an Enclosed Cabin to Shelter the Crew 



This new Morane-Saulnier biplane carries two machine- 

 guns and three passengers. Note that the engines are 

 carried not in fuselage or body, as usual, but are in- 



dependent of it. The fuselage itself is provided with 

 portholes to admit light and to permit observation. 

 The two funnels are used for taking photographs 



EARLY in the war high-powered, 

 weight-carrying airplanes appeared 

 which were driven by two engines. 

 But the engines were not housed in the 

 fuselage or body in which the pilot sits, 

 but were actually separated from it. 

 The system has since been improved, as 

 the accompanying photograph shows. 



As soon as the engines are taken out of 

 the central fuselage or body, new pos- 

 sibilities begin to appear. The designer 

 has full liberty to shape his fuselage as 

 he pleases. Since it no longer need house 

 machinery, it becomc-s a regular ship's 

 cabin with portholes. 



In the accompanying photograph of the 

 three-seated French two-engine biplane 

 which has been designed by Morane- 

 Saulnier works, the last stage in this de- 

 velopment is presented. The plane itself 

 is of rather average size, and yet it is 

 driven by two light but high-powered 

 rotary engines. It must be a speedy ma- 

 chine because of its sheer power and 

 lightness. When the engines are taken 

 out of the central fuselage and mounted 

 between the planes at either side of that 



fuselage, there is always a saving in 

 structural weight. In the interest of high 

 speed, the fuselage is made deep enough 

 to enclose the three passengers completely 

 so that they are well sheltered from the 

 icy blast that accompanies fast flying at 

 high altitudes. 



But how are the men to see? Ob- 

 viously by portholes. And so we find 

 that the walls of the fuselage are pierced 

 with some fourteen portholes covered with 

 artificial mica (cellon). 



Two of these portholes are set in curious 

 short funnels projecting from either side. 

 Obviously they are intended to give a 

 lateral view. But the funnels, useless to 

 an observer, serve to house a long-focus 

 camera and to protect it from the wind. 

 Thus it becomes possible to take photo- 

 graphs in any direction. 



Most of the portholes are used to throw 

 light into the fuselage; only the upper 

 ones are needed for observation. 



Of course such machines as these could 

 not be used for fighting purposes as 

 they are too unwieldy and too slow of 

 handling. 



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