8o 



NATURE 



[Marck 17, 1910 



Profiting by past experience in metal propellers and their 

 ■dangers, most of the propellers shown are constructed of 

 wood, built up so as to secure the grain everywhere 

 running straight from tip to tip. A few makers are 

 bracing the lattice girder forming the main frame in the 

 monoplane type with wood in preference to piano wire, 

 -although the use of the latter for bracing is still general. 

 In several cases piano wire has been abandoned for bracing 

 the wings, the preferable material for this purpose being 

 light stranded wire rope and flat steel ribbon. 



The engines are generally of the fixed cylinder type, 

 •although a few rotary engines may be observed. Water- 

 •cooling is more usual than air-cooling. In biplanes the 

 engine and propeller are usually situated behind the pilot ; 

 in monoplanes these are generally in front of the seat, 

 although in the case of the Petre monoplane the propeller 

 is at the extreme rear of the machine, and is driven by 

 a tubular shaft from the engine which is placed behind 

 the pilot ; but few makers warp or alter the inclination 

 of the main wings for steering or for stability ; in most 

 cases ailerons are fitted to biplanes, and in the monoplane 

 t}*pe the tails are made movable for vertical and hori- 

 zontal control. Practically all wings are double surfaced. 

 More firms are paying attention to the matter of reducing 

 the number of levers required for control. For example, 

 in the Humber machines all control is effected by a single 

 steering wheel mounted on a pillar which can swing, and 

 the steering-wheel spindle is capable of axial as well as 

 rotary motion in the pillar. These movements in- 

 dependently operate all the control ; there are no foot or 

 hand levers. 



It is exceedingly gratifying to notice the large number 

 of British-built aeroplanes ; some sixteen of the total 

 machines on show have been built entirely in this country ; 

 of the engines shown separately, by far the greater number 

 are British-built. There is no doubt that a great awaken- 

 ing to the possibilities has taken place among our 

 engineers, and that no efforts have been spared during the 

 past autumn and winter to develop the manufacture of 

 flying machines. Many of these British machines have 

 been tested, and when we possess, as no doubt we shall 

 ■before the coming summer is over, a reasonable number of 

 British pilots having experience with the machines, we 

 shall be able to regard this country as no longer behind 

 in this important industry. The limitations of space forbid 

 us noticing particularly any but a very few of the machines 

 in the exhibition. 



Of machines shown by members of the Royal Aero 

 Club, one of the most interesting is a Short Wright 

 "biplane, the first of its kind built in England, and belong- 

 ing to the Hon. C. S. Rolls. This machine has flown 

 about 100 miles, and has won many prizes. In general 

 design it closely resembles the machines used by the Wright 

 Brothers. There are twin screws, chain driven ; the 

 dimensions are 40 feet by 28 feet by 8 feet. Another Short 

 "biplane is shown belonging to Mr. J. T. C. Moore- 

 Brabazon. This machine measures 45 feet in breadth, 

 28 feet in length, and %\ feet in height. The weight of 

 machine complete, with aviator and in flying order, is 

 i.Soo lb. ; the actual lifting surface is 450 square feet. 

 The machine is fitted with Short's patent front elevators 

 and balancing planes, and has their system of trussed 

 girder skids. Twin propellers are fitted running in the 

 same direction ; this is the first time this principle has 

 "been adopted, and has proved to be very successful, k 

 front vertical rudder has been substituted for one in the 

 rear for directional steering. The speed is about 48 miles 

 per hour, and the machine has made a large number of 

 flights, that of March i, 19 10, being of 32 minutes' dura- 

 tion in covering a distance of about 25 miles. This 

 machine won the loooZ. prize (Daily Mail) for the circular 

 mile, all-British made. A monoplane built by Messrs. 

 Holland and Holland, and belonging to Mr. B. Nicolson, 

 Is also shown. 



Messrs. Short Bros, also show a new biplane built for 

 Hie Hon. C. S. Rolls. The engine is a Green four-cylinder, 

 105 mm. by 120 mm. bore, giving 38 horse-power at 

 1200 revolutions per minute. The lifting surface is 270 

 square feet, and the weight complete is 700 lb. In the 

 annexe is a Sommer biplane, also owned by the Hon. 

 "C. S. Rolls. This machine is fitted with a Gnome engine 

 <rotary). Messrs. Humber, of Coventry, show three mono- 

 NO. 2107, VOL. 83] 



planes of their own manufacture. The workmanship and 

 finish of these machines are beyond reproach. Messrs. 

 A. V. Roe and Co. are represented by a triplane of all- 

 British make. This machine is 20 feet long by 20 feet 

 span, and is 9 feet high. The main planes, and also the 

 tail, consist of three planes arranged one over the other, 

 the total supporting surface being 320 square feet. The 

 weight without motor and fittings is 150 lb. All the 

 planes are under control, so that the angle of attack can 

 be adjusted from the steering wheel, and the main planes 

 can be warped. The seats for the pilot and one passenger 

 are behind the main planes, and the engine and propeller 

 in front. Machines of this type have made frequent flights 

 with a motor of 9 horse-power only, and start quickly, 

 often in twenty yards. 



Messrs. Bl^riot have three of their models No. XI. cross- 

 Channel type of monoplane in the exhibition. These 

 machines are fitted with a three-cylinder Anzani motor 

 giving about 25 horse-power ; bore, 105 mm. ; strp'-e, 

 130 mm.; weight in full running trim, 60 kilograms. 'Ihe 

 propeller is made of layers of French walnut, of diameter 

 2-1 metres, and weighs 4I kilograms only; its speed is 

 from 1200 to 1700 revolutions per minute. The monoplane 

 measures about 25^ feet across the wings, and is about 

 26 feet long ; the sustaining surface is about 14 square 

 metres. The total weight of the machine is about 300 

 kilograms, including the pilot and fuel for a two-hours' 

 run. The speed is about 68 kilometres per hour, and the 

 machine can lift and sustain in flight about 22 kilograms 

 per square metre of supporting surface, i.e. about 5 lb. 

 per square foot. 



Messrs. A. Darracq and Co. show the latest type of 

 Farman biplane. The length is 39 feet, span 325 feet, 

 height II feet 4 inches. The supportmg surface is 480 

 square feet, and the weight without engine is 1050 lb. A 

 Chauvifere propeller 85 feet in diameter is placed at the 

 rear of the main planes. The motor on the machine 

 shown is a 50 horse-power Darracq four-cylinder horizon- 

 tally opposed; bore, 130 mm.; stroke, 120 mm. The 

 cylinders are water-cooled, and the weight, with oil and 

 water pumps and carburettor, is 242 lb. The machines are 

 made under the personal supervision of Mr. Henry Farman 

 at the Chalons Camp, in France. 



The Demoiselle machine of Mr. Santos-Dumont shown 

 at the Clement-Bayard -stand attracted great attention. 

 This is claimed to be the smallest, lightest, and fastest 

 aeroplane in the world. The length is about 20 feet, width 

 about 18 feet, supporting surface no square feet, weight 

 242 lb. with a two-cylinder water-cooled motor. The 

 radiators are arranged close up under the wings, one on 

 each side of the main frame. The horizontal and vertical 

 planes forming the tail are rigid as regards one another, 

 but the tail can turn as a whole on vertical and horizontal 

 axes for controlling directional and elevating steering. 

 Another interesting exhibit at this stand is the engineer's 

 cab of the dirigible Clement-Bayard. We noted in the 

 engines shown at this stand the care which had been taken 

 to lock all nuts and fastenings so as to prevent them 

 becoming loose. 



A Gr^goire Gyp monoplane shown by the Fiat Motors, 

 Ltd., di,d not arrive until ten o'clock on Friday evening. 

 It is interesting to know that the machine was ready for 

 exhibition shortly after eleven o'clock on the same night, 

 showing the ease with which the monoplane type can be 

 erected. The Phoenix Radial Rotary Motor Co.; Ltd., 

 show part of a twelve-cylinder rotary engine under con- 

 struction for Mr. Cody. 



The Motor Supply Co.. Ltd., show an Avis type mono- 

 plane built by the Scottish Aeroplane Syndicate of London. 

 This machine is entirely of British make, except the 

 30 horse-power Anzani engine. The machine is of the 

 non-lifting tail type, 27 feet wide and 27 feet long. The 

 main planes have a surface of 160 square feet. The 

 weight without motor is 280 lb. ; the weight of the motor 

 complete is 150 lb. Messrs. Mulliner, of Long Acre, show 

 a monoplane of entirely British make. This machine has 

 an improved system of warping the trailing edge, com- 

 bined with the action of a non-lifting tj'pe of elevator and 

 a rudder at the rear. Messrs. Mann and Overtons, Ltd., 

 of Pimlico, show a monoplane of the Santos-Dumont type. 

 .An English-built monoplane is shown by Messrs. R. 

 . Lascelles and Co., Ltd., and an all-British biplane by 



