Much Was Learnt While Building Brabazon

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 5

Much Was Learnt While Building Brabazon

c. LONDON, Jan. 6. Experiments during the development of the U'.O-ton Bristol Brabazon, Bri tain 's largest lan.lplane, have enabled a completely scientilic method of aircraft construction to be worked out for the first time. The new process ehanges aircraft construction from an art to something approaeliing an exact science and is a tremeiulous step forward, says The Times' aeronautical correspondent. Instead of proceeding by the usual long and somewhat haphazard process of trial and error, it is now possible, by using newly discovored mathematieal formulas, to forecast within an accuracy of between 2 and 3 per eent., What the correet weight should be to give to an aircraft structure that Ptrength which willl withstand all the stresses to which it mav be sulijGcted in flight. In other words, it is now possible to obtain mathematically in about half an hour, data which, by the old method of trial and error, often took a year to obtain. Mr. A. E. Russell, the Bristol Aeroplane Company's chief designer, said yesterday: "Even if the Brabazon were Stever to fly — which of eourse it will — . ihe great expense of building it would

be thoroughly justified by the new knowledge we have gained. " The Brabazon is in faet scheduled to begin its flight trials at Easter.