SUPER-GIANT AEROPLANE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 26, 25 October 1921, Page 5

SUPER-GIANT AEROPLANE

PROPELLERS GEARED TO ENGINEROOM.

A new wonder ship of the air—a gian* of giants—heralding a fresh era in design, is taking shape now to the, order of the British Government in a huge shed at Bristol. Viewed even from a distance the colossus looks astonishingly large (writes “H.H.” in the “Daily Mail’)’ Seen close at hand, with the framework of its tiers of wings, as yet uncovered, stretching, one above another on either side cf its tremendous hull, the machine almost takes one’s breath away. Gone is the day of aeroplanes as we have pictured them hitherto. This machine wants a hew name. Its body makes one think of the slim lines of a speedy sea vessel. Then, when you are inside it, the impression is rather like that of some Pullman-car express on a glorified scale. But it is not really like a ship or any earth vehicle. Those working on it merely call it an "aerial transport.” It may be used to carry troops. It is big enough to act ns a tender for a squadron of aeroplanes, carrying fuel and spare parts for them. It may be fitted up as a Red Cross craft of the air and here its lofty main saloon equipped as an operating theatre. .Standing under the shadow of tho leviathan he is creating, Mr. Reid, the Bristol Aeroplane Company’s designer, and his band of skilled workers look like manikins.

There is an engine-room inside the monster’s hull. Banished here at last is that "amateurish’’ scheme of dotting motors with their propellers out somewhere on, wings where they nro inaccessible. Here there is a battery of engines, with their many gleaming cylinders, grouped in orderly precision ; and —what makes tho expert pause—such a system of gearing and power transmission as has never been fitted to any flying craft before.

It is from this engine-room that the power will be transmitted to propellers ,on the wings; and if the experiment succeeds, it will open up a completely new field. There is talk, for instance, already cf obtaining a number of the huge 1000 horse-power aero engines now reaching perfection and using them for an enormous craft which may surpass our wildest dreams.

This Bristol giant will fly by night and day. The peril of a forcer! landing—that bugbear of the aeroplane—is- practically eliminated. If any portion of the powerplant gives trouble there will he mechanics in the engine-room to put it right while the machine is in the air, the other working units being accelerated meanwhile to give the power sufficient to maintain altitude and snood.

Nothing could be more reassuring, with the flying world under the shadow of the R3B disaster, than to see this latest marvel of British aircraft design.