airisms

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 148, 8 June 1935, Page 3

airisms

The Week’s Activity. In spite of wet weather and the decreasing hours of daylight the flying hours logged during the past week by the H.B. and E.C. Aero Club show a welcome increase. In all nearly forty hours were completed. Several cross-country flights were made during the week. Last weekend, all machines flew to Dannevirke for the Air Rally. On Monday Arn Beckett flew to Wairoa and back. On Tuesday the instructor had to carry two of the East Coast Airways’ surplus passengers to Gisborne. Yesterday he made another flight to Gisborne with films. On this latter flight some 180 “Heralds” which could not go by road were dropped off at Wairoa. The instructor also made a flight to Blackhead on Wednesday, returning with Jack McHardy, who proposes to put in a fortnight at the aerodrome qualifying for his “A” license. The only visiting aircraft to the Bridge Pa aerodrome was the East Coast Airways Dragon which landed at Hastings on Thursday afternoon owing to the water-logged state of the ’drome at Napier.

To-morrcw’s Competition. To-mcrrow the bi-monthly competitions for club pilots will be resumed with the contest for the Gordon Cup. This is a landing test in which competitors have to make three landings without use of engine from 100 feet. The first landing must be made over a mark, the second up to a mark and the third as near as possible to a mark. The Gordon Cup will go to the pilot aggregating the highest marks in the three landings, but the half hour’s free flying will be awarded to the competitor who does best on a handicap basis.

Dannevirke Display. The Hawke’s Bay team did not put up as good a performance as usual in the triangular contest held at Dannevirke last week-end. P. Brewer, the only pilot m the team who did not possess an endorsed “A” license, put up the best show, gaining a place in both the message-dropping and bombing contests. The Desoutter was kept busy during the whole afternoon giving joyrides to spectators with beneficial results to the club. The next ot these triangular flying contests is to be held at Palmerston in about six weeks’ time. Figures For May. The instructor’s report for May shows that this month is by far the worst the club has experienced during the current year, ’total flying only amounted to 56 hours 10 minutes. This is the first occasion this year that the total flying hours for the month have fallen below 100 hours. Doubtless this is largely accounted for by the fact that the instructor was absent for a fortnight on annual leave. Pupils' Notes. The instructor is still kept busy giving tuition to pupils at both Hastings and Napier. Last Monday the dual machine AAB stopped only twice (for more petrol) from 6.45 a.m. until dusk Jock McHardy has at last commenced flying in earnest and hopes to be ready for his “A” license tests at the end of next week. R. Gilmour and J. I’eel are both almost ready for the examiner and will

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undergo their tests on his next visit to Hawke’s Bay. H. Moliier is a new pupil who commences in a week’s time and he has indicated that he intends to take it up professionally. E. H. Robinson, of Napier, has commenced lessons and after less than an hour’s tuition is already doing landings.

ABB Flying Again. Yesterday tho wings were assembled on ZK-ABB again and now this machine is once more airworthy. In the meantime AAB has been put unserviceable while her new wings are being completed.

AVto 652. As it is highly probable that George Bolt will return nom England with, a couple ol these modern British machines for his Cook Straits service, a lew details will interest readers.

The Avro 652 is a twin-engined lowwing monoplane with a retractable undercarriage having accommodation in an enclosed cabin lor up to eight, passengers. The type of construction employed is that used for all Avro commercial monoplanes, a fuselage of welded steel tube and a cantilever allwood wing. The engines are Cheetah VI. s and are carried on tubular steel mountings built into the leading edge of the wing. The large N.A.C.A. type cowling can be detached very quickly by means of two clips, and the whole of the nacelle can also be taken off easily for attention to the engine mounting, etc. Large inspection doors are provided in the nacelle for access to the oil tanks and the electric starting gear. Ou account of the position of the engine-mounting in the leading edge of the low wing, ordinary servicing operations can be carried out from the ground without the use of ladders, the design ot the landing gear is interesting. It consists of three principal parts, a long radius rod, running irom the rear of the engine nacelle to the axle, and two links for raising and lowering. The top link is attached at its upper end to tbe wing structure and is rotated through about 175 degrees to lower the undercarriage. The lower link which incorporates the oleo leg, connects the lower end of the top link with the wheel axle and therefore the end of the radius rod. In the lowered position the lower link (oleo leg) is over the vertical so that when the landing geat is fully extended, it cannot be folded up by landing shocks. In the retracted position the wheels protrude about six inches from the engine nacelle. The landing gear is wound up by a chain-driven worm connected to a hand control in the pilot’s cockpit. The first two aircraft of this typo were commissioned by Imperial Airways, but these differ from the standard in that they are fitted with Cheetah V engines of 270 horse-power each. They are intended for special charter work, and have accommodation for four passengers. The following figures are given for the aircraft fitted with two Armstrong Sidueley Cheetah VI. engines:— Span: 56ft. 2in. Length: 42ft. 3in. Height: 9ft. Gin. Gross weight: 75001 b. Top speed: 175 in.p.h. Cruising: 165 in.p.h. stalling: 60 m-p.h. Climb: ICOOft. per minute.