THE “FLYING FLEA.”

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 291, 21 November 1936, Page 5

THE “FLYING FLEA.”

Report On Wind-Tunnel Tests The Air League of the British Em-1 piro has sent 'to every owner oG a,g “Flying Flea” who is known to it aj report on the tests of one of these] small aeroplanes that were carried’| out in the Air Ministry’s large wind-| tunnel at Farnborough in August. It had been hoped to reproduce in the tests an uncontrollable dive, such as have caused a number of fatal accidents to occupants of "“Flying Fleas” in Great Britain and France, in order that its cause or causes might be identified and avoided. But the Air League explains that complete tests of this kind would have necessitated long experiments, at a cost greatly exceeding the funds at its disposal. The tests had to be restricted to ascertaining the stability and controllability of a. typical “Flying Flea,’ built and rigged in. accordance with the directions of M. tvhonpf thp in von tor.

IVllgliei, luc luxeuiui. These teste have led to the com j elusion that the ' Flying Flea” can i come out of a dive provided that it J lias sufficient elevator movement. | j As the difference between sufficiency | | and insufficiency is a matter of only j I a few degrees it is evident that care I is needed, and it appears probable j that the cause of some of the accii dents was that the pilot was unable ! to achieve enough “plus” movement, j The Air League draws the following | | deductions from the tests: j The aeroplane is unstable in nor-1 ] mal Hight when the centre of gravity) | is farther back than 56cm from the) | leading edge. The instability' in-j creases in the dive. (This instabil- ■ ity is not desirable, but it is of no | ! serious moment provided tiiat conI trullability exists). I With the control capable of giving ; an angle to the front wing 5 degrees ( greater than that of the rear wing, •11 rb.ould be possible to raise the j nose from a dive up to and beyond the vertical. If the control can give an angle to the front wing of 3 degrees less that 1 ; that of the rear wing it should j ] ossible to hold the machine level i under all conditions of power flight. A greater margin of controllability would he obt.aina.blo with 'tlhe controls adjusted to give a total range of lb degrees, i.e., from minus 3 deto plus 7 degrees, on the front wing measured with, the rear wing' I (top of fuselage) horizontal. The l additional stability to be gained by i a. somewhat forward position of the (•eu'rt 1 of gravity is desirable, bur | iiie efficiency of the machine falls off '! as tiie centre of gravity is advanced. : A position midway’ between the two ' I position. 1 tested is recommended, lused in conjunction with uie extendled con'iol. Constructors are advis'-l I also to pay particular attention to I the. truth of their wings and rigging. ! Tiie Air League will shortly be able , j to supply diagrams of the machine! 1 I as tested, wilii suggestions for the . modification of the control lever. The Air League heard unofficially that tlic Fieneh Air Ministry was still refusing its certificate of navigability for the “Flying Flea."