CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1916, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

KEN'S A\'D NOTES. The motor equipments of the scouting aeroplanes at the front are gradually being increased in the number of cylinders and horse-power. A Herman machine recently brought down in France was fitted with a Mi-cylinder "V" watercooled Mcr-jedes engine. It was equipped with two carburettors and two n;ag_netos. This engine would easily develop 300-1). p., sufficient power to drive the aeroplane at a speed of over 110 miles an hour.

Some interesting particulars of tests made to determine the possibility of doing without a differential have recently been revealed in America by a Mr. L. P. Prosson. Two or three years ago, when he was with one of the Xnw York taxicab companies, he took two good-run-ning cabs, removed the differential, locked the axles, and put the vehicles in the regular service. 'He says that "the first day out the drivers complained that the cabs were very hard to steer, and that the brakes were binding when going around corners, that the motors were laboring hard through traffic, and that they preferred to go around the 'block instead* of turning in the street. Of course, we immediately knew the trouble, but as we wanted to carry the test further we insisted on keeping the cars in service. We told the drivers that the steering and brakes were in good condition, but they continued to report the same trouble. After a couple of weeks' running, with many complaints, one of the cabs had a live-axle broken, and a few days later the same trouble occurred to the other cab. I also kept a very accurate record of the tyre wear and gasoline consumption, and found both to be excessive. The result of my experiment was a failure, and I was convinced that it was impossible to operate a vehicle properly and economically without a differential, and'l also found that it was detrimental to the whole car. The only time that we could operate these cabs with any degree of satisfaction was on rainy days, on account of the wheel slippage being acompiished more easily." In an interesting narrative of his impressions of a visit to the Somme area, Lord Northcliffe gives the following penpicture of the way the transport problems are handled:—"Transport alone is a miracle. The railways are so encumbered that it is frequent tc Bee trains nearly a kilometre (five-eighths of a mile) in length. As one travels about in search of information mile-long convoys of motor lorries look quickly to-. wards one from out of the dense dust, and it is by this combination of rail and road that the almost impossible task has been achieved of keeping pace with the German strategic railways, which were built for the sole purpose of the quick expedition of men and supplies "There are complaints of delays in unloading and 'turning' shipping from England. These are the same complaints that have been mentioned in the Press and Parliament for many long months in regard to the delay in handling shipping in England. In France it is a question of labor and dock accommodation. TTic docks are being enlarged in more ports than one, but yet more labor must be brought from 'Britain if greater speed is required. We at home can help to speed up the machine if we put our backs into, the task as is being done in France. Our motor-lorry and other motor makers could greatly facilitate the work by standardisation of motor parts. I do not know how many types of motor vehicles are being used in France, but I counted more than two score. Each of these requires its own spare parts in order that repairs can be speedily effected, and it must always be borne in mind that delay in war-time is fatal. There are in use no lewer than 50,000 different kinds of spare parts, ineluding nuts, bolts, rivets and screws. By proper co-operation between the various manuactures these, could be reduced to a minimum. "In order To help economy all spare parts are supplied when possible from the salvage of machines of the same type. All this debris had to be carefully collected, repaired and arranged in depots in such a maimer that missing parts can be found instantly. The Germans use comparatively few types of motor vehicles, and have therefore an advantage over us. As one of the pioneers of automobilisation, I should like to offer my tribute to all sections of the motor transport department in* France, and especially to the economic manner in which waste has been eliminated." As one of the characteristics of future fuels will be a tendency to form carbon, owing to the difficulty of ensuring complete combustion, it is practically certain, says the Motor, that detachable cylinder heads will come into fashion again, though probably a muchimproved system of fitting will be adopted to simplify detachment and also ensure the water joint being properly made. It will then not be a difficult matter to keep an engine free from carbon.

According to one of the leading English motoring journals one of the next developments may be the production of a six-cylinder light car. There would no doubt be a moderate demand for such, provided it was of the very higli<vl class throughout and was luxuriously appointed. It would be a vehicle which would appeal only to the comparatively wealthy man. The average patron oi' the light car type has no desire to add to the number oE cylinders which he has to look after, seeing that, as u rule, he attends to the ear himself and does not keep a chauffeur. What is really rei'|uired is a light cat in which all the latest methods and ideas are concentrated, and which will be made in such numbers that it can be sold 'it a very moderate price. There are tendencies which go to show that all ears will be lighter,' and the 12-10-h.p. type may be produced at weights little above those of tin.- larger sizes of present-day light car<. There H every evidence, to ind.ice our to think that in post-war cars a more scientific use of metals will he made, and instead of using, say, half a ton of unsuitable metal, the weight can Tic reduced by half by a more discriminating use of the metal and a design on more mechanical lines. There is no doubt that had the car been developed From an aeroplane, instead of from the horse-drawn vehicle, the strength of the chassis to-day would depend upon design rather than by mass of material.