MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1917, Page 8

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

NEWS AND NOTES. . It is always easier to motorists to realise aeroplane performances if they can be reduced to motor ear equivalents. They are more likely to be impressed with the information that an aeroplane will climb at sixty miles an hour than ' if they are told its rate of ascension is 1300 odd feet per minute. As a matter of fact, a good modern aeroplane weighing all on about 24ewt, and having an engine of a brake horse-power of ISO, would climb a gradient of 1 in 3J to 1 in .4 at about sixty miles an hour; that is what rapid aerial climbing really means. Twenty-four cwt i 3 about the same weight as an average If; h.p. .fourseated open car complete, but without its passengers. A good many of the aeroplanes now in use weigh >more and a few somewhat less.

The gas engine—which, of course, includes the petrol engine—is often regarded by motorists as being mora or less on all fours with a gun, the propellant taking the place of the compressed explosive mixture, and the projectile the place of the piston. It is true there are a good many things in common between the gun and the engine cylinder, and partly because of this there has been a tendency to imagine, says' the Autocar, that the happenings in the cylinder of a petrol engine are to all intents and purposes the same as they would be if an explosive mixture were introduced into a closed case or drum and there compressed and exploded. It is imagined that all one has to do is to get an explosive mixture, compress it, and "touch it ofl'." As a matter of fact, the rate of explosion in a. closed vessel devoid of a moving piston and of the swirling eddies of the suction stroke, is so slow that it would be impossible to make an engine worth using in a motor car, or even possible to use in a motor car, if the burning of the mixture were so slow; indeed, such an engine would not run about thirty revolutions a minute. This is the tale in a nutshell, but it has some most interesting ramifications. For instance, one of the first things' which would oeeur to the reader would be that the turbulence, swirling, and eddies of the mixture in the cylinder would be thoroughly created and maintained by the action of the piston. While, as a matter of fact, the piston is the original cause of the vital turbulence, yet the turbulence produced by the piston in compressing the mixture is almost negligible, as compared with that induced by the suction stroke. What creates the vital turbulence is the tremendous velocity of the mixture on the suction stroke as it enters the cylinder, and so far/as turbulence is concerned, it would be better if it could be lired there and then, as the tendency is for this turbulence to die down during the comparative quiescence of the compression stroke.

This is a very surprising fact, because one would imagine that a rapidly moving piston would create plenty of turbulence till one bears in mind that the piston speed is slow compared with the velocity of the mixture current into the cylinder. An absolute proof of this was recently proved by Dr. Dugald Clerk (Eng.), who so arranged an engine that it could be run after taking in a charge for three compression strokes without firing, and it was found that the intlammaion of the charge was two and alialf times slower than if it had been fired after the first compression; yet it would be imagined at first sight that the in and out pumping of the piston would have been more than enough to maintain an excellent state of turbulence. Nevertheless the turbulence induced by the suction stroke was vastly superior. This suction turbulence is really a remarkable phenomenon and were it not for this feature there would be no internal combustion engines todav.

I'. Birtless lias reached W.A. per motor car from Victoria. The trip was negotiated in easy stages, as the overlander was selecting his route and making arrangements for his proposed attempt on the Perth-Sydney record of 295!) miles in S days 23 hours 35 minutes, standing to the credit of Messrs. Eraser and Armstrong. According to a recent interview with the well-known overlander in Perth, he has now travelled close on 100,000 miles in and around Australia. On two occasions he rode around the rim of Australia on a Dunlop shod bicycle. Tie has crossed from 'Broome (W.A.) to Brisbane twice, the DarwinAdelaide route twice, and has crossed and re-crossed (he continent from East to West nine times. 'lsivt!e< proposes to leave on his record jaunt across the Continent hi about a couple of months' time.

It is instructive to note that England h:ls at last declared an embargo on the importation of motor tyres and rubber goods into Great Britain. American tyres are now only permitted to be imported into England under a social license from the Government.' Had this embargo been declared a year or two back it would have meant millions to [the British tyre and rubber goods manufacturers and those whose capital is invested in those concerns. ! Motorists will be amazed to hear that | if the gigantic concern that makes and markets the Ford motor ear had to stop its production For thirty days the wealthy Ford Company would be forced to close its doors indefinitely. This is a statement made by the vice-president and treasurer of the company in a recent law suit In America. It appears that the rnnnine expense: of this stupendous

business roach upwards of from £l<3o - 000 to £IBO.OOO a day, equal to about £53.210,000 per year of 313 working days. ° Twenty years ago a ovclist named W luix established a record for the overland trip from Adelaide to Melbourne The distance travelled being about 545 miles in 5,1 hours 48 minutes. That it was a fine performance for without saying otherwise the record would not have stood untouched since 1897. There is now talk of an effort by a South Australian rider to attempt to reduce Kux's figures, but despite the improvements in machines, etc., the record will take a deal of beating. Travelling a longer £, 0l , lte ' 1 ": lay of c J' cli 9ts in the Dunlop Military Despatch ride of 1<)12 pegothted 574 between the two cities in 3o hours 55 minutes, which proves that the route will stand the pace if a good enough long distance rider is available. Kux was well paced throughout by singles and tendems and in this respect it -will be dicffiult at the present time to _ provide any aspirant to the honor, with cycle pace up to the standard that assisted Kux.