MOTOR & CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1919, Page 12

MOTOR & CYCLE.

STANDARD TYRE SIZES. All the world over tyre manufacturers have had to face heavy expenses owing to the extensive range of tyre and rim sizes, on bicycles, motor-cycles, and motor cars. This means duplication of expensive moulds, adding considerably to the cost of production. Efforts are now being made to bring the wide range of sizes down to a reasonable number, sufficient' to cover all requirements of travel and power. The Dunlop Rubber Company, England, recently published an interesting article on this subject, and there is now every reason for believing that a system of standardisation will be the result, for the British Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Association has decided to bring into operation a scheme of standardisation whereby cycle tyres will be reduced from 33 varieties to 10; motor cycle tyres, 5 instead of 22; light car tyres, 4 instead of 8; and motor car tyres 10 instead of 03. In America standardisation has already been adopted, and with success. In 1307 there were no less than 287 tyre sizes and types in use in America. These have now been reduced to 0 sizes in the various tread types. It naturally follows that as soon as the British system has been brought into operation that the Australian Dunlop Company will fall into line, cutting out a lot of unnecessary tyre sizes. This will greatly simplify matters for motorists, and at the same time enable concentrated manufacture, followed by carrying of larger stocks of covers of standard sizes, instead of a limited number of each size spread over a range of fifty-five as at present listed. PRICE OS" CARS. It is reported from America that motor i car and motor truck sales may be held back temporarily in that country by a expectation on the part of prospective purchasers that the coming of peace and the consequent release of Government claims to priority on material!) will be followed by a sudden reduction in prices. The recent announcement on the part of one large manufacturer does not mean a general reduction throughout the industry at this time. But it does go far toward confirming the belief on the part of those unacquainted with conditions. On the contrary, two other concerns of large production have found it necessary ' to recently increase their prices. On the whole, little change in the present level nf prices can be expected for some time. Demands of the Government for cars and trucks had less to do with the price, liiey affected chiefly the supply. The determining factors were the cost of materials and the cost of labor. Australians who are holding back from car purchasing with a view of a fall in selling price, have therefore little encouragement of any considerable reduction in the near future. The only cut that is likely to be made is owing to reduction in freight charges. , THE BRITISH ELECTRIC VEHICLE J BOOM. ! Active preparations are being made in Great Britain for the production "of every type of electric battery vehicle. Various firms which had been manufacturing in a small way before the war are extending their factories, and it is i now realised that battery propulsion has ' a field of its own, rotably in refuse disposal and other municipal services, in general delivery work through city 1 streets, and in factory transport by means of small trucks. The British motor manufacturers are holding a meeting at which the whole field will be carefully reviewed, so that one may expect to find famous names in the motor world associated with electric as well as petrol • and other vehicles. Moreover, arrange- : ments are being made for co-operation : with British electrical manufacturers in | the production of motors and control I gear suitable for electric vehicles. The | British electrical manufacturers are so I well organised that they will be able without difficulty, to select the firms I best fitted for the economical manufacj ture of the electrical parts The selected firms will concentrate on the work I so as to get the benefit of mass production. The British battery makers have also by amalgamation and other developments, put themselves in a position to turn out ample supplies of traction batteries. A great increase in output will be required to meet the demand of the home market, but I he arrangements now in contemplation will provide a large surplus for export to all parts of the world. The development of battery traction in Great Britain has been undertaken by an Electric Vehicle Committee on which representatives of electric supply undertakings, motor vehicle and electrical manufacturers, and various motor associations work together for progress. TWO-STROKE PRINCIPLE. In the future development of the motor-cycle there will arise a question requiring to be dealt with before matters have gone very far, says the Motor Cycle Trader (England). The two-stroke principle, which holds greater possibilities than many seem to imagine, is certainly capable of further advancement, and there is no actual reason why it should be almost entirely confined to low-power machines. The objections raised 'against the high-powered twostroke engine are based more on thermal than "mechanical" grounds but we have already seen what is possible of achievement in a popular model which, as its performances have shown, is at least the equal of the average 5-6 h.p four-stroke, even with side-car attached. The particular machine to which we refer cannot be said to mark the limit in the upward direction of two-stroke engine output. Then, again, although British designers may not approve of American ideas in this particular form of construction they will, no doubt, admit that what has been done in the States already is sufficient to show that the four-stroke principle is not compulsory to use when designing the heavier and more powerful models. For a time it wis customary to look upon the horizontally opposed or lSOde". engine as a light-weight type only, mainly for the reason that it was first popularised in that connection. So also is it with the two-stroke, whereas in point of fact both it and the "opposed" engine are entirely suited to the needs of the heavy as well as the lighter modeh It will be interesting to follow the evolution of opinion of these points, and we shall be astonished if at no very distant date the two-stroke engine of increased power does not figure as a regularised type. A GREAT AERIAL FEAT. Captain A. Lang, of the Royal Flying Corps, who recently succeeded in establishing a new world's altitude record by attaining the remarkable height of 30,500 feet (5| miles), gives some interesting details of his "high flights" previous to capturing the world's best. Captain Lang, who is a well-known Victart' "• motorist, with a penchant for ie-

cord stunts, lias had considerable aviilfc" ; ing experience in England and on th(S Western front. Rome time Wk h* "crashed," and had hia neck practically dislocated. Upon recovery he Wrs de* clarcd unfit, and tlie imHtary aattofp ties wanted to give him his disehfttge, Subsequently, after many attemi*fc« t° get back to active work in the Mtivite, Lang was given a month's trial of %ht flying. He later passed as "fit" for heme service, but permanently unfit lor general work. An appointment followed at one of the English testing stations en "destructive work," i.e., testing new models and new ideas "all out'' until something breaks. He preved his adapt-. ability to this work, and was after a month appointed chief test pilot of the experimental station. This work, Lang states, is all "touch" and accuracy, aa you are writing the whole time, taking engine revolutions, arr and engine temperatures, oil pressures, etc., every 1000 feet you rise, and at the same time endeavoring to get the best out of the machine. "It is fascinating work," lie says. Just prior to writing, mounted on a 400 h.p. Liberty cngined De Haviland n.achine, carrying 2 guns,'passenger, and 134 lbs. of ammunition, he flew to an elevation of 20,000 feet in 48 minutes. this fine flight he was appointed ; to some special bombing work in France with this machine, and to put the De Haviland through her paces for the | French military authorities. His task carried through lie returned to thje | aeroplane experimental station in England, when he found an even more powerful machine awaiting his "testing out." She was a De Haviland equipped with a 450 h.p. Napier-Lion engine. The designers calculated on her attaining 30,000 feet. Setting out with full load (including a 501b weight oxygen outfit), Lang rose 24,000 feet in 35 minutes. Then disaster nearly overtook the pilot and his observer, owing to the oxygen system failing. "Everything went black," says Lang, "and the next thing remembered was 19,000 feet on the altimater." He then cruised around for half an hour to get used to the increased pressure and temperature. It was 27 degrees below freezing point at 24,000 feet.

When Lang and his observer reached earth again they were both suffering from t&air experience, the former's "kinked" neck and heart troubling him, whilst his companion was frost bitten. The world now knows how Lang subsequently reached the remarkable height above mentioned, and the probabilities are that it was on the Napier-Lion De Haviland combination that he accomplished tho feat. NOTES. The connection between motoring in the air and motoring on terra firma lias always been very close, much closer than between the latter and motor boating. It has been remarked that the automobile gave to the aircraft an engine which made aviation possible; and after the strenuous test of war the automobile received from the aeroplane a much improved engine which is rapidly being adapted and adopted. A further connection has now been announced. Several of the large aeroplane factories aire now turning attention to the production of motor cycles and cars, the Sopwith Co. having already begun on motor cycles. This combination will go very far to popularising air-cooled engines in cars and motor cycles, affecting a saving in weight and production costs as well as simplifying the engine proper. Several types of air-cooled engines already in use have given good results on both motor cycles and cars, and models being of the aeroplane type with certain modifications to suit the machines for which they are severally intended. The results of the racing during Easter at Mortlake when the Victorian Motor Cycle Club held the annual carnival, show that the motor cycle and sidecar is a reliable machine, for the greater I number of the participants went through [the run from Melbourne to Mortlake I without loss of points. In a side-car speed race next day the victory went to C. Junker (7 h.p. Excelsior) who covered the 68 miles (nearly) in 1 hr. 24 mins. 12 sees. H. H. Taylor (7 h.p. Indian) being second, and L, J. White (7 h.p. Excelsior) third. In the great 200-mile speed race A. E. Sutton, an old identity in the motor cycling world, won by a good margin in 4 hrs. 9 mins. 'a sees., using a 4 h.p. Indian, shod with Dunlop tyres. D. Brewster (7 h.p. Indian) also on Dunlops, was second in the fastest time—3 hrs. 46 mins. 55 sees. — while J. Stoffers on a 3£ h.p. Triumph and Dunlops was third. W. Ousley covered a lap in record time —31 mins. 7 sees., for 35 miles (nearly) and also broke the world's 100-mile record by covering three consecutive laps—lol% miles —in 96 mins. 13 sees., on Dunlops. Five of the seven to finish used these dependable pneumatics.

A series of tests have been conducted by the Technical Committee of the Automobile Club of America with benzole and a benzole petrol mixture as against petrol tests on the same engine —a four-cylinder of 3Jin. bore and oin. stroke (95 x 127 mm.). On.benzole the engines showed a decrease in fuel consumption of 12.3 per cent., as compared with petrol, as well as less carbon deposit, and an average b.h.p. of 25.9 as against 24 b.h.p. With a mixture of 90 per cent, of benzole and 10 per cent, of petrol, a greater brake-horse-power was developed than was obtainable from petrol alone. The Minister of Agriculture in France has recently organised a service which will supply to farmers a number of agricultural motor tractors, in order that there may be no delay in getting the recaptured regions under the plough. The experience of the directors goes to prove that working costs can be reduced if the following points are borne in mind:—To have plenty of work for the machines to undertake, a condition which is amply realised in the reconauered territories. To avoid, territory on which the ground is too rough and encumbered with rocks, tree stumps, etc. To concentrate the motor tractors in a comparatively small area, which simplified their overhauling and general maintenance and to use only standard tractor models for which spares can easily bo obtained. Considerable ingenuity was expended' on spark-plug manufacture in Great Britain during the war, and one of the most interesting productions in this conjnection has been the K.L.G. plug, utilised for aero egines and manufactured by the Robinhood Engineering Workß, Ltd., London. This company proposes shortly to place upon the market an all-mica .plug of entirely new design, and possessing remarkable self-cleaning properties. It is stated that the outside insulation of the plug is carried out by means of a material never before used for the purpose, and far superior to porcelain, as it is of a more elastic nature, shows no tendency to crack, and is unaffected by any change of temperature to which it is likely to be subjected.