Recent content by MikeMeech

Hi This doesn't quite make sense, VHF R/T has a longer range, clearer speech and easier tuning than HF R/T which is why aircraft were moving over to it during WW2. The SCR-522-A VHF set was based on the British TR1143 and was fully interchangeable with it. On other matters P-40 the following...

Hi For interest, the book 'Air Power at the Battlefront, Allied Close Air Support in Europe 1943-45' by Ian Gooderson, has plenty of data that would be interesting in any discussion of CAS. This includes diagrams of the different tactics used by dive bombing Typhoons when attacking targets that...

Hi As for the 'Types' of airscrew and the terms for them these extracts from a mid-1940s book, 'Aeronautical Engineering, A practical guide for everyone connected with the Aircraft Industry' edited by R A Beaumont, may be of use: Mike

Hi Another small book, from 1943, by W Hazell is 'Understanding Aircraft Components, by Question and Answer', has some info relating to Constant-Speed airscrews, extract below: Mike

Hi An explanation on Constant Speed Airscrews can be found in the late 1930s part work 'Aero Engineering' Volume 1. The following is from the chapter titled 'The Variable-Pitch Airscrew' by Flight-Lieutenant J W Bell, DSM, who was Service Manager, Airscrew Division of de Havilland Aircraft...

Hi According to Peter Amos in his 'Miles Aircraft - The Wartime Years', page 406, a Miles Falcon had possibly flown with an 'all-moving tailplane' on 21st February 1945 on a 10 minute test flight and had definitely flown by13th March 1945. It was deemed successful and the project to fit a...

Hi The actual Valmet Vihuri from 'The Aircraft of the World' by Green & Pollinger, page 69, 1953: Mike

Hi This and 'Armament' Volume II are both available on the RAF Air Historical Branch website as free downloads, along with much else, I have just checked. I presume you can access it from your location? Mike

Hi The Air Ministry Specification, 16/38, that the Miles Master I fulfilled called for "A constant speed airscrew of a type to be agreed by DTD shall be fitted..." (see page 261 of 'The British Aircraft Specifications File' by Air-Britain). This resulted in the Master I entering service just...

Hi For those interested some more info on Tube welding, these extracts are from the 1940 edition of 'Materials of Aircraft Construction' by F T Hill, Chapter III 'Steel Tubing': Plus details on materials used: Mike

Hi Aluminium Alloys used for aircraft construction can also be prone to corrosion when sea water is involved, which is why all metals have to be protected by various means to avoid/reduce the chance of it when at sea. Mike

Hi Not strictly true as before the war the British had the 2,000 lb AP bomb on hand, the Stirling could carry up to seven in its divided bomb bay and the Wellington could carry two (the Wellington was modified to carry a 4,000 lb, dropping the first on 1 April 1941). However, the first 2,000...

Hi Looking at the technical publications of the period gives info on welding during the period, The 1937 edition of 'Metal Aircraft Construction' by M Langley, has details of tubular construction and the use of welding and other joint methods. Below extracts from the book relating to British...

Hi Didn't this first fly in May 1918 and crash on its maiden flight? Mike

Hi For those interested in early US Army, Navy and Marine aviation this book might be of interest: The US was quite 'late' in its interest in the Dunne machines, here is the first page of the 'Dunne' section in 'British Aircraft Before the Great War' by Michael H Goodall & Albert E Tagg: We...