New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-15
Vissay Ocean Filler
Regular War Type
Steel in Frame and
additional CasoIene Ca
pacity Only Changes
Neeo York Tribune
,SDecjoL CobIa .Cer,,,r,

tcopyrisht 1919. New York Tribune Inc!
ST JOHNS, n. F., June 14.-The
Nickers- Why bomber, which started on
its attempt to fly across the Atlantic
to-day for the London Daily Mail"
prize, is a biplane equipped with two
RollsRoyce Eagle engines.
1t arrived here on the steamer Glen
devon on May "a, and the work of
assembling it was started Immediately
on the ground at Quidividi, where
Raynham's Martinsyde machine crashed
when it attempted to take off with
Hawker.
The canvas hangar used by Captain
Raynham for his tiny Martinsyde BIZ
plane was used by the Vickers party
for storage of fittings. The machine
itself was too large For these quarters
and had to be assembled in the open.
The dimensions OF the Vicker8-N imy
bomber are: Wing spread, from tip to
tip, 68 feet; width Of wings, 5oh
inches; length over all, AZ feet.
Much Metal Is Used
The forward section Of the fuselagc
is built from light steel and aluminium.
The undercarriage is also Of steel. The
entire machine is remarkable for the
large amount of metal work entering
into its construction. The nose of the
fuselage, whore the compass is fitted,
is Of brass, in order to eliminate the
magnetic effect of steel upon the
needle.
Her pilots said she was the ordinary
stock type of machine used for bomb
ing purposes during the war. The only
alterations made in her consist of add-
tional gasolene tanks and larger per-
ccntage Of steel in her constructions
to enable her to Withstand the strain
of the transatlantic flight.
There are nine gasolene tanks fitted
into the fusclage Of the machine, with
total capacity of $40 gallons. In
addition to this, fifty gallons of oil
are carried
The large number Of gas tanks was
adopted to distribute the fuel, so there
would be no swaying Of the liquid and
to provide air floats in case it is neces-
sary for the machine to descend upon
the sea. Special arrangements for
emptying them in the event Of such a
contingency were installed.
On the top of the fusclage of the
Fickers-Nimy bomber there is a 7O-gal-
lon gasolene tank, moulded to suit the
lines Of the machine. This tank can
be removed by releasing two clips, It
is fitted with handlnes around its
edges. ard Che airmcn are convinced
that this tank alone would hold them
up in the water for forty-eight hours
if necessary. Each of the other eight
tanks can be utilized in the same man.
ner. The tank on the top Of the
fuselage will be the first one to be
emptied, as it is the easiest to launch.
In view of the failure of HawKers
attempt to fly across the Atlantic, the
Vickers machine is equipped with a
special system of filters, fixed at every
connection of the motor and tanks,
to prevent the feed pipes from choking
up and compelling the machine TO alight
from this cause. All these devices
were built into the machine before it
left England.
The two Rolls-Royce engines are of
$50 horsepower each. They are in
stalled between the two wings, one on
either side Of the fusclage. Each drives
a four blade tractor propeller.
Rubber Tired Landing Carriage
The landing carriage consists Of four
wheels, placed in a line, two under
each motor, to take up the strain
when the machine is running on the
ground. The wheels are rubber tired
and covered with tightly stretched
canvas to prevent smokes from offnr-
ing resistance.
When fully loaded the machine
weighs $4,000 pounds. She requires
in this condition five hundred yard
stretch Of ground for the "take-of."
In order to give the big machine
suitable "take-off" runway, men we're
set to work some weeks ago construct