Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERToN.

racing plane ever Ou1lt In
the United States, In the
opinion of C. r. Fairey, one of the fore
most English airplane designers and
builders. Mr.. Fairey, who has built
long line of noted British combat
planes predicted that within five years
British fighters equivalent to the Amer
lean Army pursuit plane will be max
ing $50 miles per hour and the light
bombers 220 miles per hour.
If what Mr.. Fairey predicts is borne
out by future developments, American
aviation is going to have to look out
for itself The greatest speed ever de-
veloped by an American airplane Is
266 miles per hour. This was made
eight years ago by Lieut., Afford j. Will
liams, jr., former. NayS star, in plane
built for Schneider racing competition.
Even that speed, hearty 100 miles per
hour slower tnan the British record, IS
not leTIC1mate speed in the light OF
present-day requirements, since 1t was
attaiTed by the false impetus OF a long
power dive before crossing the starting
Ine and is not speed which coulo
be maintained over any distance.
The fastest American pursuit plane
today has a top speed. wide out, OF
approximately 1876 miles per hour,
while the British fighters are credited
with speeds in excess of 200 miles per
hour. American bombers today. are
cruising at less than 100 miles per hour,
one Of the standard types averaging but
little better than go miles per hour
cruising speed.
There is a wide difference between
the speed of racing planes and combat
planes, amounting to more than 100
miles per hour in the British racers
and fighters and to some 20 miles per
hour in this country. With speed as
important a factor as experience has
shown It to be- those in charge Of our
national defense can well afford to de-
rote lot of effort to the speeding up
of our combat planes.
Speed Through Sacrifice.
To attain the speeds they do, the
British must make some sacrlf1ces IN
other directions They admit frankly
safe as those of this country the Brit
ish factor of safety being only about
to the IS of this country.
They point out, however, that IN
military aviation a pilot must take his
chances with the weaker structure ana
that a pilot killed by the structural
feilure of his airplane Is no more dead
than pilot shct down because ne
cannct cope with an enemy plane Of
superior speed They admit that they
have sacrificed superior safety for su-
perior speed because they believe speed
Of more importance than large factor
2 of safety.
:. British designers in attaining speed
In combat plane design, have been aided
tremendously by the development OF
racing planes for Schneider competi-
ton. The United States has been out
of the Schneider class for five years
and now is suffering the results OF Its
withdrawal.
In a recent lecture before the Royal
United Service Institution. as reported
In this country by the Aeroplane,
British aviation journal, Mr.. Fairey
traced the record Of the British fight
for speed In its military planes, in
which he has been a leading figure.
Mr.. Fairey based his estimate Of the
future speeds of British fighting planes
not on the evolution Of present COM
bat types, but on process Of devolu-
ton Of the racers, which have given
the British undisputed world superb
ority.
Process of DevoIution.
The buIIet-like British So racer, Mr.
Fairey pointed out has landing speed
of about 100 miles per hour, making it
unsuitable for use on landing wheels
for q military landing field. Its engine
can have but few hours Of life at full
speed and the streamlining of the
pilots cockpit forbids even a reasonable
oAAO4hb "a NAoAO4AAtS All AAJAAA6
and would prevent gunfire or combat
flying.
Devolution of the racer into a single
scatter military plane, he said, demand
ed restriction of the engine power to
provide longer life increase of the wing
area to decrease the landing speed to at
least 80 miles per hour and substitution
Of wheels for floats. These changes
would provide plane with maximum
speed Of $40 miles per hour, capable Of
climbing $3.50 feet minute, or to
10000 feet in less than seven minutes.
This plane would not do for military
purposes, however, he confessed, and fur
ther devolution must be undertaken.
The pilots position must be raised to
give him better visibility and greater
fuel capacity must be provided. These
notifications would involve an increase
in frontal area and loss of stream
lining efficiency. The loss in speed
would be 20 miles per hour and 400 feet
per minute in rate Of climb.
Still More Equipment.
After this there must be added two
machine guns, gun sight cartridge
chutes and other material, involving q
further increase of frontal area, re-
ducing the speed to 200 miles per hour
and the climb to 10000 feet in eight
minutes.
Finally JIlbTE nave 10 De aQueQ
a wireless aerial and full equipment for
the ordinary single-seater fighter, bring
ing the speed down to $50 miles per
hour and the rate of climb to 10000
feet in nine minutes.
This would represent the probable
maximum speed Of the military plane
devolyed from the So type racer, with
out further restriction Of design due TO
necessity for added strength in certain
respects, he pointed out. Even so, the
hghter, he admitted. He cited his
method o. arriving at the speed esti-
mate Ito indicate the type of perform
ance TO be expected without restric-
tons"
There are, he said, only two ways in
which an airplane might be made to go
3aSter-by increasing the power or by
reducing the head resistance, or drag.
For increased power" the report Of
his lecture continued, I'VE must look TO
the engine designer, for every step for
ward in airplane design had followed
the evolution of the engine. although
certain types of machines had indicated
what type of engine was required. The
reduction in drag had already reached
stage when body shapes and wing sec
tons must be so finely produced that
very small disturbance had most Sc
Tious effect"
An Important Step Taken.
The Army Air Corps has taken an
important step forward in the award
ing of contract for IS two-seater pur-
suit planes, the first Of the kind in the
history of Army aviation.
The twn-gn2f tiers tn he hIltIf nv