El Sopwith de 1913 Circuit of Britain Biplane fue un hidroavión británico construido por Sopwith para participar en la carrera de 1913 Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Air. El único participante en comenzar, tuvo que ser retirado después de un accidente de aterrizaje en dos tercios de la carrera.
Sopwith 1913 Circuito de Gran Bretaña Biplano | |
---|---|
Papel | Aviones de carreras |
Fabricante | Sopwith Aviation Company |
Primer vuelo | 1913 |
Número construido | 1 |
Diseño y desarrollo
El biplano del Circuito de Gran Bretaña era un tractor biplano de cuatro bahías con un fuselaje de sección cuadrada con la parte delantera cubierta con aluminio de regreso a la cabina de popa y el resto cubierto con tela. Las secciones delanteras de los longones estaban hechas de fresno y las secciones traseras de abeto . El control lateral se efectuó mediante alerones en las alas superior e inferior, que estaban escalonadas y tenían palos de pícea en forma de I y puntales huecos entre planos . [1] Las superficies de la cola consistían en elevadores no equilibrados montados en el gran plano de cola semicircular y un timón aerodinámicamente equilibrado, sin superficie vertical fija. Los flotadores principales de un solo escalón tenían un armazón de fresno y abeto cubierto con dos capas de cedro y estaban divididos en tres compartimentos estancos. Estaba propulsado por un Green E.6 de 100 hp (75 kW) , cuyos radiadores estaban colocados a ambos lados del fuselaje.
Historia operativa
La competencia debía comenzar en Southampton el sábado 16 de agosto, las reglas permitían que el intento se llevara a cabo durante cualquier período de 72 horas antes de fin de mes. De los cuatro participantes en la carrera, el Sopwith, pilotado por Harry Hawker con Harry Kauper como pasajero, fue el único avión que partió. Samuel Cody había muerto mientras se prueba la aeronave que había construido para la competencia, la aeronave introducida por James Radley y Gordon England había sido dañado durante los ensayos y Francis McClean 's corto biplano fue retrasado por problemas en el motor, que mantenía de la competencia. [2]
Hawker and Kauper started shortly before noon and reached Great Yarmouth on the East Anglian coast at 4.38. where Hawker collapsed shortly after landing. This was ascribed to sunstroke but may have been due to Carbon monoxide poisoning.[3] (The exhaust pipe of the aircraft was subsequently lengthened, but this may have been to reduce noise). Under the competition rules there was no flying on the Sunday, so an attempt was made to resume the flight on the Monday, with Sydney Pickles taking over as pilot, but this was impossible due to deteriorating weather conditions.[4]
A second start was allowed by the race authorities, and the aircraft was returned to Southampton by rail. The second attempt started on Monday 25 August when Hawker and Kauper took off at 5.30 am. Flying via Ramsgate, Yarmouth and Scarborough, Seaham - where an unscheduled hour stop was made to effect repairs and replace lost radiator water - and ending the day at Beadnell, about 20 mi (32 km) short of the control point at Berwick-on-Tweed, due to one of the radiator hoses having been burnt through. The next day they left Beadnell at 8.05, stopping at Montrose, Aberdeen and Cromarty and reaching Oban on the west coast of Scotland at six in the evening, and took off on the third day at 5.42 am; after a stop at Kiells due to engine problems Larne was reached at 9.30. At 11 they took off for Dublin, but a few miles short of their destination Hawker decided to land in order to make adjustments to the engine valves. Unfortunately his foot slipped from the rudder bar and the aircraft sideslipped into the water, breaking Kauper's arm and damaging the aircraft too seriously for the flight to be continued.
Although they had only covered two-thirds of the 1,450 mi (2,330 km) course, Hawker was awarded a prize of £1,000 and was also awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society's silver medal; Kauper was awarded a bronze medal.[5]
Especificaciones
Data from Lewis 1962[6]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
- Wingspan: 49 ft 6 in (15.09 m)
- Wing area: 500 sq ft (46 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,580 lb (717 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Green E.6 6-cylinder inline water cooled piston engine , 100 hp (75 kW)
Performance
- Cruise speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
Otros aviones del Circuito de Gran Bretaña de 1913
- Cody floatplane
- Radley-England waterplanes
Referencias
Notes
- ^ "The Sopwith Tractor Water-Plane" Flight 16 August 1913
- ^ Round Britain Waterplane Flight Flight, 30 August 1913.
- ^ Blackmore 1993 p. 80.
- ^ Round Britain Waterplane Flight Flight, 23 August 1913.
- ^ Daily Mail £5,000 Prize Flight, 6 September 1913
- ^ Lewis 1962, p.479.
Bibliography
- Blackmore, L.K. Hawker: A Biography. Shrewsbury: Airlife, 1993 ISBN 1 85310 437X
- Lewis, Peter, British Aircraft 1809-1914. London: Putnam, 1962.