pmccarthy

The Avion II was the second primitive aircraft designed by Clément Ader in the 1893. Most sources agree that work on it was never completed, Ader abandoning it in favour of the Avion III that had a financial backer. Ader's later claim that he flew the Avion II in August 1892 for a distance of 100 m at a field in Satory is not widely accepted. The engine developed for Avion II, called Zéphyr was a light steam engine driving a 3 m (10 ft) diameter 4-bladed propeller, in which steam was cooled through a condenser. It yielded 22 kW (30 hp) at 480 rpm at a pressure of 15 Pa (0.00 psi), weighing 33 kg (73 lb) dry, and 134 kg (295 lb) with full boiler and accessories.

This one was at the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace, Le Bourget, Paris. 32 different aircraft types used Salmson engines, including Short, Farman, Blackburn, Voisin, Caudron, Vickers and Sopwith. From Wikipedia: Henri Salmson, a manufacturer of water pumps, was engaged by Georges Marius Henri-Georges Canton and Pierre Unné, a pair of Swiss engineers, to produce engines to their design. Their initial efforts were on barrel engines, but these failed to meet expectations due to low reliability and high fuel consumption caused by internal friction. A new 7-cylinder water-cooled radial design was then developed by Canton and Unné. The range was expanded to produce 9-cylinder models, and also two-row 14-cylinder and 18-cylinder engines. By 1912 the Salmson A9 was producing around 120 brake horsepower; while competitive with rival designs from French companies, Salmson, Canton and Unné decided to develop more powerful engines as their rivals were concentrating on engines of lower power. The engines were produced at Salmson's factory at Billancourt, which was expanded during the First World War, and a second factory was opened at Villeurbanne. The Salmson-(Canton-Unne) series of water-cooled engines were also built by licensees in Russia and in Great Britain at the Dudbridge Iron Works Limited at Stroud in Gloucestershire between 1914 and 1918.

From Wikipedia - From 1905 to 1915, Alessandro Anzani built a number of three-cylinder fan and radial engines, one of which powered Louis Blériot's 1909 cross-channel flight. An Anzani three-cylinder engine that powers a Blériot XI based in England is thought to be the oldest airworthy engine in the world. The first image is from Paris, the second from Old Warden, in a 1910 Deperdussin.

It’s interesting that he needed a flywheel. Crankshaft looks a bit thin. But you would have to be intense to stick with it in those days!

This is a Bertin X-8. It is 100HP. Photographed at the Musée de l’air et de l’espace in Paris in 2015. Bertin was killed in a crash of his fifth build before the Great War. Jane's All The World Aircraft 1913: BERTIN. L. Bertin, 23 rue de Rocroy, Paris. 1913. Monoplane. 2-seater. Length.........feet(m.) 29 (8.80) Span...........feet(m.) 34 (10.40) Area .....sq. feet(m?.) 226 (21) Weight,machine... .....lbs.(kgs.) 770 (350) Weight, useful... .....lbs.(kgs.) ... Motor..............h.p. 100 Bertin Speed, max...m.p.h.(km.) 71 (115) Number built during 1912 1 Remarks--Wood and steel construction. On wheels only. Controls: warping and rear elevator Flight, November 16, 1912. THE PARIS AERO SALON. Bertin. M. Bertin's machine is a monoplane which follows in its general design conventional practice. Its main body, pentagonal in section, is a girder of wood and steel wire. In front is mounted an 8-cyl. 100-h.p. engine of M. Bertin's own design and constiuction. The tail has fixed vertical and horizontal surfaces, to which are hinged respectively the rudder and the elevators. Its chassis built up entirely of steel tubing, and although not highly original, is, nevertheless, extremely neat and effective. Its flexibility is derived from steel compression springs enclosed in the outer oblique chassis struts, the vertical centre ones acting purely as guides.

I like the way the valve gear works on this one. Don't know what it is yet, I will do some research.

Last time I was there the only parking was in a swale, I had to hope there was no rain for a few days.

With the hangar neighbours you got, I ain't surprised you looked.

I would say $250 per month, $3,000 per year. Say a hangar costs $100,000 then the interest at say 5% is $5,000 then add Rates and lease charges another $1,000 so hangar owner pays $6,000 and if it is a two plane hangar then $3,000 each plane. There is no profit in that. And I forgot hangar insurance.

If you use the new adaptive cruise control a lot, you expect the car to slow down when it comes up behind someone. Then driving your classic get a rude shock.

My local flights may involve two hours or so and a couple of landings at nearby airfields before returning. I don’t tell anyone where I am going because I usually don’t know until I am in the air. I carry an emergency beacon and my wife can track me on her phone. And I am always in good radio range of Centre. For trips I lodge a flight plan with NAIPS.

Looks like fun. I love the ultralight circuit at Oshkosh, watching machines like this.

That’s a high caliber reply.

If my willy is too small, I could get an extension. Or if I don’t need to use it, an exemption.

Your log book can be as big and heavy as you like, it stays at home in a drawer.

My medical renewal is coming up and I received the usual from CASA. It contained the following message: **** Please note: If you are unable to renew or do not wish to currently renew your certificate due to COVID-19 and your current medical certificate expires on or after 01/03/2020 then you will have a 6 month exemption under EX57/20. This is an exemption not an extension, when you renew your medical during or after the exemption period your new medical expiry date will be from the date that you sit your examination with your DAME. Please see below link for more details. https://www.casa.gov.au/about-us/covid-19-advice-industry/exemptions-covid-19 **** I do not have a degree in philosophy and cannot work out what they are trying to say. I have read the linked data. Can I continue to fly for an additional six months before renewing? What is the practical effect of the difference between an exemption and an extension?

I don’t know about other people, but I like to get a bit of feedback from a post. We are stuck at home in isolation and looking for relationships however tenuous. A like is appreciated. A comment much more. Without them it is easy to become disheartened and then why bother.

Old time surveys can be very accurate. Back in the 19th century they could close a survey traverse of several miles within an inch or so. All based on true grid, you then just adjust for magnetic variation.

I regret throwing out my boxes of EA. Built a few valve amps and things from it way back when.

I owned a FS Texan for five years, it had good performance without being an expensive toy. Owners swear by them as simple and practical. I would have another.

A lot of gold prospectors still report their nuggets in pennyweights, though they would like to report ounces.

I spent a lot of time once converting 40 feet to the inch plans into 1:500. Cost our company a fortune and barely changed the plans at all.

My dad spent all afternoon laying down turf, and when we came out this morning it had all been stolen. Now he is just standing in the yard looking forlorn.

Looks like fun.

I have the book he wrote about that trip.