THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL AVIATION - Page 4
MODEL AIRCRAFT
WITH THE GROWING INTEREST IN THE FULL-SIZED AIRCRAFT AND THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY THE POPULAR PRESS TO FEATS OF AVIATORS AND EVENTS IN THOSE DAYS, THE ENTRAINMENT OF THE AIRMINDED TO PRODUCE MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS INEVITABLE, AND NAMES SUCH AS DE HAVILLAND, FAIREY, TWINING, BRAGG-SMITH, A V ROE AND FLEMING-WILLIAMS WERE WELL KNOWN AT THAT TIME, AND SOME OF THESE BECAME VERY NOTED CONSTRUCTORS OF FULLSIZE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS HELD AT ALEXANDRA PALACE IN 1907. IN 1910 THE KITE AND MODEL AEROPLANE ASSOCIATION
WAS FORMED TO ADMINISTER THE INTERESTS OF MODEL AVIATION. THIS ASSOCIATION BECAME DEFUNCT IN 1920 AND THE LONDON AEROMODELS ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED. IN ORDER TO CONTROL MODEL AVIATION ON A NATIONAL BASIS. THE NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1922 TO THE SOCIETY OF MODEL AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS AND UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF LT. Col. J. T. C MOORE-BRABAZON THE ROYAL AERO CLUB 'RECOGNIZED THE SOCIETY AS THE BODY TO CONTROL MODEL AEROPLANE COMPETITION'. THE ROYAL AERO CLUB WAS TO ADMINISTER "ALL ASPECTS OF MODEL AVIATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM."
RUBBER DRIVEN MODELS
ONE OF THE EARLIEST SUCCESSFUL MODELS IN ENGLAND WAS BUILT BY BRAGG-SMITH IN 1909 - THE MODEL IN THE COLLECTION IS HIS 1912 VERSION. IT WAS BUILT FOR THE SON OF THE THEN PRIME MINISTER - ASQUITH.
'T' FRAME, MODEL
THE POPULAR CONFIGURATION OF MODEL WAS THE 'T' FRAME TWIN PUSHER. THIS WAS INTRODUCED EY FLEMING-WILLIAMS IN ABOUT 1908 AND BECAME A STANDARD DESIGN. THE DISADVANTAGE OF THIS TYPE WAS THE INHERENT WEAKNESS OF THE STICK, WHICH, UNLESS HEAVILY BRACED OR MADE HOLLOW AND OF LARGE SECTION WAS LIABLE TO BEND UNDER LOAD, SO DESTROYING THE TRIM OF THE MODEL.
'A' FRAME MODEL'
A DEVELOPMENT OF THE 'T' FRAME WAS THE 'A' FRAME TWIN PUSHER. THE BASIC FRAME WAS IN THE SHAPE OF AN 'A', WITH THE MOTORS DISPOSED ALONG EACH LEG OF THE 'A'. IN CONFORMITY WITH THE POPULAR TREND, THE ELEVATOR WAS MOUNTED IN FRONT OF THE MAIN LIFTING SURFACE. THIS LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE 'CANARD' CONFIGURATION BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT RATHER RESEMBLED A DUCK IN FLIGHT. THE PUSHER TYPE WAS VERY POPULAR BECAUSE IT WAS SIMPLE, STRONG AND FLEW EXTREMELY WELL. THE PROPELLERS ROTATING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS EXERTED NO TORQUE ON THE AIRFRAME IN FLIGHT. THE DESIGN DID NOT REQUIRE ANY VERTICAL STABILISING SURFACE, AS THE ACCELERATION OF AIR THROUGH THE PROPELLER DISCS PRODUCED THE SAME AERODYRAMIC EFFECT AS A FIN, AND DIRECTIONAL STABILITY WAS THUS ACHIEVED.
THE 'A' FRAME PUSHER DESIGN WAS POPULAR FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL SUPERSEDED BY MORE CONVENTIONAL DESIGN, FOLLOWING THAT OF FULL-SIZE AIRCRAFT. EVEN DURING THE LATE 1930s THESE TYPES CONTINUED TO BE USED, PARTICULARLY FOR COMPETITION.
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WITH THE GROWING INTEREST IN THE FULL-SIZED AIRCRAFT AND THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY THE POPULAR PRESS TO FEATS OF AVIATORS AND EVENTS IN THOSE DAYS, THE ENTRAINMENT OF THE AIRMINDED TO PRODUCE MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS INEVITABLE, AND NAMES SUCH AS DE HAVILLAND, FAIREY, TWINING, BRAGG-SMITH, A V ROE AND FLEMING-WILLIAMS WERE WELL KNOWN AT THAT TIME, AND SOME OF THESE BECAME VERY NOTED CONSTRUCTORS OF FULLSIZE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS HELD AT ALEXANDRA PALACE IN 1907. IN 1910 THE KITE AND MODEL AEROPLANE ASSOCIATION
WAS FORMED TO ADMINISTER THE INTERESTS OF MODEL AVIATION. THIS ASSOCIATION BECAME DEFUNCT IN 1920 AND THE LONDON AEROMODELS ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED. IN ORDER TO CONTROL MODEL AVIATION ON A NATIONAL BASIS. THE NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1922 TO THE SOCIETY OF MODEL AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS AND UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF LT. Col. J. T. C MOORE-BRABAZON THE ROYAL AERO CLUB 'RECOGNIZED THE SOCIETY AS THE BODY TO CONTROL MODEL AEROPLANE COMPETITION'. THE ROYAL AERO CLUB WAS TO ADMINISTER "ALL ASPECTS OF MODEL AVIATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM."
RUBBER DRIVEN MODELS
ONE OF THE EARLIEST SUCCESSFUL MODELS IN ENGLAND WAS BUILT BY BRAGG-SMITH IN 1909 - THE MODEL IN THE COLLECTION IS HIS 1912 VERSION. IT WAS BUILT FOR THE SON OF THE THEN PRIME MINISTER - ASQUITH.
'T' FRAME, MODEL
THE POPULAR CONFIGURATION OF MODEL WAS THE 'T' FRAME TWIN PUSHER. THIS WAS INTRODUCED EY FLEMING-WILLIAMS IN ABOUT 1908 AND BECAME A STANDARD DESIGN. THE DISADVANTAGE OF THIS TYPE WAS THE INHERENT WEAKNESS OF THE STICK, WHICH, UNLESS HEAVILY BRACED OR MADE HOLLOW AND OF LARGE SECTION WAS LIABLE TO BEND UNDER LOAD, SO DESTROYING THE TRIM OF THE MODEL.
'A' FRAME MODEL'
A DEVELOPMENT OF THE 'T' FRAME WAS THE 'A' FRAME TWIN PUSHER. THE BASIC FRAME WAS IN THE SHAPE OF AN 'A', WITH THE MOTORS DISPOSED ALONG EACH LEG OF THE 'A'. IN CONFORMITY WITH THE POPULAR TREND, THE ELEVATOR WAS MOUNTED IN FRONT OF THE MAIN LIFTING SURFACE. THIS LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE 'CANARD' CONFIGURATION BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT RATHER RESEMBLED A DUCK IN FLIGHT. THE PUSHER TYPE WAS VERY POPULAR BECAUSE IT WAS SIMPLE, STRONG AND FLEW EXTREMELY WELL. THE PROPELLERS ROTATING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS EXERTED NO TORQUE ON THE AIRFRAME IN FLIGHT. THE DESIGN DID NOT REQUIRE ANY VERTICAL STABILISING SURFACE, AS THE ACCELERATION OF AIR THROUGH THE PROPELLER DISCS PRODUCED THE SAME AERODYRAMIC EFFECT AS A FIN, AND DIRECTIONAL STABILITY WAS THUS ACHIEVED.
THE 'A' FRAME PUSHER DESIGN WAS POPULAR FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL SUPERSEDED BY MORE CONVENTIONAL DESIGN, FOLLOWING THAT OF FULL-SIZE AIRCRAFT. EVEN DURING THE LATE 1930s THESE TYPES CONTINUED TO BE USED, PARTICULARLY FOR COMPETITION.
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