Avro Duigan Biplane
| Avro Duigan Biplane | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Sport plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
March 1912 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
When Duigan biplane ( Duigan biplane ) is a two-seat biplane - airplane of the British manufacturer Avro .
development
John R. Duigan was a wealthy Australian aviation pioneer who had developed an aircraft based on the model of the Farman biplane in 1910 and presented this machine to the public for the first time in Melbourne in May 1911 .
After a few incidents during several flights, Duigan decided to attend Avro's flight school in Brooklands, and at the same time ordered an aircraft from Avro that was built according to Duigan's specifications.
The machine was constructed similarly to the Avro Type D , i.e. a two-seater with double controls, but with rectangular elevators and rudders reinforced with a tubular steel frame . Celluloid windows were installed in the floor area under the seats to give the passengers a view downwards. Selected woods were used in the manufacture of the machine.
As was common at the time, the aircraft was divided into several sections, which made it easy to dismantle for transport.
A 40 hp Alveston engine was used as the engine.
The chassis deviated completely from the previous Avro practice. A leaf-sprung axle and a centrally mounted ski were used based on the model of the Nieuport machines . In addition, several wires were stretched in the area of the landing gear, with which grass that had grown too high could be pressed down on landing and thus prevented a rollover. This type of landing gear proved so successful that it was used for a long time in the Avro aircraft in a slightly modified and improved version.
In December 1911, Duigan's first flight attempts with his new machine began. However, although he tested various propellers, he was unable to take off with the plane.
In March 1912, Duigan returned his aircraft to the Avro factory in Brooklands for repairs, where the Alveston engine was exchanged for a 26.1 kW (35.5 hp) ENV, Type D engine. This finally brought the machine into the air, but due to the low engine power, it was only possible to fly in good weather.
Duigan lend a hand himself, made his own propeller and carried out performance-enhancing measures on the engine. With this he was finally able to reach heights of up to about 100 m with the airplane in April 1912, which he increased to about 200 m after the final acquisition of his pilot's license at the end of April.
use
Duigan took the machine back home in Australia; there he rebuilt it - by the way, this replica crashed when it was first launched - and in June 1912 sold the copy made by Avro to the Lakes Flying Company in Windermere / England. There the aircraft was converted into a seaplane with a central float and was named Sea Bird (sea bird - water bird).
The new owner made changes to the aircraft's wing structure, installed a 37.3 kW (50.7 hp) Gnome engine, removed the dual controls and was able to significantly improve the machine's performance. The central swimmer was also soon replaced by a set of twin swimmers. It is known that the Sea Bird carried out a large number of pleasure flights with holiday guests in 1912 and 1913.
At the end of 1912, tests with an amphibious undercarriage were carried out with the aircraft, but stopped after an accident on December 18, 1912.
In January 1915, the Lakes Flying Company became the Northern Aircraft Company, and the "Sea Bird" was renamed the "Avro Biplane Tractor". Now the conversion to double controls took place again, and this sealed the end of this aircraft. When a student pilot ascended on June 5, 1915 with the modified machine, he did not think of the modified center of gravity, which was now far too far back. He wanted to make a gliding flight in water with the engine switched off, but pushed his nose forward too late, and the plane fell stern first into the lake from a height of about 100 m. Fortunately, the pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft was destroyed in the process.
construction
The Duigan Biplane was a two-legged biplane with the same length upper and lower wings, the fuselage was constructed in a fabric-covered wood construction.
The landing gear consisted of a two-wheeled sprung main landing gear with a skid mounted in the middle and a sprung tail skid (as Sea Bird initially with a central float, later with twin floats - for a short time with an amphibious landing gear).
Technical specifications
| Duigan Biplane | |
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.36 m |
| drive | an Alveston engine with 29.8 kW (40.5 hp) or an ENV Type D engine with 26.1 kW (35.5 PS) |
| Top speed | approx. 65 km / h |
| crew | 2 |
| Sea Bird | |
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 8.94 m |
| height | 3.15 m |
| Wingspan | 12.00 m |
| Wing area | approx. 32.50 m² |
| drive | a Gnome engine with approx. 37.3 kW (50.7 PS) |
| Top speed | approx. 100 km / h |
| crew | 2 |
See also
literature
- AJ Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908. Putnam, London 1965.
- P. Lewis: British Aircraft 1809-1914. Putnam, London 1962.
- H. Penrose: British Aviation. The Pioneer Years. Putnam, London 1967.
