British High-Speed Aircraft

Abstract

THE Aeronautical Research Committee has recently issued a résumé of the original scientific work done by various authorities in Great Britain upon the development of racing seaplanes, which has led finally to the winning outright of the Schneider Trophy and the breaking of the world's speed record during September 1931 (Reports and Memoranda, No. 1300. “Collected Reports on British High Speed Aircraft for the 1927 Schneider Trophy Contest”, by W. L. Cowley. London: H.M. Stationery Office). This is a departure from the normal procedure of issuing information in disconnected reports and memoranda as it becomes available, which has the advantage that it becomes virtually a textbook upon its subject and saves the labour necessary in hunting up such information when issued in separate pamphlets. On the other hand, if it is necessary to wait for more than four years for the collection and collation of such information, the advantage of its more convenient method of issue is largely outweighed by the obsolescence of its material. The subject matter is divided into separate headings of research, specifications, design and construction, inspection and test, and operational. It deals in great detail with three machines that are widely different in characteristics regarded from the point of view of high speed flight. The monoplane versus biplane, and the air-cooled versus water-cooled engine controversy is thoroughly fought out with representative machines of each class. The most significant thing about the report is the agreement between scientific prediction and actual results, and the ability of scientific investigation to explain apparent phenomena arising during practical use of the aircraft.