FLIGHT.

MARCH 4,

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A plan view of the Gladiator is shown in this steeply bank A turn above the clouds. Manoeuvrability is one of th attributes of the compact biplane and is combined with soeerf in this particular day-and-night fighter. [Flight photograph )

T h e flaps are operated b y a h y d r a u l i c h a n d p u m p . An interesting wing detail is t h e use of strut-root cuffs m a d e of Plastilume-moulded Celastoid. . T h e Bristol Mercury engine drives a wooden two-bladed airscrew in t h e s t a n d a r d production Gladiator, a l t h o u g h one b a t c h h a s been fitted experimentally w i t h F a i r e y three-

bladed m e t a l airscrews. T h e m a i n petrol t a n k is housed in t h e fuselage, j u s t a h e a d of t h e p i l o t ' s feet, and has a c a p a c i t y of 84 gallons. N o r m a l l y , however, it contains only 70, which q u a n t i t y gives t h e m a c h i n e its range at n o r m a l load. As the Gladiator is stressed for an all-no weight of 4,750 l b . a n d t h e n o r m a l gross weight is only 4,640 l b . , t h e e x t r a fuel does n o t represent an overload T h e oil t a n k is carried in t h e deck lairing, and a corrugated oil cooler forms a curved '' m a t ' ' outside it. Military e q u i p m e n t is, needless to say, very complete indeed, a n d includes full day-and-night-fighter gear, such as navigation lights, t w o - w a y wireless, oxygen bottle and cockpit h e a t i n g . T h e a r m a m e n t consists of four machine g u n s (Vickers or Browning), t w o of which are carried in t h e side fairings of t h e fuselage a n d provided with interr u p t e r gear, while t h e other t w o are carried in "blisters" in t h e lower wings. T h e wing g u n s a r e , of course, outside the airscrew disc, a n d so n o i n t e r r u p t e r gear is necessary. Some of t h e performance figures of t h e Gladiator have a l r e a d y been q u o t e d . I t m a y be a d d e d t h a t the maximum speed of 253 m . p . h . is a t t a i n e d a t 14,500 ft. The climb to 15,000 ft. occupies b u t 6.25 m i n u t e s , and a height of 20,000 ft. is reached in 9 m i n u t e s . T h e Gloster Aircraft Co., L t d . , g u a r a n t e e s t h e weight a n d performance figures w i t h i n narrow limits, viz., + 3 per cent, on speed and climb, a n d + 2 p e r cent, on weight. T h e tare weight, b y t h e w a y , is 3,476 l b . T h e load factors built into the G l a d i a t o r are such as t o p e r m i t t h e machine to be used for aerobatics a n d T.V. dives a t full gross weight. treatment temperatures for duralumin and similar high-tensile materials. Since the properties of the alloy depend, however, on the preparation and heat-treatment of the metals rather than upon the constituents and analysis, it is desirable for reliable series production work to hold the working temperatures within reasonable limits, and it is recommended that a pyrometer be employed for this purpose. With attention to such details it is possible not only to join all alloys of the aluminium group, but also to deal with Elektron and other magnesium alloys. In application, " A l u n i z e " is comparatively simple to use, since no flux is required. I t is also claimed to be possible to make joints between aluminium and other non-ferrous metals, or even steel, by tinning the other parts with ordinary solder. When this has been effected any trace of flux is carefully removed and thereafter the joint is completed with " A l u n i z e " without the use of any further fluxing medium. The material is handled in this country by Alunize, Ltd., 34, North Street, Rugby.

About Small Power Units

Small Four-Stroke Aero Engines, by C. F. Gaunter. (Aeronautical engineering series.) Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., London, W.C.2. 6s. net. P H O S E who are interested in light aircraft will find Small * Four-Stroke Aero Engines a most useful little book. I t is a companion to the author's Small Two-Stroke Aero Engines, published last July. These two books are arranged roughly in three sections: (a) A brief review of light aircraft, (b) Details of construction and servicing of the various types of small engines. (c) Descriptions and photographs of all such engines produced a t the present time.

A New Aluminium Solder

H E words " a l u m i n i u m s o l d e r " are apt to revive unpleasant memories in the minds of many engineers on account of the number of attempts t h a t have been made to produce a satisfactory alloy for jointing aluminium. Frequently exaggerated claims have been made with disappointing results, so that until recently the problem has remained virtually unsolved commercially. Quite recently, however, we have been able to witness tests of a new jointing material named " Alunize," which gives every indication of being suitable to making joints of high tensile strength as well as for filling blowholes or building up defects in castings of aluminium alloys. The actual tensile strength is 26 tons/sq. in., or roughly equal to t h a t of duralumin, Hiduminium, etc., in the best heat-treated condition. A variety of joints made with this material, some of, which have been tested to destruction, are shown in the accompanying illustration, where it may be seen t h a t b u t t joints between test-pieces of iin. diameter aluminium bar stock have been fractured by bending at the points B, leaving the joints A intact. The illustration also shows a tube-andsocket joint made with a clearance of 0.005m. between the components, and under test similar joints show a fracture of the tube away from the joint when submitted either to tensile or bending stresses. Originally this material was produced with a melting point of 220 deg. C , but it was found in practice that this temperature tended to weaken the metal adjacent to the joint, and new alloys have therefore been developed with melting points as low as 160 deg. C , which is well below the heat-

The test-pieces referred to in the accompanying note " A l u n i z e " aluminium solder.