WITHOUT PRIORITY How One American Firm Built a "Plastic" Plane : The Langley Uses Few Priority
Materials
C O U P L E of m o n t h s ago, in our issue of October
30th, 1941, t o be precise, we published photographs a n d a brief description of t h e new American Langley monoplane. More detailed information has now become available concerning the m e t h o d s of construction used in building this interesting little experimental aircraft. It transpires t h a t there is nothing r e m a r k a b l y new in t h e proAfter "cooking." One-half of the fuselage of the Langley cesses employed, b u t t h e y have been applied with inmonoplane is removed from the mould. Afterwards the two genuity by t h e designer of t h e machine, Mr. Martin Jensen, halves are joined together by a phenol resin. and the result appears promising. of H o n d u r a s mahogany, b e n t over moulds a n d cemented The construction of the Langley, named after America's together under h e a t and pressure, to form t h e main comfamous pioneer aircraft designer, Samuel P i e r p o n t Langley, ponents of the m a c h i n e : fuselage, win centre section, b u t not copied t o the extent of calling t h e machine an outer wing portions, stabilising and control surfaces.- H o n " a e r o d r o m e , " is based upon the so-called Vidal process. d u r a s mahogany was used because it would withstand t h e Mr. Vidal, it m a y be recollected, once upon a t i m e , when fairly high moulding pressures without crushing. The he occupied a Government office, h a d the laudable but veneer was all " f l a t - c u t " m a h o g a n y , and t h e thickness somewhat optimistic ambition of introducing t h e 1,000dollar light plane. varied from ; After returning to 1/64m. to i n . - ^ ? ! private life he beT h e resins emcame interested ployed were in plastics as apchiefly t h e vinyl plied t o aircraft, t h e r m o plastic and his process and phenol was tried experit h e r m o setting mentally on an resins. For the Avro Anson in benefit of the unCanada. The initiated it m a y Langley Aviation be explained t h a t Corporation, of t h e term thermoPort Washing plastic is applied ton, Long Island, to resins which made a very thor'' flow " when ough survey of all sufficient h e a t is existing methods reached, set when of using plastics t h e h e a t is rein aircraft conduced, a n d can be struction, and m a d e t o flow :.. ..:;:" ::.... t. came to the conagain when heat clusion t h a t the The Langley monoplane is a four-seater, powered by two Franklin air-cooled engines is applied. Therof 65 h.p. each. It is of plastic-bonded plywood construction. Vidal process was mosetting resins, the most promison t h e othering. I t avoided almost entirely the use of priority h a n d , will flow a t a certain heat, b u t when they have once f materials a n d h a d other advantages. cooled down t h e y will not flow again on a further application of h e a t . Vinyl, a thermoplastic resin, flows a t For the following notes on t h e building of the Langley a b o u t 200 deg. F . Vinyl resins were used in t h e Langley monoplane we are indebted *to our New York contemporary for t h e main structural components, and phenols for Aviation, in the November, 1941, issue of which there assembling, in place of nails or screws. appears an article on the subject. We h a v e space t o reproduce the most outstanding points only. D u r i n g t h e moulding process t h e veneer strips are laid Very briefly explained, the system is to use t h i n veneers on t h e mould, shaped if necessary for sharp curves, and stapled t o t h e mould. T h e resin Was then applied, t h e staples gradually removed, and a second layer laid over t h e first. Nowhere were fewer t h a n three layers of veneer used, a n d where stresses were h e a v y multiple layers were applied. T h e finished component was then placed in a rubber bag, from which the air was exhausted before placing t h e c o m p o n e n t in a n oven in which h e a t a n d ' ' liquid p r e s s u r e " (air, steam or water) were applied. After a period of some t h r e e hoursdepending on t h e thickness of t h e veneerthe t e m p e r a t u r e was reduced, t h e component cooled b y water, a n d finally removed from the mould. T h e Langley monoplane is a four-seater powered by two Franklin air-cooled engines of 65 h . p . each. The tare weight is 1,410 lb. a n d the loaded weight 2,300 lb. Maxim u m speed is 142 m . p . h . a n d t h e machine cruises a t 125 m . p . h . The range is 600 miles. A modified version fitted with two 90 h . p . engines is now being produced. An engine nacelle of wood construction is placed in the autoclave, where it is formed by liquid pressure and heated until the vinyl resin flows. This happens at a temperature of about 200 deg. F.
Flying Machines: Construction and Operation: A Practical Book Which Shows, in Illustrations, Working Plans and Text, How to Build and Navigate the Modern Airship