Short Crusader: Difference between revisions
m Robot - Moving category British sport aircraft 1920-1929 to Category:British sport aircraft 1920–1929 per CFD at Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2011 September 20. |
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{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin |
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|name = Crusader |
|name =Short Crusader |
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The '''Short Crusader''' was a British [[air racing|racing]] [[seaplane]] of the 1920s built by [[Short Brothers]]. |
The '''Short Crusader''' was a British [[air racing|racing]] [[seaplane]] of the 1920s built by [[Short Brothers]], built to compete in the 1927 [[Schneider Trophy]]. |
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==Background== |
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Powered by a [[Bristol Mercury]] engine, it was designed under Colonel W.A. Bristow, the detail design work being carried out by [[C.T.P Lipscomb]] at Shorts and construction by Shorts at Rochester.<ref>Barnes & James, p. 218</ref> |
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Although [[inline]] engines had a clear advantage for high-speed aircraft due to the smaller frontal area, [[Roy Fedden]], the engineer in charge of aero-engine development at [[Bristol Aircraft Ltd|Bristol Aircraft]], was unwilling to let the initiative in engine development pass to [[Rolls-Royce]] and [[Napier & Son| Napier]], and managed to obtain a contract for an uprated version of the [[Bristol Mercury|Mercury]] 9-cylinder radial engine. The early production versions of this engine produced {{convert|420|hp|kW|abbr=on}} , but the uprated engine produced {{convert|960|hp|kW|abbr=on}} in bench-testing, althougj for flight purposes it was limited to an output of {{convert|810|hp|kW|abbr=on}}<ref>Barnes & James, p. 218</ref> The project for a racing aircraft using this engine was entrusted to Lieut.-Col. [[W. A. Bristow]], a consultant aero-engineer, and [[George Carter|W.G. Carter]]. Submitted to the [[Air Ministry]] in early 1926, the design was accepted and a contract for one prototype was awarded. Since it became apparent that the resources of a large aircraft manufacturer would be necessary, detail design and manufacture was assigned to Shorts, who had alread been made responsible for the design and manufacture of the floats. |
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==Design and development== |
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The aircraft was a low-wing monoplane of mainly wooden construction. The wire-braced wings were of [[ellipse|elliptical]] [[planform]], with maximum [[chord]] and thickness at mid-span, with two [[spruce]] [[Spar (aviation)|box-spars]] and spruce [[ribs]] covered with thin [[mahogany]] sheet covered with [[silk]]. The rear of the elliptical section [[fuselage]] was also wooden, being a [[monocoque]] construction with two layers of mahogany [[veneer]] applied over a frame of spruce [[Former|formers]] and [[stringers]]. The forward section was built from steel tubing, covered with [[duralumin]] panels. The exposed [[cylinder (engine)|cylinders]] were covered by streamlined helmets to minimise drag while admitting enugh air to cool the engine, the helmet of the uppermost cylinder being continued back as a fairing whic incorporated the windscreen and pilots headrest. The twin floats, made of duralumin, were each carried on a pair of streamline section raked struts, braced by wires. |
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==Operational history== |
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It was used as a backup and a training aircraft for the [[High Speed Flight RAF|RAF High Speed Flight]] in their bid to win the [[Schneider Trophy]] in the 1927 competition staged at [[Venice]]. It crashed before competing, however, as a result of the inadvertent crossover of the aileron cables during reassembly after the trip to Italy.<ref>Barnes & James, p. 222</ref> |
It was used as a backup and a training aircraft for the [[High Speed Flight RAF|RAF High Speed Flight]] in their bid to win the [[Schneider Trophy]] in the 1927 competition staged at [[Venice]]. It crashed before competing, however, as a result of the inadvertent crossover of the aileron cables during reassembly after the trip to Italy.<ref>Barnes & James, p. 222</ref> |
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==Specifications== |
==Specifications== |
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{{aircraft specifications |
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{{Aircraft specs |
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|plane or copter?=plane<!-- options: plane/copter --> |
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|ref=<ref> Barnes & JamesBarnes & James, p. 223</ref> |
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|jet or prop?=prop<!-- options: jet/prop/both/neither --> |
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|ref=Barnes & James<ref>Barnes & James, p. 223</ref> |
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|prime units?= imp |
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|capacity= |
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|genhide= |
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|payload main= |
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|payload alt= |
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|crew=1 |
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|length main= 25 ft 0 in |
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|length |
|length m= |
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|length ft=25 |
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|span main= 26 ft 6 in |
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|length in= |
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|span alt= 8.07 m |
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|length note= |
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|span m= |
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|span ft=26 |
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|area main= 120 sq ft |
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|span in=6 |
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|area alt= 11.15 m² |
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|height m= |
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|airfoil= |
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|height ft= |
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|empty weight main= 1,938 lb |
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|height in= |
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|empty weight alt= 878 kg |
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|height note= |
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|loaded weight main= 2,712 lb |
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|wing area sqm= |
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|loaded weight alt= 1,227 kg |
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|wing area sqft=120 |
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|useful load main= |
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|wing area note= |
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|airfoil=RAF 27 biconvex |
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|max takeoff weight main= |
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|empty weight kg= |
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|empty weight lb=1938 |
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|empty weight note= |
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|gross weight kg= |
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|gross weight lb=2712 |
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|gross weight note= |
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|max takeoff weight kg= |
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|max takeoff weight lb= |
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|max takeoff weight note= |
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|fuel capacity= |
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|more general= |
|more general= |
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<!-- |
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|engine (prop)=[[Bristol Mercury]] |
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Powerplant |
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|type of prop=[[tractor configuration|tractor]] nine-cylinder [[air-cooled]] [[radial engine]] |
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--> |
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|number of props= 1 |
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|eng1 number=1 |
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|power main= 810 hp |
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|eng1 name=[[Bristol Mercury]] I |
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|power alt= 604 kW |
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|eng1 type=9 cylinder air-coled radial |
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|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines --> |
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|eng1 hp=810<!-- prop engines --> |
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|eng1 shp=<!-- prop engines --> |
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|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |
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|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |
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|eng1 note= |
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|power original= |
|power original= |
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|max speed main= 270 mph |
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|max speed alt= 235 knots, 435 km/h |
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|cruise speed main= |
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|prop blade number=2<!-- propeller aircraft --> |
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|cruise speed alt= |
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|prop name= |
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|stall speed main= |
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|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |
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|stall speed alt= |
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|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |
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|never exceed speed main= |
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|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft --> |
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|never exceed speed alt= |
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|prop dia note= |
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|range main= |
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|range alt= |
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<!-- |
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|ceiling main= |
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Performance |
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|ceiling alt= |
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--> |
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|climb rate main= |
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|perfhide= |
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|climb rate alt= |
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|loading main= |
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|max speed kmh= |
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|loading alt= |
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|max speed mph=270 |
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|max speed kts= |
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|max speed note= |
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|cruise speed kmh= |
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|cruise speed mph= |
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|cruise speed kts= |
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|cruise speed note= |
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|stall speed kmh= |
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|stall speed mph= |
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|stall speed kts= |
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|stall speed note= |
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|never exceed speed kmh= |
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|never exceed speed mph= |
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|never exceed speed kts= |
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|never exceed speed note= |
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|minimum control speed kmh= |
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|minimum control speed mph= |
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|minimum control speed kts= |
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|minimum control speed note= |
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|range km= |
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|range miles= |
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|range nmi= |
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|range note= |
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|endurance=<!-- if range unknown --> |
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|ceiling m= |
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|ceiling ft= |
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|ceiling note= |
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|climb rate ms= |
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|climb rate ftmin= |
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|climb rate note= |
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|time to altitude= |
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|wing loading kg/m2= |
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|wing loading lb/sqft=22.6 |
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|wing loading note= |
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|fuel consumption kg/km= |
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|fuel consumption lb/mi= |
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|power/mass= |
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|thrust/weight= |
|thrust/weight= |
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|power/mass main= |
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|power/mass alt= |
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|more performance= |
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|guns= |
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|avionics= |
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|more performance= |
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}} |
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|similar aircraft = |
|similar aircraft = |
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*[[Supermarine S.5]] |
*[[Supermarine S.5]] |
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*[[Gloster G.IV]] |
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*[[Macchi M.52]] |
*[[Macchi M.52]] |
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|lists= |
|lists= |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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* {{cite book | last = Barnes| first =C.H.| coauthors =James D.N.| title =Shorts Aircraft since 1900| publisher =Putnam| date =1989| location =London| pages =560| isbn = 0-85177-819-4}} |
* {{cite book | last = Barnes| first =C.H.| coauthors =James, D.N.| title =Shorts Aircraft since 1900| publisher =Putnam| date =1989| location =London| pages =560| isbn = 0-85177-819-4}} |
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*http://www.airracinghistory.freeola.com/aircraft/Short%20Crusader.htm accessed 23 April 2008 |
*http://www.airracinghistory.freeola.com/aircraft/Short%20Crusader.htm accessed 23 April 2008 |
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==External links== |
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[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1927/1927%20-%200624.html Some Notes on the "Crusader"][[Flight International]] 18 August 1927 |
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{{Short Brothers aircraft}} |
{{Short Brothers aircraft}} |
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Revision as of 21:19, 30 March 2012
| Short Crusader | |
|---|---|
| Role | Racing seaplane |
| National origin | UK |
| Manufacturer | Short Brothers |
| Designer | W A Bristow |
| First flight | 4 May 1927 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force, High Speed Flight |
| Number built | 1 |
The Short Crusader was a British racing seaplane of the 1920s built by Short Brothers, built to compete in the 1927 Schneider Trophy.
Background
Although inline engines had a clear advantage for high-speed aircraft due to the smaller frontal area, Roy Fedden, the engineer in charge of aero-engine development at Bristol Aircraft, was unwilling to let the initiative in engine development pass to Rolls-Royce and Napier, and managed to obtain a contract for an uprated version of the Mercury 9-cylinder radial engine. The early production versions of this engine produced 420 hp (310 kW) , but the uprated engine produced 960 hp (720 kW) in bench-testing, althougj for flight purposes it was limited to an output of 810 hp (600 kW)[1] The project for a racing aircraft using this engine was entrusted to Lieut.-Col. W. A. Bristow, a consultant aero-engineer, and W.G. Carter. Submitted to the Air Ministry in early 1926, the design was accepted and a contract for one prototype was awarded. Since it became apparent that the resources of a large aircraft manufacturer would be necessary, detail design and manufacture was assigned to Shorts, who had alread been made responsible for the design and manufacture of the floats.
Design and development
The aircraft was a low-wing monoplane of mainly wooden construction. The wire-braced wings were of elliptical planform, with maximum chord and thickness at mid-span, with two spruce box-spars and spruce ribs covered with thin mahogany sheet covered with silk. The rear of the elliptical section fuselage was also wooden, being a monocoque construction with two layers of mahogany veneer applied over a frame of spruce formers and stringers. The forward section was built from steel tubing, covered with duralumin panels. The exposed cylinders were covered by streamlined helmets to minimise drag while admitting enugh air to cool the engine, the helmet of the uppermost cylinder being continued back as a fairing whic incorporated the windscreen and pilots headrest. The twin floats, made of duralumin, were each carried on a pair of streamline section raked struts, braced by wires.
Operational history
It was used as a backup and a training aircraft for the RAF High Speed Flight in their bid to win the Schneider Trophy in the 1927 competition staged at Venice. It crashed before competing, however, as a result of the inadvertent crossover of the aileron cables during reassembly after the trip to Italy.[2]
Operators
Specifications
Data from [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 25 ft (7.6 m)
- Wingspan: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
- Wing area: 120 sq ft (11 m2)
- Airfoil: RAF 27 biconvex
- Empty weight: 1,938 lb (879 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,712 lb (1,230 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury I 9 cylinder air-coled radial, 810 hp (600 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 270 mph (430 km/h, 230 kn)
- Wing loading: 22.6 lb/sq ft (110 kg/m2)
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Barnes, C.H. (1989). Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam. p. 560. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - http://www.airracinghistory.freeola.com/aircraft/Short%20Crusader.htm accessed 23 April 2008
External links
Some Notes on the "Crusader"Flight International 18 August 1927