Analysis of an aircraft's systems, including petrol tanks, armament, and controls.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27\3\ Scan328 | |
| Date | 27th January 1939 guessed | |
| -3- for special mention:- (a) Petrol tanks - Two petrol tanks, one in either wing were covered with rubber and between the rubber and the tank itself was some very soft sort of rubber, the intention being apparently to make them self-sealing after being struck with bullets. The starboard tank was practically full and I obtained a sample of 4 gallons of this fuel. It appeared to be 87 Octane. The port tank was practically empty. (b) Cabin heating was effected by means of a pipe running through the cabin side exhaust manifold of the port engine; this pipe went through the control space in the port wing leading edge, then down the wing and back into the cabin. (c) Oxygen was supplied for use by the crew. (d) The armament appeared to consist of three machine guns, assuming there was one in the nose of which however there was no trace, one in the middle of the fuselage fired by an operator sitting in a bucket seat suspended from the roof with command apparently through 360° and all over vertically. The third gun was fired in the rear by an operator lying face-downwards with a very restricted field of vision. Details of this third gun however are difficult to obtain as all the tackle had been moved before I arrived on the scene. (e) Armour plate: There had been no attempt to put any armour plate of any sort around the crew. (f) Bifuel system; - I saw no evidence of a bifuel system but that does not rule it out as a possibility. (g) Bombs - Bombs were carried vertically inside the cabin and released electrically. I understand on doubtful authority that the bombs are charged electrically immediately before releasing and exploded by shorting the charge on impact. They cannot therefore be exploded by a bullet or by impact due to crash. The bomb predictor was graduated inter alia for 250 Kg. bombs and 50 Kg. Incendiary bombs. The plane was not carrying its load of bombs. (h) Controls were for the most part by push/pull alum tubes though there were two torsion controls to the tail and one or two bowden controls in alum tubes. | ||
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).