Aeroplane Construction and Operation

by John B. Rathbun

Plan and Side Elevation of the S.P.A.D. Speed Scout. Courtesy "Aerial Age".

CHAPTER XIX. OPERATION AND TRAINING.

Self-Training. In the early days of aviation, there were few schools, and these were so expensive to attend that the majority of the aeronautical enthusiasts taught themselves to fly on home-made machines. While this was a heroic method, it had the advantage of giving the student perfect confidence in himself, and if his funds were sufficient to outlast the crashes, it resulted in a finished and thorough flyer. In general, this process may be described as consisting of two hours of practice followed by a week or more of repairing.

The present-day beginner has many advantages. He has the choice of many excellent schools that charge a reasonable tuition, and where the risk of injury is small. He has access to the valuable notes published in the aeronautical magazines, and the privilege of consulting with experienced aviators. The stability and reliability of the planes and the motors have also been improved to a remarkable degree, and the student no longer has to contend with a doubtful aeroplane construction nor with the whims of a poorly-constructed motor.

Training Methods. In the majority of American schools, the instructor accompanies the student in the first flights. The controls are "Dual," or interconnected, so that the instructors’ controls act in unison with those of the student, thus giving the latter an accurate knowledge of the movements necessary for each flight condition. After the first few flights the instructor can relax his controls at times so that the student can take charge. This continues until the student has shown the ability to handle the machine alone under ordinary conditions and is then ready for his first "Solo" or flight alone. The first solo is a critical period in his training, for when once in flight he is beyond all human aid.

At the navy training school at Pensacola, the student is first taken for a ride with one of the instructors without giving him access to the controls. This is simply to give the student an experience in the sensation of flight. After this he is taken for a series of short flights on a dual control machine, the instructor gradually allowing him to take charge to a greater and greater extent as he develops the "Air feel." During this time the intricacies of the maneuvers are also gradually increased, so that after about ten hours of this sort of work he is allowed to take his first solo. It has been found that the average student will require from 10 to 20 hours of dual control instruction before he is fit to fly alone. When his work has proven satisfactory he is then allowed to fly in rough weather, execute spirals, and attempt high altitude and long distance flying.

Some instructors believe in showing what can be performed in the air from the very beginning. During the first dual flights, the pilot indulges in dives, vertical banks, side slip, or even looping. After an experience of this sort, the student is far more collected and easy during the following instructions in simple straight flying. If this preliminary stunt flying has a very material effect on the nerve of the student it may be taken for granted that he is not adapted for the work and can be weeded out without further loss of time. If he is of the right type, this "rough stuff" has a beneficial influence on his work during the succeeding lessons. During this time numerous landings are made, for it must be understood that this is one of the most difficult features of flying. With 15 minute lessons, at least 6 landings should be made per lesson.

A second method of instruction, and to the author's mind the most desirable, is by means of the "Penguin" or "Roller." This is a low-powered machine with very small wings—so small that it cannot raise itself from the ground. By running the penguin over the ground, the student learns how to manage his engine and to steer with his feet. In this way he obtains a certain delicacy of touch without endangering either himself or an expensive machine. After he has progressed satisfactorily on this machine he graduates to a faster penguin or else to a very slow aeroplane with which he can actually leave the ground. Since the second penguin, or the slow aeroplane are much faster than the first machine, the student finds that the sensitiveness of the rudder and controls are greatly increased. They require more careful handling than in the first instance, and the slightest mistake or delay will send the machine skidding. The aeroplanes used at this stage are very low-powered, and are capable of rising only a few feet from the ground, but they give the student an opportunity of learning the aileron and tail controls in comparative safety. The same result can be obtained with a standard aeroplane by a permanent set in the throttle control, and by adjusting the stabilizer surface. The beginner is allowed to work only during calm weather, as the low speed and small lifting capacity is likely to cause an accident if the machine is caught by a side or following gust. He only learns how to get the machine off the ground, to keep the tail up and hold it in a straight line for a few seconds.

The man taught by the penguin method is alone when he first leaves the ground, and hence is generally more self-reliant than one who has been "Spoon fed." His experience in handling the controls has made his movements instinctive, so that when he first actually flies he is in a better position to analyze the new problems before him. It is a better and cheaper method for the school as the breakage is less expensive and allows the unfit students be weeded out before they cause damage to themselves or to the school property.