Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Experimental Adopted
R.A.F. Can.—Winter Flying Skids
As to the engines themselves, but little trouble was experienced. What did materialize was met by precautions somewhat similar to those taken in motor car work under parallel conditions. All petrol, oil and water were carefully drawn off every evening, the two latter being heated when replaced. Radiators were three-quarter covered by beaver board lined with felt, this plan working quite satisfactorily. Inspection of rigging was particularly close, lest the extreme cold should have set up undue stress in tension members, but the JN4 seemed born for the duty, and so far as records go, no accident took place which is in any way attributable to mechanical failure brought about by low temperature.
It was decided also to make certain slight changes in tail construction should flying be carried on for another winter. This consisted only of enclosing the tail skid in a flexible cover at the point where it left the fuselage—to prevent snow from accumulating inside the latter.
Further protective measures were very simple, such as wrapping water connections with felt and fabric, and removing the oil gauge from rear to front seat to shorten the piping, and leading it between the cylinders to secure maximum warmth. For the rest, the hangars were banked with earth some two feet high, and maintained at a temperature not below fifteen degrees of frost.
That the programme was successful may be seen from the fact that though the winter was of unusual severity, both as to cold and snowfall, flying was carried out for twenty-six days in January, twenty-one in February, and twenty-five in March. For these months, the records give an average day temperature of twenty-six degrees, twenty-two degrees, and seventeen degrees above zero, respectively, with a minimum of thirty-five degrees below. During this period, some instructors kept up an average flying time per day of two hours and twenty-five minutes for the whole three months.