The Strange Aircraft with an Even Stranger Feat

on May 30th 1940 in the heart of Britain Armstrong witor's deputy chief test pilot John Oliver Lancaster better known as Joe took the range of the first Armstrong witw worth aw 52 prototype TS 363 the weather that day was near perfect with imposing cumulous clouds providing intermittent shelter strapped into an injection seat a new and untested Innovation Lancaster contemplated the risks ahead many doubted the efficacy of the seats in emergencies but he forged ahead Lancaster meticulously executed his series of tests primarily in the speed range of 270 to 350 mph at an altitude of 10,000 ft as he initiated a shallow dive and approached 5,000 ft turbulence unexpectedly engulfed his aircraft violent pitching and escalating oscillations rocked the cockpit pushing Lancaster to the brink with seconds that felt like an eternity he made a critical decision to act activate the ejection seat and abandon the aircraft no one had ever done so successfully in Britain as the world hurdled towards the era of Modern Warfare during the early 20th century Aviation Pioneers were driven by a quest to push the boundaries of flight one concept would Stand Out Among their many Innovations the Flying Wing the roots of the Flying Wing concept can be traced back to the brilliant mind of JW Dunn in the years before World War I his groundbreaking ideas laid the foundation for a lineage of Daring Aircraft engineers including GTR Hill who embarked on a journey of experimentation but it was in the tumultuous 1920s and 30s that the concept indeed took flight with Germany emerging as a hot bed of innovation Dr Alexander lipes a Visionary aerodynamicist led the way with his experiments on unpowered sail planes exploring deltawing configurations that would later Inspire generations of designers in 1939 Dr lipus joined forces with Professor Willie MMI creating the me163 comet this rocket powered Interceptor fighter was agile but perilous for its Pilots owing to the volatile rocket fuels used in its vter rocket motor meanwhile the Horton Brothers Walter and ryar charted their own path to aviation history their Horton H9 powered by embedded jet engines achieved a historic milestone in February 194 45 when it became the world's first true all-wing jet propelled aircraft to take flight years ahead of its British counterpart as the war raged on interest in flying wings persisted it was then that Armstrong Whitworth recognized the potential of combining the Flying Wing configuration with two key Innovations laminer flow air foils and turbojet engines in the 1940s amidst the fascination with flying wing designs like the Horton and North Creations a quiet Revolution was brewing in Britain the Armstrong witw worth aw 52 emerged as a groundbreaking experiment in aviation technology during World War II this pioneering aircraft was the brainchild of John Jimmy Lloyd the chief designer at Armstrong Whitworth aircraft Lloyd's Journey began when the ministry of Supply approached him with the unique challenge to design a full-scale wing capable of conducting lemoner flow drag tests in a wind tunnel operated by the national physical laboratory and endeavored driven by the quest to unlock the full potential of the Flying Wing concept and harness the advantages of laminer flow wings and Boundary layer control laminer flow Wings characterized by the minimal aerodynamic friction promised smoother air flow over the wing surface drastically reducing turbulence and drag boundary layer control further ensured optimal aerodynamic flow however achieving this Vision was no small feat C craftsmanship and surface finish had to be impeccable to maintain laminer flow air foils as even the tiniest imperfection could disrupt their delicate performance traditional a foils had their maximum thickness near the Leading Edge but laminer flow air foils required it closer to the mid- cord position making maintenance a formidable challenge despite these hurdles the A52 project persevered accumulating vital data and experience with the Flying Wing configuration this effort supported Armstrong whitworth's grand plan to develop a more ambitious project a jet powered flying wing airliner concurrently another daring experiment unfolded with the iconic Hawker hurricane 2 z36 A7 this legendary Interceptor fighter was modified with laminer flow wings and Boundary layer control the lemoner flow Wing was expected to bestow enhanced speed and maneuverability on the hurricane real world testing of the Armstrong witth designed lemon or flow wing on the modified hurricane revealed promising results however a significant challenge emerged as dirt accumulated on the wing disrupting the air flow and diminishing performance gains undeterred Lloyd pressed forward he envisioned an airliner with a revolutionary design a flying wing powered by buried jet engines to maintain optimal aerodynamics this aircraft conceived in 1943 was a giant in its time boasting a weight of around 180,000 lb and a wingspan of at least 160 ft its structure departed from convention lacking a traditional fuselage or tail unit this audacious design resembling today's Boeing 737 family in size and weight required extensive testing the aw 52g with its impressive 53 10in wingspan served as a test bed for exploring the low speed characteristics of the Flying Wing design constructed mainly from wood the this glider featured a central Nell housing two Intrepid pilots and two outer wing sections control was achieved through Innovative wing tip elevons combining the functions of elevators and ailerons along with Fowler flaps along the trailing [Music] Edge in March 1943 construction of the aw 52g began and it was equipped with anti-spin parachutes at the wing tips to ensure safety during testing 2 years later on March 2nd 1945 the glider embarked on its flight towed into the Sky by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber this during flight provided crucial data on the flying wings performance particularly its control and stability however the aw 52g couldn't reach the high-speed flight required for comprehensive testing to bridge this Gap the ministry of Supply contracted Armstrong Whitworth to produce two aw 52 prototypes for evaluation intended initially for male transport construction commenced in March 1944 and on March 2nd 1945 the first of these aircraft took to the skies one remarkable feature of the aw 52 prototypes was its complex automated pitch management system which tackled a significant challenge faced by flying wing designers trim changes caused by flaps this system ensured stability and control contributing to the success of the project to lift the glider into the skies they turned to a whitly b Mark 5 bomber La 951 the last of its kind produced at the Bagon assembly line in July 1943 which had been retained by the company for experimental purposes the success of glader Trials paved the way for two upscaled and jet powered research aircraft with a wingspan of 90 ft and a takeoff weight of around 20,000 lb the aw 52 was not just another aircraft it was a pioneering creation that pushed the boundaries of Aeronautical Engineering one of the most striking features of the aw W 52 was its futuristic tailess configuration though it wasn't a true flying wing it embodied Cutting Edge design principles of its time it was powered by pure jet propulsion featuring a 35° wing sweep back and an air foil designed to maintain laminer flow over 55% of its cord this laminer flow was essential for achieving high-speed performance intriguingly the aw 52 Incorporated boundary layer control over its control surfaces ensuring smooth air flow even at high speeds it boasted automatic pitch correction thermal deicing and a fully pressurized crew compartment the aircraft was equipped with a Martin Baker rejection seat which made its debut in the UK during the aw 52's testing the aw 52 featured F flaps spoilers and elevons for precise roll and Pitch control the Innovative design didn't stop with its aerodynamics the manufacturing process of the lemoner flow Wing was equally groundbreaking instead of the conventional method the wing was built in two halves ensuring the outer skin maintained the required Contour this meticulous process resulted in an a foil with an error margin of only 02 in to control the aircraft flight elevons were introduced suction ducts on the upper Wing surface aided in boundary layer control reducing turbulent air flow the cockpit select the offset to the port side accommodated the pilot and flight observer in tandem with the pilot having the privilege of the Martin Baker ejection seat underneath the wings lay two Rolls-Royce turboant engines although the first prototype featured Rolls-Royce n engines each producing 5,000 lb of thrust while the second prototype TS 368 was equipped with lower powerered Rolls-Royce Derwin engines generating 3,500 lb of thrust this difference in engine power remains a mystery possibly due to the availability and economic constraints of the postwar era the the aw 52 was more than just a research aircraft it had the potential to serve as a male carrier with its cargo space behind the cockpit however despite its Visionary design the trials of these prototypes yielded disappointing results laminer flow could not be maintained limiting their maximum speeds additionally takeoff and Landing runs were longer compared to Conventional aircraft due to the unique elvan configuration on December 16th 1947 at RAF biswell history bore witness to a remarkable event as Armstrong Whitworth unveiled their Aviation Marvel the aw 52 the stage was set with a gathering of government officials industry experts and the watchful eye of the press Squadron leader Eric Franklin the chief test pilot start at the helm of this groundbreaking flying machine with confidence radiating from Franklin the aw 52 taxied gracefully to the takeoff Point as the engines roared to life he Unleash the Power of the nean engines lifting the aircraft sharply into the sky the flight was nothing short of impressive reaching altitudes of 600 ft and speeds between 200 and 250 mph Squadron leader Franklin's expertise shown as he executed low passes with finesse culminating in a perfect nose-up touchdown at a remarkably slow landing speed of less than 100 mph this aircraft designed for laminer flow and precision had captured the imagination of all who witnessed its flight months later in September 1948 TS 368 joined the test flying program embarking on Research into airflow Behavior at farbo yet not all was smooth sailing for the aw 52 its Achilles heel emerged when it was discovered that its flutter speed was lower than expected limiting its top speed to a mere 300 mph far from its predicted 500 mph the Quest for laminer flow over the wings crucial for the A52 success proved elusive Armstrong wwor its meticulous construction methods with formers and alloy sheets aimed for Perfection but fell short turbulent flow may have triggered the dreaded flutter and despite the Precision in its wing skin production the aw 52 remained devoid of RAF roundles due to the thickness of its paint May 30th 1949 marked a pivotal moment as test pilot John Oliver Lancaster embarked on a daring flight aboard the first prototype of the Armstrong Whitworth aw 52 as the aw 52 hurdled through the skies at a blistering 320 mph Lancaster encountered a terrifying pitch oscillation a menacing dance that seemed to threaten the very fabric of the aircraft this oscillation believed to be caused by elvan flutter started at two cycles per second and rapidly escalated to incapacitating l levels in the face of imminent structural failure Lancaster made a fateful decision he chose to eject from the aircraft using the Martin Baker mark one ejection seat becoming the first British pilot to employ this life-saving apparatus in a live emergency however soon after his exit the aircraft miraculously ceased its erratic dance and glided down to land in open country north of southam in warer with surprisingly little damage yet this heroic episode marked the beginning of the end for the aw 52 disheartened by the disappointing results and the close brush With Disaster Armstrong whitworth's Management abandoned further development of the Flying Wing concept instead they shifted their focus and resources toward the Armstrong Whitworth Apollo a turboprop airliner with a more conventional configuration the second aw 52 was consigned to the Royal aircraft establishment and later Rae farn where it continued its role in experimental flying however in June 1954 this pioneering aircraft met its end as it was scrapped as we Ponder the might have bins and Whata ifs we can only imagine how later Technologies might have transformed the aw 52's fate today it remains an often overlooked chapter in Britain's aviation history

Channel: Dark Skies

Views: 223,226

Keywords: aviation, airplanes, aircraft, air force, history, documentary, history channel, documentary channel, dark docs, dark skies

Id: aCjrpXaYthE

Length: 14min 22sec (862 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 22 2024