FLIGHT International supplement, 20 December 1962
tional theory describes the external flow
and 'closes the loop.'
Full-scale,
two-dimensional tests plus three-dimensional wind tunnel tests substantiate the
analytical work and prove feasibility of
the concept.
Experimental ejector
efficiencies sufficiently high to warrant
continued optimism in the system were
obtained."
At the conclusion of the paper it was
stated that the results of the analytical
programmes and experimental tests
discussed were being used in the final
design of a full-scale man-carrying test
vehicle, using recirculating ejectors for
its lift-generating system. This craft,
known as the Ejectijet, is shown in a
drawing on page 108. It is to be evaluated by the US Army Transportation
Research Command, at Fort Eustis,
Virginia, and is being built by the Martin
Company's Orlando (Florida) Division.
In the drawing the craft is seen leaving
a track and crossing a stream.
ACVs and the PLA
The shipping correspondent of The
Times reports that powers to control
ACVs and hydrofoils on the Thames
are being sought by the Port of London
Authority in a new Parliamentary Bill.
Under the terms of this Bill, after the
beginning of 1964 these craft would not
be allowed to enter the Port of London
without the PLA's permission and
without paying appropriate rates. A
PLA official told The Times that existing
legislation was insufficiently clear about
jurisdiction over these craft, which
"could be a menace" in a busy tideway.
The Authority is looking ahead to the
possibility of regular Thames services
by ACVs or hydrofoils and the new Bill
also seeks authorization to raise by a
quarter the maximum on certain cargo
rates and charges.
Queensland Government Buys ACV
The Bon Air 6-1-X prototype of an
air-cushion transport (writes Stanley
Brogden), has been bought from the
designer, Maj Colin J. Bonner, and
handed over by the Queensland State
Government to the University of
Queensland for evaluation and development. There is a possibility that the
State Government will eventually either
put the design into production or allow
a firm to produce it under licence. This
follows an agreement between Maj
Bonner, who is a permanent officer of
the Australian Military Forces, and the
State Government that, if and when he
brings the design to an agreed stage of
development, the Queensland authorities
will reimburse him for all costs to date.
Maj Bonner became interested in
ACVs while serving in London. When
he returned to Australia in 1959 he
made a working model of an ACV—
Air-Cushion Vehicles
publicly demonstrated in Melbourne in
September 1960. He then built an
experimental "Hover-Scooter," powered
by engines from Victa-powered lawnmowers and capable of carrying the
driver only. Two engines provided lift
and a third drove the propeller to give
positive directional thrust. The idea was
to carry a fully-equipped soldier in
battlekit—though Maj Bonner was
doing all this as a hobby and without
Army backing. This machine was
demonstrated at Brisbane in December
1960. At an air pageant at Essendon on
February 24, 1961, at Avalon near
Melbourne, the model achieved a speed
of about 37 m.p.h.
The present machine, the 6-1-X,
was built between March and September
this year and is named Warana ("Blue
Skies"). It was given tethered tests on
September 12 and became operational
in October. Public hovering was done
at Archerfield airfield, Brisbane, on
November 8. These tests convinced the
Queensland Government.
The machine is built to carry four
persons at around 50 m.p.h. at 8in
hover-height, and up to eight persons at
lower hover-heights. It is the first fullscale ACV to be built in Australia.
Maj Bonner has design-studies for
vehicles for two men, four men and
50 men (or five tons of cargo), and also
for one to carry 100 head of fat cattle or
50 tons of freight or 500 passengers.
He is proceeding with these designs.
The 6-1-X will be demonstrated by
Cushioncraftsmen These photographs, taken earlier this month in the Bernbridge, Isle of Wight, works of Britten-Norman Ltd, illustrate the assembly of
the Cushimcraft CC-2/002, which was fully described in the November issue of
"Air-Cushim Vehicles." In the picture above can be seen elements of the main
buoyancy hull and superstructure, with a fan intake in the right foreground;
below is the Rolls-Royce L V8-41 engine, which has been modified to give a continuous output of approximately 250 h.p.
104