Recent Technical Developments: A Seaplane Issue—Steam‐cooling for Aeroplanes—New British Fog‐landing Experiments—R. 100 and R. 101 Available to Purchase

A Steam‐cooled Aeroplane Engine IN R. & M. No. 1163 (“On the Correction of Heat from the Surface of an Aerofoil in a Wind Current”) the statement was made that “Although considerable constructional difficulties are encountered in the installation of wing radiators, their attractiveness from the point of view of saving head resistance seems likely to render them an indispensable feature of the fastest aeroplanes for some time to come.” Wing radiators have, of course, been a feature of the British Schneider Trophy seaplanes in the last two races. But for military purposes there are disadvantages in having a large portion of the surface of the wings of fighting aircraft rendered vulnerable by being utilised as radiators. It is at the same time clear that much resistance could be saved if the normal water radiator could be eliminated. An obvious method of achieving both objects is to go to steam cooling, the condensing tank forming the leading edges of the wings, which has the advantage of enabling the engine to be run at a more efficient temperature. In his Wilbur Wright lecture, Mr. Ricardo says that steam cooling “appears most attractive” (see page 178 of this issue), and the practicability of the system has been to some extent proved in the installation in R.101.