| 词条 | Airspeed Fleet Shadower | |||||||||||||||||
| 释义 |
The Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower was a British long-range patrol aircraft design that did not go beyond the prototype stage. While the concept of a fleet shadower had some promise, the resulting prototypes were soon overtaken by wartime developments in airborne radar. Design and developmentThe Royal Navy envisaged a need (Operational Requirement OR.52) for an aircraft that could shadow enemy fleets at night and the resulting Specification S.23/37 called for a slow-flying low-noise aircraft with a long range, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier's flight deck. The specified performance was to be a speed of 38 knots at {{convert|1500| ft|m|abbr=on}} for not less than six hours.[1] Five companies showed interest: Percival, Short Brothers, Fairey Aviation, General Aircraft Ltd and Airspeed. General Aircraft submitted the G.A.L.38, of very similar general design to the AS.39.[1] General Aircraft and Airspeed were selected to build two prototypes each and Airspeed received a contract on 10 August 1938. The AS.39 was a high-wing, semi-cantilever, strut-braced (on the outer panels) monoplane with wooden wings and tail unit and an all-metal monocoque fuselage. It had a fixed, divided type landing gear and tailwheel. The observation aircraft had a crew of three: pilot, observer and radio operator. The AS.39 had a unique crew configuration with the observer accommodated in the nose with clear-vision windows on three sides and the pilot's compartment raised to allow passage to the radio operator's compartment. Four small 130 hp Pobjoy Niagara V seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines were mounted on the wings. This maximized propwash over the wing giving extra lift at low speed. The wings could be folded for storage when used on an aircraft carrier.[2] Operational historyOf two prototypes started, only one was completed, flying on 17 October 1940, the first flight was delayed due to problems with the Niagara V engines which had a vibration problem. The prototype had stability problems and poor stall handling not helped by the under-powered engines. Airspeed were asked to respond to a proposal to re-engine the aircraft with two Armstrong Whitworth Cheetah XI radial engines and add rear-facing machine guns. Only a preliminary proposal had been made and the second aircraft was not complete when on 17 February 1941 the Navy cancelled the fleet shadower program along with the AS.39,[3] the company were requested to scrap both aircraft. The competing G.A.L.38 flew for a few months before it was cancelled and scrapped in March 1942. The requirement for such aircraft had been made obsolete due to the introduction of radar on long-range patrol aircraft such as the Liberator I. Specifications (AS.39){{aircraft specifications|plane or copter?=plane |jet or prop?=prop |ref=Nothing ventured...Airspeed AS.39 Night Shadower[4] |crew=3 (Pilot, observer, radio operator) |capacity= |payload main= |payload alt= |length main= 39 ft 10 in |length alt=12.14 m |span main=55 ft 4 in |span alt=16.87 m |height main=10 ft 5 in |height alt=3.18 m |area main= 469 ft² |area alt= 43.6 m² |airfoil= |empty weight main= 4,592 lb |empty weight alt= 2087 kg |loaded weight main=6,935 lb |loaded weight alt= 3,152 kg |useful load main= |useful load alt= |max takeoff weight main= |max takeoff weight alt= |more general= |engine (prop)=Pobjoy Niagara V |type of prop=seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines |number of props=4 |power main= 140 hp |power alt=104 kW |power original= |max speed main= 126 mph |max speed alt=110 knots, 203 km/h |max speed more=at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) |cruise speed main= 113 mph |cruise speed alt=98 knots , 182 km/h |cruise speed more=at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) |stall speed main= 33 mph |stall speed alt=29 knots, 53 km/h |stall speed more=at sea level |never exceed speed main= |never exceed speed alt= |range main= |range alt= |endurance=6 hours |ceiling main= 14,700 ft [5] |ceiling alt= 4,480 m |climb rate main= 865 ft/min |climb rate alt= 4.40 m/s |loading main= |loading alt= |thrust/weight= |power/mass main= |power/mass alt= |more performance=*Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 18 min |armament=*None |avionics= }} See also{{aircontent||related= |similar aircraft=
|lists= }} References
1. ^1 Jarrett Aeroplane Monthly April 1992, pp. 16–19. 2. ^Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. New York: Crescent Books, 1988. {{ISBN|0-517-67964-7}}. 3. ^{{Cite web |url=http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/GAL38.html |title=GAL38 |access-date=2 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403212406/http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/GAL38.html |archive-date=3 April 2007 |dead-url=yes |df=dmy-all }} 4. ^Jarrett Aeroplane Monthly June 1992, p. 53. 5. ^Absolute ceiling 16,700 ft (5,090 m)
External links{{commons category|Airspeed Fleet Shadower}}
8 : Airspeed aircraft|British patrol aircraft 1940–1949|Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom|Carrier-based aircraft|Four-engined tractor aircraft|High-wing aircraft|Aircraft first flown in 1940|Four-engined piston aircraft |
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