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Carroll Dana Winslow. With the French Flying Corps
With the French Flying Corps
Table of Contents
MY ENLISTMENT
FIRST PRINCIPLES
LEARNING TO FLY
THE SCHOOL AT CHARTRES
PASSING THE FINAL TESTS
THE ZEPPELIN RAID OVER PARIS
AT THE ECOLE DE PERFECTIONNEMENT
THE RÉSERVE GÉNÉRALE DE L'AVIATION
ORDERED TO THE FRONT
IN THE VERDUN SECTOR
MY FIRST FLIGHT OVER THE LINES
CO-OPERATING WITH THE ARTILLERY
ALL IN THE DAY'S WORK
JULY 14TH, 1916
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Отрывок из книги
Carroll Dana Winslow
Published by Good Press, 2021
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The first subject we took up was mechanics. We were made to mount and dismount motors, and were familiarized with every part of their construction. Carburetors and magnetos came next, and then we learned what made a motor "go." At the front a pilot always has two "mecaniciens" to take care of his machine, but if on account of a breakdown he should have to land in hostile territory he must be able to make the necessary repairs himself, and make them quickly, or else run the risk of being taken prisoner. When flying, the pilot can usually tell by the sound of his motor whether it is running perfectly or not. Many a life has been saved in this way—the pilot knowing in time what was out of order before being forced to land in a forest, on a mountain peak, or in some other equally impossible place.
When we had become "apt," we were promoted to a course in aeroplane construction. This is an extremely technical course, and at first we were asked to know only simple subjects, such as the incidence of the wings, the angle of attack of the cellule, the carrying force of the tail in reference to the size of the propeller. By the incidence of the wings is meant their upward slope. This is an extremely important matter, for the stability and climbing propensities of the machine depend entirely upon their model. The angle of attack of the cellule is the angle of the different wings in reference to each other. For instance, the incidence of one side must be greater than that of the other on account of the rotary movement of the propeller. There are also certain fixed ratios between the upper and lower planes. Still more important is the carrying power of the tailplane, for if it has too much incidence it lifts the rear end and makes the machine dive, while if it has too little the reverse happens. If any part of the aeroplane is not correctly regulated it becomes dangerous and difficult for the pilot to control. All this becomes more important as one reaches the close of the apprenticeship. One then appreciates this intimate knowledge acquired at the school. Often a pilot is compelled to land in a field many miles from his base. If something is wrong with his motor he must be able to find out immediately what the trouble is, for if a part is broken the camp must be called up on the telephone, so that a new piece may be sent to the spot by motor, with a mechanic to adjust it.
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