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JANUARY

24TH, 1946

FLIGHT

S-

The DM. Miornet


An Outstanding Two* engined Fighter; Combination of Wood and Metal Construction: Compact Installation of Merlin 130 and 131 Engines : The Sea Hornet
N view of the outstanding popularity and success of the range, as replacement engines in the latest marks of MosMosquito on its many wartime duties, it is logical that quito. The 130 lent itself to exceptionally close cowling, the production of both a smaller and a larger aircraft and the power available at all altitudes from this " Schneiderised " engine showed considerable of similar design should have been con30 improvement over earlier marks of sidered by the de Havilland co.mpany. Merlin. (A full description of this The larger project, the DH 102, has series of Merlins is given on pp. 92-94.) not been followed up, but the smaller . 25 In determining the acceptable wing version, the DH 103, now known as loading, it was borne in mind that the Hornet, has already shown itself fully loaded Mosquitos on night operato be a very worthy offspring of the tions flew without undue trouble at a Mosquito. This outstanding two- a wing loading of 42 lb./sq. in., and a engined fighter was to some extent 2 < slightly larger figure was finally built around its Rolls-Royce Merlin applied to the Hornet. engines, and although it was not planned to meet any specification VTo obtain the lightest and most comI existing at that time there was a clear Q1O pact engine installations possible, main conception of the duties it was to perradiators, intercooler radiators and form and the performance expected. the supercharger air intakes are all Briefly, a fighter was envisaged which placed in the leading edges of the main would have speed, climb and manoeuplanes. To minimise moment the envrability rather better than other comgines are as close inboard as airscrew parable aircraft, and a range in excess clearance permits, and for the same of all. reason they are bdcked tight up 4OO 42O 44O 46O 380 48Q TRUE SPEED-M.P.H. against the bulkheads, which are For a number of reasons a twoVariation of true air speed with altitude themselves level with the front spar. engined design was demanded, and an for a Hornet carrying no external tanks The installation is also very low in the aircraft of similar layout to the Mosor armament and using combat power wing in order to give a clean, uninterquito was agreed upon. The size was rating. Engine conditions are 3,000 rupted top surface. determined as the minimum reasonr.p.m. with 20 lb./sq. in. boost. Maxiably required to house the engines. mum speed 472 m.p.h. at 22,000ft. It had originally been the intention Some weeks before the Hornet was to fit handed engines turning "in ^onceived, the Rolls-Royce comand up," but when this arrangepany had suggested the Merlin 130, ment was tested the slipstreams the most recent addition to their were found to be so deflected that

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