JUNE 9,

193s-

FLIGHT.

573

however, it was decided to use seam less steel tubes, joined by" welding. Not only is this form of construction quick in production, but the steel tube is economical in weight when lightly loaded, so that thin gauges can be used. Also, it is very easy to fasten brackets to it by bolts or clips. Thus, the fuselage is in two separate units, joined together by bolts and flat plates. Clever use has been made both in the fuselage and wing of a few standard channel sections, produced by extrusion. Whenever a forked plate is wanted it is cut from a length of these extruded channels, the cut being varied according to the angle of the forked plate desired. The whole thing is delightfully simple and much quicker than making up forks from sheet steel, which has to be bent, nibbled, drilled and very often bushed. In the construction of the wing, extensive use has also been made of extruded sections. The main " theme " of the wing is a very substantial front spar, metal-covered leading edge, a light tubular rear spar and fabric covering from front spar to trailing edge. The front spar is built up of two Tsection flanges joined by a flat sheet web. The flanges start life as extrusions of "bowler-hat" section. They are then machined on a special Kendall and Gent planer-miller to the desired T-section, leaving the original section almost intact at points where bolt attachments are required. The planer-miller machines four flanges in one operation. The percentage of

Two contrasting impressions of the Lysander by a Flight photographer. The lower view clearly shows the why and wherefore of camouflage.

metal cut to waste is rather high, but against that must be set the simplicity with which attachments can be made to the extruded sections, and the waste itself has a considerable value. The lift struts are also of extruded light metal. The section is an H, and the struts are tapered towards the ends by cutting away some of the web, bending the flanges towards one another and joining them together by a narrower sheet-metal strip. The whole is then faired. The fabric which covers the rear portion of the wing is attached to the front main spar flange by a metal strip and small screws with Sirnnionds elastic stop nuts. A narrow strip of the fabric is doubled back over the metal strip and covers it. Reference has already been made to the unusual undercarriage. The inverted U-tube at first appears an expensive way of carrying the Dowty internally sprung wheels, but, in addition to taking the weight of the entire aircraft, this tube also carries the two machine guns and the lift strut attachments, so that it serves many purposes. The Bristol Mercury XII engine is enclosed in a long-chord cowl with controllable gills for adjusting the cooling. The De Bergue riveted fuel tank, of 95 gallons capacity, is carried in the fuselage', just behind the pilot's seat. The airscrew is a three bladed De Havilland controllable pitch. Designed as it is for Army co operation, the Lysander carries very complete equipment, including electrical, wireless, photographic and navigational gear, parachute flares and