Afterburner Book Reviews IN-FLIGHT SIMULATORS AND FLY-BY-WIRE/ LIGHT DEMONSTRATORS

A Historical Account of International Aeronautical Research Edited by P G Hamel

Springer. 2017. 345pp. Illustrated. £112. ISBN 978-3-319-53996-6.

Fly-by-wire has become so ubiquitous in aerospace that, with the possible exception of general aviation, it would be a surprise for a new aircraft to be launched today without it. However, it has been a long journey to this point. The state of the art in fly-by-wire is where it is today in no small part due to 60-plus years of aeronautical research establishments around the world testing flight demonstrators to prove the theory and technology. Often, the primary aim has been improved aircraft performance or manoeuvrability through a reduction in natural aerodynamic stability. Artificial stability is then provided through the fly-by-wire system to achieve the handling qualities desired by the pilot. To this end, many of the flight demonstrators developed by research establishments have had variable stability, allowing the aircraft’s stability characteristics to be deliberately altered during flight. Some variable stability aircraft have also been developed with the purpose of simulating a different Vought F-8C Crusader. The flown at other research organisations and aircraft entirely. NASA’s C-11A Shuttle Training F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire flight international collaborations. research project validated Aircraft, a Grumman Gulfstream G-2 business jet the principal concepts of The text provides detailed technical case studies modified to simulate the Space Shuttle and used to all-electric flight control and historical information on several DLR flight train astronauts for the extremely steep approaches systems now used on nearly demonstrators, both fixed-wing and rotary-wing. This on re-entry, is a noteworthy example of just what all modern high-performance includes modified versions of an HFB 320 Hansa can be achieved with these so-called in-flight aircraft and on military and business jet, a VFW 614 twin jet, a Bölkow Bo 105 civilian transports. NASA. simulators. helicopter and a Eurocopter EC 135. However, This book provides a historical account of the perhaps the most fascinating sections of the book aircraft that have been developed and flown as in- are two chapters that provide a comprehensive flight simulator and fly-by-wire/light demonstrators compendium of, firstly, in-flight simulators and then (fly-by-light likely to be the next technological fly-by-wire/light demonstrators that have been leap from fly-by-wire to find its way onto future flown and tested around the globe. This, again, production aircraft). The editor, Peter Hamel, was covers demonstrators of both the fixed-wing and from 1971 to 2001 the Director of the Institute of This book is rotary-wing varieties and even includes descriptions Flight Mechanics at the German Aerospace Center an impressive of numerous flying bedstead projects used in early DLR, formerly DFVLR. This put him at the helm of body of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) development. one of the pioneering research establishments in work and the Projects dating as far back as the late 1940s the field of fly-by-wire and in-flight simulation. He are summarised, such as the Cornell Aeronautical describes in the preface that this text resulted from editor and Laboratory (later Calspan) effort in modifying a a former colleague and test pilot at DLR suggesting contributing Vought F4U-5 to have a split rudder (through that it would be a good idea to document the authors should independent movement of each rudder section, the knowledge and experience acquired by DLR in this be commended F4U-5’s directional stability and yaw damping could subject. While the focus is predominantly on the be manipulated). Throughout the text, the reader will work at DLR, the scope of the book expanded from on the level of also find some interesting anecdotes. There is, for its original brief to include details of demonstrators detail provided example, the account of a certain Neil Armstrong

44 AEROSPACE / DECEMBER 2017 who, on a flight of a Lockheed NT-33A that had been modified to simulate the X-15, managed to break the sidestick clean off (thankfully there was a safety pilot onboard) and still had the sidestick in his hand when he returned to the operations building. He apparently fixed the sidestick himself and re- installed it in the aircraft in time for the first flight the next morning. This book is an impressive body of work and the editor and contributing authors should be commended on the level of detail provided. While billed as a historical account in the title, the case studies describing projects carried out at DLR have a level of technical information that wouldn’t be out of place in a textbook. This may make some sections of the book a little hefty for the general reader but will appeal to engineers and others practicing in the field. A technology like fly-by-wire would not be where it This VFW614, D-ADAM, If nothing else, this text will leave the reader with is without it. ATTAS (Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft an appreciation of the immense level of ingenuity, System) test aircraft was collaboration and persistence employed on flight Dr Stephen Carnduff retired in December 2012. demonstrator programmes over the past 60 years. MRAeS RAeS (NAL).

JUNKERS G 24, K 30 and G 31 Stepping Stones By L Andersson et al

EAM Books EEIG, 3 Gatesmead, Haywards Heath RH16 1SN, UK (E [email protected]). 2016. 192pp. Illustrated. £30 (inclusive of UK postage/ packing). ISBN 978-0-9573744-2.

This is another tour-de-force by these authors and, once again, the book is a masterpiece of details and interest. It concentrates on the famous tri-motor aeroplane and its derivatives. The Junkers G 24 was the first all-metal, three- engined monoplane to enter airline service, which it did in 1925. The preceding six years saw other three-engined enter service but they were all of less-modern wooden or mixed construction. The G 24 was followed by the which was very similar and also used corrugated worldwide commercial success. Of course, there Above: Junkers G 24, alloy skinning. Its similarity caused Junkers to sue were developmental problems needed addressing, S-AABG. RAeS (NAL). Ford for infringement and this case was lost by Ford such as loose engine cowlings and cracked centre on two occasions. engine mountings. The Junkers design team, under Ernst Zindel, This book is packed with detail and aeronautical had to cope with not only technical issues but were history and I urge the serious aerophile to obtain a restricted by post-WW1 Versailles Peace Treaty copy. There are photos on virtually every page and rules on payload and performance to avoid being also drawings, coloured side views and 21 pages declared a military type. As a result, the first J 24s of appendices. Happily, there is an index, mainly were deliberately underpowered but with the hope concerned with the many airlines and countries that that more power could be added later on. used the G 24 etc. It is, therefore, all the more remarkable that the aircraft went on to become such a resounding Tony Kay

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com DECEMBER 2017 45 Afterburner Book Reviews THE RIGHT FLYER

Left: The Voisin biplane belonging to J T C Moore-Brabazon. 1908. RAeS (NAL). Right: Roger Sommer’s Farman at the Doncaster Aviation Contest, 15-22 October 1909 at Doncaster Aerodrome. RAeS (NAL).

Gabriel Voisin, Henry by the different actors, from Archdeacon to Farman himself, and is further illuminated by copious Farman and the archetype of photographs, the majority of which have hitherto aeroplanes remained unpublished. Both these features contributing greatly to the book’s intrinsic value. Its By R Winstone appearance will furthermore go a little way towards redressing the unfortunate imbalance between the Faustroll (www.faustroll.co.uk). 2017. 349pp. many English-language accounts of aeronautical Illustrated. £39.95 plus postage/packing. activities in Great Britain in those early years and those relating to events on the other side of the This weighty volume deals with events in France Channel, when the struggle for the conquest of the between 1906 and 1909, with respect to the air was so much more dynamic and advanced than successful achievement of powered flight in Europe the rather tardier efforts being made in this country and in particular the activities of Gabriel Voisin and at that time. Henri Farman – as well as, to a lesser extent, those In addition to the wealth of photographs, of Louis Blériot. It purports to pose the question, the main account is assisted by the inclusion of implied in its title: which of the two was the superior no fewer than 17 mini-biographies of various design, the American Wright or the French Voisin/ protagonists, from Chanute to Lanchester, from This weighty Farman? In doing so, it discusses and describes the Santos-Dumont to Esnault-Pelterie and even volume deals differing features of the two designs in considerable including Farman’s little-known mechanic, Maurice with events in detail. Colliex, as well as the first English pilot, Moore- The question having been put, the author does Brabazon, who, needing an aeroplane, had at the France between not attempt to supply an answer, although the reader time no choice but to go abroad and patronise M 1906 and 1909, may well detect a certain unwritten partiality in favour Voisin. of the French contender (albeit mitigated by the fair- with respect to The book is not without its blemishes: some the successful minded approach generally adopted). With such a typos and other minor flaws suggest a need for difficult question thus set to one side, perhaps wisely, more rigorous editing, while, unaccountably, a achievement of the work is best seen as serving a more general number of the photographs lack the comfort of any powered flight purpose, that of providing us with a valuable addition kind of caption. Nevertheless, it throws a useful in Europe and to the historiography of early flying in Europe, in and highly detailed light on the achievements of the form of a meticulously detailed account of the French pioneers, at a time when corresponding in particular the chequered path taken by the two Frenchmen, efforts in other parts of Europe were still largely the activities of severally and together, on their way to success. ineffectual. Gabriel Voisin It is clearly the result of a very extensive research into archives and other contemporary Malcolm Hall and Henri records. The text contains innumerable quotations CEng MRAeS MCIL Farman

46 AEROSPACE / DECEMBER 2017