© Wonders of World Aviation 2015-
Part 19
Part 19 of Wonders of World Aviation was published on Tuesday 12th July 1938, price 7d.
This part included a colour plate showing the upper component of the Short Mayo composite aircraft “Mercury”. It formed part of the article on The Certificate of Airworthiness.
This colour plate previously appeared as the cover to part 14.
The Cover
This week’s cover shows one of the United States Boeing YB-17 heavy bombers during a landing approach with flaps down/ This type of aircraft has four 1,000 horse-power Wright Cyclone nine-cylinder radial air-cooled engines.
The cover was later used as the colour plate with part 34.
Contents of Part 19
First Aviator to Fly the Channel
(Part 2)
The Certificate of Airworthiness
The “Mercury”
(colour plate)
The “Mercury”
THE UPPER COMPONENT of the Short-Mayo composite aircraft Mercury, undergoing flight trials at Rochester, Kent, where it was built. Every aircraft has to be passed by Air Ministry pilots before a Certificate of Airworthiness is granted. After certain flight tests have been completed the aircraft has to undergo full-load tests. On its tests the Mercury carried 1,200 gallons of petrol for the full-load separation trails from Maia, the lower component of the Short-Mayo composite aircraft. After the separation 1,000 gallons of petrol had to be jettisoned to permit the Mercury to alight with a light load. Thus the jettisoning valves and the inter-compartment valves of the petrol tank - which runs through the wings - were tested at the same time during the trials.
This plate was used as the cover design for part 14.
