Jane's All The World Aircraft 1919

The Continental KB-3T training tractor
  
   The Continental Aircraft Corporation's new training tractor KB-3T recently tested at Amityville, has come up to all expectations of the designer Vincent J.Buranelli. The short "over-all" length of this machine, 23 feet 4 inches, is noteworthly and characteristic of Continental machines.
   Mr. Buranelli's chief object in designing the KB-3T was to produce a training machine that could be cheaply constructed. This has been accomplished by an extensive use of one-piece standartized fittings. A very complete list of measurements and weights are given which should prove useful in checking up with other machines.
  
General Specifications.
  
Span upper plane 40 ft. 3in.
Span lower plane 34 ft.
Chord both planes 5 ft. 6 In.
Gap 5 ft. 4 in.
Stagger 6 in.
Length over all 23 ft. 4 in
Height 9 ft. 3 in.
Net weight 1.340 lb.
Useful load 540 lb.
Gross weight 1,880 lb.
Motor. Curtiss OX 100 h.p.
Speed range 45-75 m.p.h.
Climb in ten minutes 3,200 ft.
  
Weights.
   Upper planes 118 lb.
   Lower planes 102 lb.
   Struts 30 lb.
   Wires and turnbuckles 20 lb.
   Fittings and bolts 18 1b.
   Total 288 1b.
  
   Fuselage 310 lb.
   Seats upholstered 12 lb.
   Stick controls and mountings 17 lb.
   Dash with instruments 13 lb.
   Total 352 lb.
  
   Ailerons 24 lb
   Elevators 16 lb.
   Rudder 10 1b.
   Vertical stabilizer 3 lb.
   Horizontal stabilizer 19 lb.
   Control cables 16 lb.
   Total 88lb.
  
   Motor complete 390 lb.
   Propeller 22 lb.
   Radiator and piping 53 lb.
   Gas tank and gauges 22 lb
   Exhaust pipe 16 lb.
   Total 503 1b.
  
   Landing chassis and incidentals = 109 lb.
  
Planes.
   The wing curve is Eiffel 38. The planes are set with an angle of incidence of 21 degrees. Top and bottom are the same The tips of planes are slightly rounded as is in general use on Continental machines. Then is no sweepback, but a dihedral of 1 degree and a stagger of 6 in. The upper planes are made in two main sections with a three-foot panel over the body. The lower plane is in two sections and attaching to the body. ' Wing beams are of " I" section and made of Douglas fir. The overhang is braced by a steel strut made of | in. seamless tubing with a fairing of spruce
   The struts are of streamline section, the maximum 3 3/4 in. x 1 1/2 in. occurring at the centre, and tapering in proportion to each end where it sets into a special strut socket. Flying cables are double 5/32, in. in inner panel, 1/8 in. outer panel, landing wires are single of the same sizes. Double drift and single tracing wires are used. All control wires are internal.
   Ailerons on top plane only, and are 11 ft. x 1 ft. 6 in. Where ailerons are attached, a bevel on the aileron permits the surface to be moved without a space occurring between aileron and wing.
   R. A. F. stitching is employed in attaching the fabric to the ribs. To finish four coats of " dope " and two coats of Valspar are used. A factor of safety of 7 is employed. The lift to drag ratio is 12.