Описание
Страна: Канада
Год: 1909
Единственный экземпляр
K.Molson, H.Taylor Canadian Aircraft since 1909 (Putnam)
Bell Cygnet II and III
Dr Alexander Graham Bell had a great interest in the tetrahedral cell and its application to kites and while recognizing its high drag he felt that the possibility of building large banks of cells with low weight and good aerodynamic stability would outweigh the disadvantage. Following the successful flying of the Cygnet I as a man-carrying kite Bell decided to proceed with the construction of a powered tetrahedral kite, the Cygnet II, his Drome No.5 in 1908.
The Cygnet II was a large aircraft spanning 52 ft 6 in (16 m) at the top of its massive bank of 2,152 cells which tapered to 40 ft (12 m) at the bottom. A biplane forward elevator and rear rudder were fitted in a similar manner to those used on the aircraft of the Aerial Experiment Association. The machine was mounted on three steel-tube skids for flying off the ice at Baddeck, Nova Scotia. The Curtiss engine from the Silver Dart was borrowed and mounted as a pusher and the aircraft was completed on 19 February, 1909.
J. A. D. McCurdy attempted to fly the Cygnet II on 22 February but the engine was not running well and the trial was stopped. The engine was then transferred to the Silver Dart and then back again following the Silver Dart's successful flight of 23 February, the first in Canada.
New trials were made by McCurdy on 24 February but the machine did not rise. After modifications a further trial was made on 15 March which was again unsuccessful. Dr Bell felt that the engine was not powerful enough for the large aircraft, and he hoped to install the Kirkham engine from the Canadian Aerodrome Baddeck No. 1 later but this was not done and no further trials were made.
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Both the Cygnet II and III were built by Beinn Breagh Laboratory. Beinn Breagh. Gaelic for Mountain Beautiful and pronounced similarly to Ben Vreeah, was the name of Dr Alexander Graham Bell's estate at Baddeck.
Cygnet II
One 50 hp Curtiss eight-cylinder. Span at top 16 m (52 ft 6 in), span at bottom 12 m (40 ft). Number of cells 2,152. Loaded weight 9501b (430 kg).
Both aircraft were designed to metric dimensions.
Описание:
- K.Molson, H.Taylor Canadian Aircraft since 1909 (Putnam)
- Jane's All The World Aircraft 1913
- Журнал Flight
Фотографии
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G.Loening - Takeoff into Greatness /Putnam/
CYGNET II (1908). Designed by Dr. Graham Bell, of the Aeronautical Society of America. Bell (Canadian), Glen Curtis (U.S.), Herring (U.S.), and Burgess (Canadian). Built at Baddeck, Nova Scotia in February 1909. J. A. D. McCurdy made a short hop with this plane. There was no lateral control.
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K.Molson, H.Taylor - Canadian Aircraft since 1909 /Putnam/
Bell Cygnet II, with J. A. D. McCurdy at the controls, at Baddeck on 15 March, 1909.
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Журнал - Flight за 1909 г.
THE GRAHAM-BELL TETRAHEDRAL AEROPLANE. - We reproduce above, from the "Scientific American," two views of the extraordinary aeroplane with which Dr. Graham Bell has been experimenting at Baddeck, N.S. On the left the apparatus is seen from the front, the vertical and horizontal rudders being prominent; while, on the right, the rear view of the machine shows the large wooden propeller, which is driven by an 8-cyl Curtiss motor.
