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Date: | Tue, 8 Feb 2005 21:06:19 +0800 |
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The Maylands airport was Perth's first airport. It was a grass surface over
a clay rich soil. To get that type of soil in WA the airfield was on a river
peninisula. The building area was at one end not in the middle but the field
was more or less oval allowing for taking off into the wind (once they had
moved the cows out of the way). The river formed one side of the oval so
mistakes saw planes get a ducking, particurly the WWII american planes that
could only land or take off on one route - diagonally to get the longest
run.
Gaye
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Dent" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, 8 February 2005 12:03 AM
Subject: Re: WW I airfields
> List Folks - In regard to airfields, the round fields (donut is a
> misnomer) were used up at least until WWII as they allowed the aircraft to
> always take off directly into the wind. This decreased speed necessary to
> rotate, and landings into wind are also much more stable and therefore
> safer. I suspect linear runways began to take over as military and
> commercial aircraft got more powerful and heavier (x-winds not as much of
> a factor).
>
> One can probably also indirectly see changes in runway surface through
> aircraft of the day. The so-called tail-draggers were especially suited
> for grass fields and other less than ideal surfaces. This is why they are
> still favored by bush pilots. As hard surface runways become more common
> one sees a shift more toward tricycle landing gear. That configuration
> allowed more directional control of aircraft on take-off and landing and
> is more likely to make a mediocre pilot look good. Tricycle gear,
> however, is not in its element on grass runways.
>
> Joe Dent
>
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