Learning to fly in the U.S. Army

No unimportant part of the operation and maintenance of airplanes is their handling in the field, and at the various bases previous to, between, and after flights. This phase of the entire subject contemplates the transportation of airplanes in knockdown condition either by railway or truck, their unloading and unpacking, to a certain extent their assembly, their storage in hangars and sheds, their storage and disposition in the open, their disassembling and packing for transportation, etc.

The Unloading and Unpacking of Airplanes.—The personnel required to unload an airplane properly boxed and crated from a railway car, is 15 men and two non-commissioned officers. The tools needed for this purpose are:

A regular flat-bed moving truck or ordinary truck with a flat-bed trailer should be provided for handling the machine from the car to the field erecting shop.

Airplanes are usually shipped in automobile cars with end doors or gondola cars. After opening doors of cars, examine and inspect all crates and boxes carefully to see that they are all there in accordance with the bill of loading or shipping memorandum, as well as to see that they are in good condition. If any boxes are found damaged, they should not be removed from the car without first reporting the fact to the receiving officer.

Next, all cleats and bracing should be removed. The crate containing the fuselage and engine should, if possible, be unloaded first. The heavy end where the engine is fixed should be lifted up, have 2-in. pipe rollers put underneath and manipulated into the truck which has been backed up against the car door so that this heavy end, when finally placed, will rest on the body of the truck as far forward as possible. Next lash the front end of the box securely to the truck.

Should it happen that the fuselage crate is so located in the car that the light end must of necessity emerge first through the door, then this end may be run on to a truck and the crate removed from the car with the heavy end adequately supported by sufficient help. Another truck is then backed up against the rear of the first one which has been moved into the clear, and the heavy end of the fuselage crate brought to rest as far forward as possible in the second truck. It is then secured and the first truck released.

After the box is properly lashed by means of the manila rope, a man should be placed on each side of it to watch and see that the lashings do not loosen and the box shift in transit. Trucks should be driven slowly, especially over rough ground, tracks, etc. In addition to the fuselage crate it may also be possible to load the panel crates on this same truck, but as a rule it is better to load these on a second truck. Common sense goes a long way in transporting aircrafts by motor trucks.

Unloading of the crates is done with the use of skids applied to the rear of the truck and secured so as to form a sort of an inclined plane down which to slide the boxes on the pipe rollers to the ground. These skids should be at least 4 in. by 4 in. by 6 ft. and made of strong wood. The rear end of the crate may be brought to the ground, rested there, and the truck moved forward slowly until the entire length rests on the ground. Care must be used not to jolt or drop this box at any stage whatsoever.

When uncrating the fuselage, remove the top and both ends of the box. Fold both sides of box flat down on ground and use same for assembling machine. The wing boxes should have the tops removed and planes lifted out in that manner.

Next, the airplane is assembled in accordance with instructions already given.

The Dismantling and Loading of Airplanes.—When airplanes are to be prepared for shipment by motor truck or railway, they should, of course, be taken down and crated similar to the way they were shipped from the factory. The order in which this is done should be as follows:

If the machine is crated it should be handled when shipped the same as described above. If, however, it is to be loaded without being crated, then the following procedure should be observed. Using two planks, 2 in. by 12 in. by 18 ft. long for runway from ground into car, load machine into car, engine first. Block wheels to prevent machine shifting. Secure fuselage, tail end, to the floor of the car by means of ropes passed over the fuselage and fastened to the floor with cleats. The wings should be crated against the sides of car and secured by wires, ropes or canvas strips. All boxes should be marked with name of organization, destination, weight, cubic contents, hoisting centers, number of box, “This Side Up,” etc. A shipping memorandum should always be made out and mailed to destination when shipment goes forth.

Storing of Airplanes and Parts at Bases and in Fields.—Airplanes when not in active flying duty are stored in hangars or sheds especially adapted to house them. Under certain conditions it is necessary to store them in the open. In each case particular precautions should be observed in order not to subject the machines to unnecessary wear and tear.

Since moisture is one of the airplanes’ worst enemies in that it deteriorates the weatherproofing and the fabric, distorts and otherwise injures the wooden parts of the machines and worst of all, rusts the metal parts, the first consideration for proper storage facilities should be the absence of moisture. Next, extreme heat and cold are a menace to airplanes. The temperature of the air surrounding them while in storage should be regulated as much as possible. Under shelter, especially when the machine is to be out of active service for 48 hr. or more, the entire machine should be raised off the ground a few inches so that the wheels are free and the flexible connections released. This is done by the points where the undercarriage struts meet the skids. Furthermore, the wings might well be supported and the weight thus taken off the landing wires, and hinge connections by placing padded trestles underneath the wing skids. Care should be exercised that dirt, grease, water, etc., does not accumulate in any part of the airplane.

Furthermore, all water should be drained from the radiator and gasoline from the gasoline tank. The propeller should be placed in a vertical position and covered with a weatherproof cloth. The engine cockpit and instruments should all be covered and the magneto should be enclosed in a thick layer of felt or cotton waste. If any fluid is apt to freeze, and oil will freeze in temperatures low enough, it should be carefully drained.

When spare parts such as wings, struts, fuselages, etc., are stored, the same general precautions outlined above should be observed. Spare planes particularly should be placed in such a manner that their weight is evenly supported. Never should planes of any kind be laid flat on the ground. They should always stand edgewise, with the leading edge down, supported several inches off the ground on blocks or boards evenly spaced. One plane must not be allowed to lean against another. In fact, the best way is to suspend planes by means of canvas slings hung from overhead. Within the loop of the slings there must be a batten about 2½ in. wide.

All parts of an airplane subject to attack by rust should be kept well coated with grease or oil. Periodically the entire machine should be wiped by means of clean, dry cheese cloth or selected cotton waste. Engines which are in stored planes or which have been set aside for future use should be turned over by hand daily.

It will sometimes be impossible for airplane sheds or hangars to be brought up to the front on service, hence, airplanes must be prepared to remain in the open. When this is the case they should be placed to the leeward of the highest hedge available, a clump of trees, a building, a bank, a knoll, or hill, etc. They should be sunk as low as possible by digging a trench for the wheels and undercarriage. The nose of the plane should, of course, first be run into the wind, and then the wings and the tail pegged down with ropes, particularly if there is any chance of a wind starting up. The engine, propeller, instruments, and cockpit should be covered over with a waterproof cloth and great care taken to protect the propeller from the sun, for it will surely warp if not cared for properly. At night in cold or wet weather the magneto should be packed round with waste and water in the radiator drained. While machines are stored in the open, the necessity of wiping them to keep them moisture and dirt free is all the more urgent and should be pursued with doubled energy.