This machine is very much lik: the smaller reconnaissance machine. but is a weightlifter which alter the camber of its wings. In this machine the observer, or rather gunner, behind.the pilot. In order to facilitate his gun laying the circular top of his cockpit takes the form of a turntable on one side of which is the adjust ab! machine gun mounting. By rotate ing the turntable the gun is trained approximately, whilst the fin: sighting—vertically as well as Iaterally—is made possible by the universal mounting of the gun on the turntable. A pivoted seat the piano-stool type is provided for the gunner and allows him to turn about in an instant to take advantage of any favourable position that may present itself. This whole arrangement is remarkably well thought out, and the drawings are interesting. In other respects this machine is very like the Reconnaissance type, and does no! need to be described further. The span is 43 ft. 3 in. and the over-all 96 ft.
From the captured Mercedes engines it is evident that the aim of the designers has been that of reliability and little else. The two, though not exactly similar, differ radically in no visible respect from those of three or four years ago, th doubtless the i gained during this time has been responsible for considerable provement in reliability. It says a good deal for the original design of four years ago that such very slight changes have been found necessary or advisable under the stress of war work; however, it has always been admitted that the Mercedes engines are excellent.
In the captured engines solidi of construction is the most striking characteristic, the base chamber in the larger model in particular being massive two-piece casting. This has no doubt been found necessary in order to provide sufficient "stiffness", the overall length of the crankshaft being considerable. The large model, which fitted to the Fighting Albatros Biplane, is rated at 160 b.p. and the six cylinders are mounted separately.
It is strange how closely these engines follow car practice, at any rate, racing car practice. There is nothing new in casting the cylinders separately, neither is there anything out of the ordinary in their overhead valve gear nor in the half compression cam used to facilitate starting, nor indeed in the use of two magnetos and two carburetters on the same engine.
It is all normal racing ear practice. The smaller model rated at 198 h.p. ab 1,400 rpm. which is fitted to the Reconnaissance Albatros Biplane, is even more closely allied to ordinary car practice, there being no half compression device.
In both models the cylinders appear to be of ordinary high grade cast iron, cast in one piece with their water jackets, and have no appearance of being abnormally light. The overhead camshaft is driven by the usual vertical shaft, and on either side of this shaft, a Bosch magneto is fitted, driven therefrom and supplying two sets of plugs, one plug on each side of the cylinder head. The usual Bosch hand operated starting magneto is fitted so that, after swinging the propeller to draw a charge into the cylinders, the mechanic can get out of the way, leaving the actual starting of the engine to the pilot. The same vertical shaft drives also the circulating water pump. point of interest is the radiator, which is composed of s number of units of which any one or more can be thrown out of circuit, thereby enabling the pilot to regulate the temperature of his water to a nicety—a most important consideration, Exhaust gases are carried to 'a large silencer on the offside, Connexion between the water jackets of adjacent cylinders is effected by a rubber ring held in place, and firmly pressed against each eykinder by a single clip—a very neat arrangement, which allows for expansion or any slight movement.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.