MODERN AVIATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 281, 15 November 1930, Page 12

MODERN AVIATION

LUBRICATION PROBLEMS. (By Wing-Commander Kingsford Smith. M.C., A.F.C.) No one thing has made modern aviation possible and it would be a rash man who would select any one phase of aviation, and credit to that one phase a major part of the progress that has been made in man's effort to conquer the air. First of all is the 'plane itself. The modern aeroplane is really the achievement of many men, each of whom has contributed his part to the development of the modern heavier-thau-air craft. Into the power plant has gone a wealth of research, study and experimentation and the marvellous aeroplane motor of to-day represents the realisation of the dreams of many men. The same may be said of the wonderful instruments upon which aviation to-day places so much dependence and for that matter of the technique of operating a ’plane. The general public to-day seems to take the matter of fuel and oil practically for granted, but the fact is that the progress in aeroplane design, engine design and instrument design, to say nothing of the development of air technique, would probably have been futile were it not for the progress which has been made in the development of quality lubricants, such as are available to-day. The same thing may also be said of fuels.

It has been my experience that the lubricants which give the greatest all-round satisfaction either in my ’plane, the “Southern Cross.” or in an automobile, are those made by companies which take their responsibilities most seriously and which are seemingly most sincere and enthusiastic on the subject of quality. When I first began to place the same value upon lubrication that I put upon ’plane design and engine design, 1 had the idea that I find many others have. That is, that the virtue in oil lay in the crude from which the oil is made. I am well convinced now, however, that the question of oil quality is. to a very great extent and perhaps wholly, a question of manufacture, with, perhaps, some relation to the selection of crudes. The biggest things seem to be the integrity, skill, and experience of the manufacturer 1 would not put in the “Southern Cross” a gallon of oil made by a concern in which I had not implicit confidence. I have in my lubricant the same pride that 1 have in my ’plane, or my- motors, and I am just as glad to testify to my faith in one as in another. It was most surprising to learn the great mount of research and study which goes into the development of what are known as “high grade oils” or "quality oils.” I had determined to use Mobiloil on our flight from Ireland to America simply because 1 had learmd that it was absolutely to be depended upon and that it was made by people who take quality most seriously and who have ample resources to produce a lubricant measuring up to their ideas of oil quality. Another thing that prompted my choice is that it is obtainable everywhere in the civilised world. 1 was not surprised to find plenty of it in Harbour Grace. The decision brought me into close contact with the Mobiloil engineers in Australia, ill England, and in America. The result of conferences with the Mobiloil engineers was that I arranged with the milkers of Mobiloil to provide lubrication for the “Southern Cross” without specifying the grade of oil to be used nor the quantity. I was pretty wdll convinced that their confidence that the motors would do their part of the job was well placed, and that the engineers’ confidence in their lubricant was on too firm a foundation to justify one who is not a lubrication expert in offering any suggestions. On our wav across we had plenty of time to think of many things—at least until we got to the point where the real difficulties of the trip bigan. Often 1 would marvel at the wav tho three motors performed, hour after hour, never missing never faltering, never giving us the slightest reason to worry. It seemed to me then that we all owed a great deal to engineers who had, hour after hour, studied the performance of similar engines with similar oil in a laboratory many miles away and to the folks who actually manufactured the lubricant that seemed to fit the job so pb.--

fectly. When we got into our difficulties »e were concerned about several things, the fog, our hearings, our dwindling supply of petrol, but we didn’t have time nor occasion to think much about the motors. That those fine Wrights would keep turning over without a miss or a falter as long as the petrol lasted, we never doubted for a moment.