• STAR DEVELOPMENTS.
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I N the course of a -1-recent visit to the Star Motor Co.'s works at Wolverhampton, we were shown the latest development of the
well-known Star Flyer chassis, together with a new light van chassis capable of dealing with loads up to about a ton weight. As is now fairly well known, the Star Flyer is one of the few light chassis built in England incorporating a high-efficiency six-cylinder o.h.v. engine; as such, it is almost ideally suited to the requirements of operators of fast buses and coaches with moderate seating capacities.
The most noticeable modification is the down-sweeping of the main chassis frame members from a position just behind the dash. It will be recalled that previous Flyer chassis had a straight frame with a moderate upsweep over the rear axle. The. loaded height of the modified chassis (known as the VB4 model) is 21i ins., a moderate dimension which permits a floor height for the body of but 2 ft.
ins, to be attained. The chassis now conforms to Scotland Yard requirements in every particular. The ground clearance, for instance, has been increased to 10fli ins. and the vehicle can be turned in a circle of 54 ft diameter. The front spring base, too, has been widened to allow for bodywork 7 ft. 6 ins. wide, whilst the track dimension of 5 ft. 10 ins, also falls into line with the police requirements.
• Another interesting item, and one which adds materially to the appearance of the chassis, is the fact that the rear springs are now underslung. T ii e whole structure, too, is rendered stronger by increasing the depth of the frame members; in the centre portion between the two downswept sections the depth of the channel is no less than 8 ins.
We also had an opportunity while at the company's works of Inspecting one of a series of light, fast chassis for the express delivery of paper. In many respects this particular chassis resembles the 20-60 h.p. Star touring car chassis, but the engine of the commercial vehicle is more powerful, the axle and springs are stronger and so on, to allo‘v for the heavy duties imposed by carrying loads of approxi mately a ton. With wheelbase and track dimensions of 11 ft. 3 ins. and 4 ft. 8 ins, respectively, there is room on the chassis for quite a large capacity van body to be fitted. The height to the top of the frame is relatively low, thereby giving a low loading height for the body—a point which, although not of paramount importance fo? newspaper work, is nevertheless an advantage. The engine, rated at 24 has
six cyliLders, with a bore of 80 mm. and a piston stroke of 120 mm., giving a total capacity of 3,620 c.c. Overhead valves are operated by push rods and rockers from a (gamshaft contained within an aluminium crankcase; the valves themselves are vertically disposed in a detachable cylinder head. The crankshaft (held in seven maiu bearings, by the way) is fed with oil under pressure from agear-type pump, submerged in the oil in the sump, further passages leading the lubricant to the camShaft and accessory drive-shaft bearings and to the enclosed valve gear and timing case. Pistons of special design to compensate for expansion, are used in conjunction with duralumin connecting rods, and, as all the components are machined to a standard weight, the engine capable of turning over at high revolution speeds without vibraticn.
A double-plate clutch
and four-forward-speed gearbox are in one with the engine, the drive being conveyed to the spiralbevel rear axle by means of an open propeller shaft, fitted with Hardy fabric joints at both front and rear. The brakes are particularly interesting, for the shoes are brought into contact with the drums through the medium Of reduction gear ing, an arrangement which per
'nits a large leverage to be achieved without making it necessary to install unduly long levers. The load on the control rods is comparatively light.