Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-25

nlnS order was regarded by engineers
To-Day as the greatest tribute vet Re.
ceived.
When Lieut.. Champion was reached
in the corniield he had removed his
hooded helmet" and was waiting for
transportation back to the air station.
he had made a hasty examination of
the plane and found several holes in
the wings and fuselage, due to the
ilylnS parts of the engine. He also
had discovered that the flames had
scorched the delicate Paragraph and
flad put 1t out of commission, but he
would not look at the second instru.
ment, concealed in little covered-up
hoie behind the engine, for fear he
would find it in the same condition.
Crew Rushes to Scene.
Look at it, he yelled to the writer
look quick and see il it is like the
other one. 1t it is, don't tell me-"
1t was Lieut.. Champions interest in
getting the Paragraph down to earth
mat prevented him from taking ad.
vantage OF an easy way out" of his
predcament-using the parachute He
mas made more than 40 flights into the
rare upper air in the Apache. both as
land plane and seaplane, and has he.
come quite acclimated to attitudes of
$1,000 and $4,000 feet. Today, however.
everything pointed to a much higher
mark, and this was substantiated nv
the altimeter.
"A crew of faithful mechanics. who
mao worked over the plane and pre-
pared it for many altitude flights
rushed to the scene and later prepa red
TO dlsmantel it and remove it to the
air station by truck.
OH1cers at the air station marveled
at the splendid landing which the pilot
maze with no power, and have vet to
understand what prevented the ship
from nosinc up and Topping over on
its back. The field was furrowed and
the plane is light, and i'm it's condition,
it would go off balance easily.
Lieut.. +. r. Buse. officer of the day
at the station, rushed the pilot back to
the base where Comdr. r. G.. Davis,
night surgeon of the Bureau of Aero
nautics. put him through an examna.
ton. Before the flight, he tested Lieut..
Champion for the "Schneider' cir
culatory test and found him to regis.
ter IL or / below the maximum. This.
Comdr. Davis said showed the pilot
was in excellent physical condition.
Immediately on returning to the sta
tlon, the same test again was applied
and it showed plus 8, which, the ply
stefan said, was remarkable showing
,or anyone who had been through such
narrowing experience.
Navy to Continue Work.
Lieut.. Champion has been "cOmmut-
ing" between Annapolis, where he is
pursuing heavy course, and the air
station for his altitude flight test
work. All of them have been under
the direct supervision Of Comdr. Eu-
gene T.. Wilson, of the Bureau of
Aeronautics. who was prevented from
attending the flight today by burns
received in "tire-in-the-air" eXper-
icnce he had in a Navy pursuit plane
Friday. Lieut.. Champion, until re-
Gently. was on duty in the engine sec
ton of the Bureau OF Aeronautics, and
as he had initiated the high altitude
work about year ago, he was per-
mitted to see them through.
Indications are that no matter how
many official or unofficial records are
smashed, the Navy will continue it's
high altitude work with such a serv-
ice plane as the Wright APACHE"
which, it Is held, can take it's place
along with other Navy single-seater
USnIefS on navy carriers To-Day.
Lieut.. Champion attempted flight
Yesterday morning. but he was unable
to reach higher than $4,000 feet, due
| to the heating of the air as it was
blown into the engine by means of a
| supercharger. An "inner-cooler" or
radiator device which would cool the
air. was attached to the plane, and
1t was with his equipment this morn
| ing that he climbed to what he be.
lieves is an unprecedented height.
| The pilot was far from comfOrta BILE
and at ease in the small cockpit His
| heavy clothing, plus back-pa type
parachute. made it almost necessary
to push and squeeze when 1t came to
getting in the cockpit. His feet, in
several layers of moccasins, looked
| like clubs, while his hands, heavily
| Gloved. gave him the feeling of flying
| with boxing gloves oll.
| The little plane elf bs like a hell
copter. 1t was off in 4 run of about
400 feet and shot slSyward in climb.