The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-06-29
Aviation Flight Records Checked By Bureau Of Standards
RarO mis-
Sealed Instrument Tells Att.
tude and Time Of All
!, Air Movements
BY RODNEY DUrCHEV
NEA Service Writer

Washington, June 29.NAviator
keep right on setting new records fol
altitude, distance, endurance ant
whatnot, but If it were not for the
Paragraph these records wouldnr
count.
The Paragraph is the small in.
strument which proves that the rec.
ord -breakiny pilots aren't fibbing. II
Lindbergh or Chamberiin had stopucd
in Newfoundland for q rest and then
claimed to have made non-stou
flight, the tracines on the baro-
graphs little chart would have given
them away.
One Of the very last things that
happens when flyer starts off
across the Atlantic. or up for a new
altitude record is the sealing Of the
barograph.
Most Of this sealing has been done
by Carl F. .Schory, secretary OF the
contest committee Of the National
Aeronautic association, which, in CO.
operation with the Federation Aero
nautique Internationale, of which il
is a member, determines the authen-
.icity Of records.
Schory, for instance, sealed the
Paragraphs on the Spirit Of st. Louis,
he ia-Chamberlin's plane,
and the Sikorsky plane in which Rene
Fonck failed SO tragically to start
the New York-Pa hop last year.
h Simple Mechanism
The Paragraph is steel box eight
or ten inches long, with delicate but
simple mechanism which records
both altitude and the duration of the
flight. At one end on the steel bot
tom of the box, slowly revolves an
upright drum, on which is rolled a
chart. Resting on the drum is fine
ly pointed pen, the other end Of
which is attached to a series of
vacuumed diaphragms at the other
end of the frame. As the plane at
tains altitude, the atmospheric pres
sure lessons. The diaphragms ex-
pand, controlling the pen and push
ing it upwards on the drum, making
tracing the while. When the plane
is standing on the ground the drum
shows horizontal line and, of
course, if the plane comes down to
the ground after . flight the fact il
duly recorded by the sinking pen.
The drum makes a revolution every
hour. every two hours or whatever
time is desired.
To seal this machine after the
cover is dropped down over it, the
same method is used as in sealing a
trunk for shipment. A string or wire
is tied around it and the seal welded
on so that it cannot be removed with
out detection. In flight, the baro-
graph is suspended on springs and
rubber shock absorbers so that the
vibration will not affect its record.
After record flight, the baro-
graph is generally taken to the
bureau Of standards here for cali
bration by w. G. Brombacher.
No Limits to Records
The Federation Aeronautique In
ternationale-F. A. i.-provides that
paragraphs must be carried in all
nonstop trials and that they and the
gasoline tanks must be sealed. These
were among the conditions of the
Orteig $4,000 New York-P con-
test won by Lindbergh, the sealing
to be done by the Official in con-
troll at the starting point" Lind
bereh's Paragraph was taken over by
the Aero club Of France when he ar
rived in Paris.
Schory, who has seen SO MANY
record breakers take off in balloons
and planes, believes there's no limit
to what those Paragraphs will record
in the future.
I'm view Of the many startling
achievements performed already by
Lindbergh and Others" he says, Tin
both speed and duration, it would be
foolish to predict possible limit.
"These records are all steps in
the advancement OF aeronautics.
They always give impetus to the
science, interesting 10th the public
and the investors. They are proving
that planes will fly consistently and
are becoming more and more re-
liable"