Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-05

monoplane powered with Bristol-Jupt-
.er 420-horsepower engine, supercharged.
Soucek has made all his altitude
flights in the same plane. It Is Wright
Apache single-seater with high-lift
wings and IS powered with q Pratt &
Whitney 425-horsepower Wasp engine,
supercharged. Every effort has been
made to spare weight and to this end
the wings are not painted, 50 as to save
the weight Of the paint. They are
''doped" and given single coat Of pre-
sentative lacquer. At extreme attitudes,
Lieut. Soucek explained, a few pounds
may mean all the difference in altitude,
between success and failure.
Wings Resurfaced.
| During the past few months the 1T
tie gray altitude plane has been in the
shops being groomed for yesterdays at
tempt. A new engine, better super
charger, modified oil-cooling system
improved oxygen apparatus and new
wing covering were provided and in
tenSive study was made Of propellers
which would permit safe taking OF and
| climb In the thick lower air, and yet
would give maximum efficiency at high
attitudes. It was found that much Of
the upper air efficiency must be lost TO
meet the other requirements and the
compromise type had to be employed. =.
early In the week and on Tuesday aft
ernoon Lieut.. Soucek took the plane UP
for q test flight, reaching an altitude
Of 10000 feet, according to his alti-
meter. Yesterday morning the plane
was thoroughly checked again and,
after lunch with officers Of the Ana
costa Station, Lieut.. Soucek was ready
to go.
. A{evHat f1Yp-lfVaaA iaafH1oY
flying suit with nothing beneath 1t.
Full face mask combined with helmet,
heavy fur-lined gloves and boots and
electrically heated goggles, designed by
himself and his brother, Lieut.. ZeuS
Soucek who recently resigned from the
Navy with several seaplane world rec
ordS TO his credit, completed his per-
sonal equipment. Heating of the Cog
giles Is necessary 10 prevent them be-
coming covered with frost and rem
dered useless. The oxygen apparatus,
another source Of much trouble to alti-
tude flyers, owing to the tendency to-
ward ice formation In the tubes, also
bears improvements worked out by
Lieut.. Soucek.
The take-of for the trip was as mat
er-of-fact as any ordinary practice
camera men with Comdr. A. II. Doug
las, commandant Of the Anacostia sta
ton, Lieut.. Soucek climbed into the
plane, the motor Of which had been
warmed up by mechanics, TAXED out
into the field and took OF with an
amazingly short run. He climbed
swiftly, circling the field, and within
IL minutes was lost to the naked eye
at an altitude Of nearly miles
Married Last Week.
He took OF at 2:1s pm, disappeared
ct approximately 2:3o, and nothing
more was seen to indicate that world
record attempt was in progress until
after 4 o'clock, when fine white streak
Of vapor appeared across the sky. It
was caused by condensation of vapor
from the planes exhaust as the plane
was descending, and its altitude was
estimated at 10000 feet. The plane was
invisibel even to observers with power
full field glasses.
The plane became visible to the
naked eye only q few minutes before
landing, at 4:25 o'clock.
Lieut.. Soucek interrupted his honey
moon to make yesterdays flight. He
was married here last week.
Germany's great expansion of foreign
! trade has materially checked the num-
Der Of unemployed.