Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
To Make Flying Safe From the Gas Menace


for period exceeding eight minutes.
1T is obvious from these facts that satu-
ration OF Is and 10 per cent, such as we found
in the blood of occupants of the observation
and bombing planes respectively, were not
alarming However, these early tests indicated
that perhaps the solution of the entire problem
lay in the construction Of the type of exhaust
outlet utilized. Therefore the engine section of
the Bureau Of Aeronautics, under the direction
Of Comdr. G. H. Pownall, chief Of the section,
ordered the installation during successive tests
of three main types of exhaust leads.
THE first type is the individual stack
system, whereby each separate engine cylinder
has its own individual exhaust outlet, consist
ing of an ordinary round, hollow pipe about
foot long. Tests with this type gave q
slightly positive saturation Of the poisonous
gas in the blood Of the occupants both in the
case of the bomber and the observation ship.
Type No is the bayonet stack system
This also utilities individual exhaust outlets,
but in place Of the round, hollow pipe an ex-
haust stack shaped like a bayonet is installed.
1t is about two and one-hah inches IN diameter
at the point where it attaches to the engine
cylinder, gradually tapering to a point at its
rear end, where it measures less than half an
inch in diameter. Using this system in the
bomber, the results were negative so far as
carbon monoxide in the blood Of the two Oc-
cupants was concerned and slightly positive In
the case of the observation plane.
Type No. is the manifold system. Mani
folding means the grouping together Of two or
more engine cylinders into a common exhaust
bomber showed negative results in their blood.
Those in the observation ship were slightly
positive.
These later experiments demonstrated con-
clusively a situation that had been indicated
during the early test program-that the solution
Of the entire carbon monoxide problem does
indeed lie primarily in the type Of exhaust
outlets utilized in the airplane. True enough,
the Navy has not yet reached the point where
its ofacials can say positively that they have
been able to eliminate the presence Of the
deadly gas entirely.
program have been completed We shall con-
tinue to work the problem as long as We
continue to find even the tiniest amount Of
carbon nonoxide in the blood Of the plane
occupants or in the air of the cockpit or cabin
Of any Of our ships. new line of attack win
be launched in the direction Of an investigation
Of samples Of air below the normal breathing
level OF the pilot and other plane occupants.
This 10 important when 1t Is realized that
there are, OF course, occasions when me-
chanic or pilot finds it necessary to make
repairs to his ship that might neceSSitate his
bending far below his usual breathing position
for half hour or more, thereby exposing him.
self to possible fumes of the poisonous gas that
might otherwise never reach his blood stream.
"STILL another line Of attack that has been
considered by Navy officials is the wide
spread use OF what are known as collector
rings These may be roughly defined as being
large contraptions attached to the various ex-
haust outlet systems, which serve to collect
carbon nonoxide fumes before most of them
get chance to follow the general course Of
the planes fuselage and into the cockpit or
cabin.
up to the present time these devices have
been regarded officially bulky and heavy
that, generally speaking, they interfere too
seriously with the speed and general efficiency
of maneuvering ability to be universally adopted
as regulation equipment for all types of service
ships.
THE real truth is that each type of plane
should be regarded as a separate problem in
itself as far as the menace of the poisonous
gas in concerned. During several important
tests mentioned earlier certain types of exhaust
outlets were used on one type of plane and
worked satisfactorily without permitting any
taceable amount of carbon monoxide to seep
into the planes cockpit But when used with
another type of plane these same outlets some
how permitted the gas to enter.
Again and again have been asked what
my personal opinion Is regarding the crash OF
the late Capt. Arthur Page, Marine Corps speed
dyer, At the recent Chicago air races. Was his
death in any wise due to carbon monoxide
poisoning? I can only answer this question by
pointing TO the results Of the official Navy
investigation Of his case. The experts found
such tiny amount Of the deadly gas in his
system that 1t would be absurd to say that
carbon monoxide had anything to do with the
entire situation. As q matter Of fact Capt,
Page must have been virtually in full pos
session OF his faculties to the last. Otherwise
how could he, as spectators viii attest, have
been able to turn his ship sharply away from
q grandstand containing hundreds of persons
few seconds before the actual crash?"
(Copyright, 1879