Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11

INSTEAD of using untried type Of machine.
the air ministry decided on Farman "190."
q medium-sized monoplane, but the at
mosphere has less lift at high altitude the wing
surface has been increased from 40 to IS square
meters. and the tail planes proportionately. The
machine will weigh about $500 English pounds
and have a speed of $50 miles an hour at tho
surface. The safety co-efncient Is four.
The unusual novelty inside the plane is the
air-tight duralumin cylinder for the pilot and
mechanic. 1t is 80 inches long and 40 inches
in diameter, with a small circular window.
filled with heavy glass, at each side and q lid
at the top for entering. In taking on the
pilot can stick his head out. but once he COM
menceS to get real altitude he must close this
chamber and fly by means OF his instruments.
having only his side windows probably frosted.
for visibility. The cabin will be supplied with
fresh air by a pump operating with the super
charger, and as this air coming from the
compressors will he too hot in the upper
attitudes that are so bitterly cold it will be
cooled by a special radiator. new kind OF
valves have been installed to release the bad
air. In case of emergency, due to breakdown
in the air pump, the occupants will have
bottle Of oxygen that will last long enough for
them TO drop to FREE breathing altitude. The
pilot will have everything he needs in this
cabin. The controls will operate through air
tight knuckleS.
This air tight cabin the easiest part
of the problem to solve the air ministry tech
nician explained, land we are astonished that
it has never been utilized before. The system
is SO much safer and more practical than the
practice of going up in an open plane with
bottle of oxygen, and, besides, it protects the
whole body instead of merely the breathing
system. 1t is not only necessary for man TO
breathe normally IN the stratosphere, his en-
tire body requires about the same atmospheric
pressure to which he is accustomed. A person
who goes up with only bottle, or allows an
other to go up ought to be put in the mad
house.
The two men who go up in this new plane
will be snug as bugs. They can control the
temperature and the amount of air in their
cabin. The metal cylinder will be insulated SO
that it is not too cold to touch. And being
free from worry about breathing. they can
devote all their time to flying and watching
their plane.
"A far more complicated question is how
the apparatus used for plotting plane when
there IS no visibility is going to function at
$4,000 feet. These controls are based on the
effect of a relative wind in other words, Tor
normal conditions at l, or miles, but not
for bitter cold or violent velocities. There Is
the same problem for the measuring indicators,
particularly speed. We believe that they will
function but not with much eXactitude. 1t
NAV be necessary to create new instruments
to measure air speeds. although We can get
ground speeds by flying from place to place.
The propeller was one of the principal prob
lens to solve. A small propeller with low
pitch is sufficient in the thick atmosphere at
low attitudes but a big propeller with high
pitch is needed in the thin air up above. AS
tbs new plane ascends into the higher regions
the propeller will commence to race, thereby
heating up the motor, but it will be held at
1900 revolutions at all attitudes.
The air ministry and the Farman engineers
finally worked out huge, four bladed metallic
affair with a variable pitch that the pilot can
change in flight. The tank tests have been
entirely satisfactory. AS the propeller is so
vital and may be affected more by the cold
than other metallic parts separate from the
motor, the metallurgical engineers tested out
many alloys under intense cold before they
finally chose one. When the plane goes up
for the first time there will be more anxiety
for this part of the machine than any other.
A light, tough powerful metal that does not
become brittle in freezing temperature has not
been found yet.
No pilot has been chosen yet for this great
adventure into the upper skies, but every one
in France is eagerly seeking the opportunity
that may lead to fame and fortune.