Evening star., 1932-09-08
SIGNALS TO HELP
IN BALLOON RACE
Van 0rman'S instruments
b Will Give Warnings
4 of Altitude.
Nv the Associated Press,

~ the Associated Press.
AKRON, Ohio, September s.-When
ward r. Van Orman, noted balloonist,
goes aloft at Basel, Switzerland, Sep
tenber IS, in the Gordon Bennett in
ternational balloon race, he will be as
alert for buZzeS and red lights from his
instrument chest as a locomotive engi-
neer watching for block signals.
Just as the engineer may get his sig
mails for the block ahead, Van Orman
may set his instruments to fash a whole
string Of warnings when a predeteT-
mined altitude is reached.
Van Orman, who probably has the
most complete instrument kit OF any
bAIloonist, has some new gadgets to take
with him in the Basel race this time.
Serves Four Purposes.
One of the most interesting is new
type of vertimeter which is made to per-
form four functions by the mere turn
Of handle With a valve set In one
position. the instrument serves as a
statometer, recording on its scale a total
change of altitude of only so feet. In
three other positions the instrument
will register changes as high as 533, 300
and 1893 feet per minute.
1t is a departure from the Statoscope
used in normal free balloon flights,
which registers changes in altitude by
showing expansion or contraction OF air
in a container upon a colored liquid in
q U-shaped tube.
Another new instrument, an alarm
altimeter, has a buzZer attached. A pre-
determined altitude may be set on the
alarm register so that at that point the
bugzer Is set off.
The device is an immense relief to
pilot in long flight, Van Ornan says,
for otherwise he must watch his instru
fneY1ts constantly.
II the pilots nerves are more jumpy
than usual, so that even the buzzer an
Iioys him, he may switch it off and SUBJ
stitute red light
A bubble breaking on one side orfhe
other of the U-shaped tube of state
scope used by Van Orman indicates that
his balloon has ascended or descended
IS feet. according to the side upon which
the bubble went.
Saves Ballast or Gas.
But new instrument of Van
Orman's, the incremeter, indicates an
even smaller change of altitude. This
has its value because initial changes of
altitude usually are very slow and may
be easily counteracted at that time with
a minimum waste of ballast or gas. AS
the ascent or descent does en- the change
is accelerated, more gas or ballast is re-
quired to correct the condition and con-
sequently the flight is shortened.
The incremeter shows change of as
little as 10 feet. 1t consists of an air
container with a top of goldbeater's
skin. which responds to expansion or
contraction Of the air and makes series
OF electrical contacts, activating buzzer
or red light.
An automatic device relieves excessive
pressure on the membrane when incre-
nients Of altitude of over ITS feet have
been reached
Van Orman a pilot of Goodyear bal
Icons for l6 years. has won three inter
national races and five national contests
in eight international and eleven ma
ticnal attempts.
Another balloonist who will represent
the United States this year is Lieut.. T.
G. W. Settle of the U. S. Navy. Lieut..
Settle. who is chief of the Navy inspec-
ton staff for the Navy aiTshiP Macon,
has record of two victories in national
balloon races and several second places.