Evening star., 1933-01-29
EVEREST FLIGHT
PLANS DETAILED
Photographing of Mountain
and Survey of Surround
ings Are Aims.
BY LAIR COMMODORE" P. F. N
FELLOWES, ID. S. o.
Leader of Everest Flight Expedition.

many respects W Illdt iiSCuCu AZ. "
attempt on an altitude record and yet
in some important particulars it is very
different.
This flight is to be more than an ad-
venture. 1t is also an experiment IN
search of scientific information. IL
has three main purpoSeS-to ny over
and photograph Mount Everest, to sur
yey the immediate surroundings OF the
mountain and to prove that the highest
mountain in the world is not an insur-
mountable barrier to air transport.
It's peculiar characteristic is that !!
1t succeeds in its second purpose 1t VIII
have done in about three hours WofK
that which would otherwise need years
of patient pioneer endeavor over al
most impossible terrain.
Starting from the base at Purnea, IN
Bihar, the two airplaneS to be useo
will fly on parallel courses. They Will
climb directly to height OF about
1000 feet, and should have reached
that altitude within eight minutes and
after travelling forward only about lU
miles toward their goal. At approx
mately that height they will fly, cllmp-
ing slowly toward the mountain, Tor
100 miles more or so. and at the END
of that time they will begin the steep
est part of their climb.
Fitted for High Attitudes.
A little over an hour after leaving
the ground they should have Travelled
considerably more than 100 miles and
have reached height of $4,000 feet.
The last part of the climb should pe
only slightly slower than the earlier
sections, because these planes are fitted
specially fer high altitude work and
will not develop their greatest efficiency
at the lower levels.
The last 5000 feet of height should
be gained in about IS minutes, and the
two aircraft, provided the wind is not
contrary, should be above the crest OF
the great mountain about 83 minutes
after leaving the plains OF Blhar. FOR
at least half that time the pilots ana
observers will have been taking oxygen
in larger and larger quantities to make
up for the lack of it at great heights.
If all goes well they may remain poised
about the stupendous panorama sur
rounding the worlds highest mountain
for perhaps 20 minutes and then turn
away for the long glide back.
During part of the outward and re-
turn flight. special automatic survey
cameras will take vertical overlapping
photographs of the ground covered. AT
the same time the observers will oper-
ate cinematograph cameras and, ham,
pered though they may be by oxygen
tubes and electrical cables to the con-
nections for heating their clothing and
their apparatus, they should be able to
direct their cinema cameras on inter-
esting or important objectives on either
side of and below the planes. Between
the two methods vertical and oblique
photography a most valuable record
of the fight and an actual picture OF
country never before seen at close quar-
ters should be brought back.
Detailed Map BY Camera.
The cameras for the vertical photo
graphs are of a very modern design,
and their unusually wide focal angle
means that the planes should cover
wide strip Of mountain country. in
Guiding several recognizable points al
ready fixed by accurate ground sur
vey.
From the overlapping photographs a
complete mosaic of this strip will be
prepared, and it is hoped that 1t may
prove possible, using this as a back
bone, to build up, with the aid OF the
obliuue cinematogra ph views, a reason
ably accurate detailed map of a wide
area.
We had to seek a type OF plane from
among the general-purpose class. and
we have every reason to believe that
the Houston two-seater, built
originally as an experimental military
machine, engined with the Pegasus S
III, will give us the performance we
need.
We decided we could do without
wheel brakes, on the assumption that
we should have plenty of room at our
base leading ground and should prob
ably not have to contemplate forced
landings on comparatively short
flight The removal of the brakes
saved another 40 pounds in weight. The
lead the machine will have to carry
will be near 400 pounds, and OF that
total about 700 pounds represent fuel.
When we set out from Purnea the load
ed weight of the machine will be about
5000 pounds. and this will have fallen
to 4.62O pounds when it reaches the
summit of Everest.
4 Increases Efficiency.
That weight is perhaps 500 pounds
less than the loaded weight OF the
Blanc in its military form-a reduc-
Zion which had to be made in the in
terests of high performance at great
height Another change concerns the
type of airscrew fitted. We are using
an airscrew which will not enable us to
use the full horsepower OF the engine
until we reach about 10000 feet, in
order that a large proportion OF the
horsepower of the engine will be avail
able at a great altitude. Also the air
screw revolves at half the speed OF the
engine. This increases its efficiency at
all attitudes over one revolving at the
same speed The actual speed over the
ground when climbing will probably
not be more than about II miles an
hour at the start, and will rise to about
135 miles in level flight only when we
reach operational height.
The aircraft is medium, single-en-
gined biplane of metal construction.
Its span is 46la feet; its length "a feet.
Its undercarriage has specially wide
track that the machine may be used
on rough and unprepared aerodromes.
Special care has been taken to protect
the pilots and observers cockpits from
cold air and draughts. In front has
been placed a three-ply partition, and
the observers cockpit has two roof
panels which fold inward and may be
fixed in position after, the observer has
taken his place in the cockpit.
This covered compartment has two
windows on either side and window
in the floor. One window on each side
and that on the floor have sliding
Ipanes so the cinematograph camera
may be trained directly on its objects,
and the other side windows NAV be
opened slightly outward on side hinges
to protect the camera and its operator
from the cold blast Of the slipstream.
Keeping the Camera Warm.
The survey camera is fixed in the
door of the ,fuselage, Immediately be-
meath the pilots seat. The observer
may reach forward to this camera from
his cockpit and upon him will rest the
duty of changing the film packs as
thev are used up by the automatic
camera. This task will have to be done
uuickly, and according to present plans,
the change will take place only once
and that over the summit. This
x,,oSt of the other nieceS