Evening star., 1935-12-29

and the like, direct strikes failing to
show any traces Of such damage
The study also covered the possible
ity Of damage to the ignition system
Of airplane engines in event Of q dis.
charge through the engine Of light.
ming. Tests with artificial lightning
Of higher power than that ordinarily
encountered in nature, showed that
ignition could be stopped momentarily,
at least, on one cylinder, but no test
which could be made caused complete
failure. Instances have been reported
in which engines were said to have
been stopped in flight by lightning,
but in every case they picked up i'm
mediately and there are no cases Of
failure known.
There Is little doubt that the occu.
pants Of an all-metal plane are en-.
tirely safe from severe electrical
shock" it was reported. They are in
the ideal position inside the conducting
metal fuselage. In artificial lightning
experiments where discharges are
caused to take place between large
metal spheres 20 feet or more apart,
the observers are placed inside the
electrodes as the safest place to be-"
Another possibility which was inves.
tigated was that a lightning fash
striking or close TO the plane might
temporarily blind the pilot, especially
at night, when the iris of the eye Is
wide open. There is safeguard against
this, however. in the windshield glass
of transport airplanes, which prevents
the passage Of large quantities Of ul-
traviolet light.
It was found also that the sudden
change in air pressure following q
lightning stroke Is probably not Of
dinarily encountered in fight.
Trailing radio antenna may be lost
due to arcing If struck by lightning,
but without damage to the airplane.
and the antenna, in fact, serves as an
added protection to the plane by help.
ing to prevent strike Oh the tail sur
faces, it was found. The radio equip.
ment itself has no relation to lightning
discharges, it was found, and it makes
or on. There is believed to be no haz-
ard from wearing headphones, and
there has been no injury to the opera
tor IN cases where radio equipment
has been damaged.
Most of the desirable lightning
protective features are inherent in the
design of the modern airplane,' 1t was
concluded. Other protective features
will be adopted"
Plans for an International soaring
contest in 1886 are being discussed
here and abroad. The contest is being
arranged under the sponsorship of the
Internationale Studienkommission fuer
den MotorioSen Flug, known popu.
larly as "Istus," world society for glids
ing and soaring fight.
The Istus already has given notice
that a soaring contest will not be adj
mitted at Olympic games, but that
there will be soaring displays at the
games a. q demonstration Of the soars
ing sport, with q possibility Of inters
national participation in the demons
stration.
In the meantime, however, plans are
going ahead for an international cons
test apart from the Olympic displays.
Since such a meet cannot be held dur.
ing the period of the games, August
8 to II, it must be held either before
or after those dates, and the details
will depend upon the arrangements
for the soaring demonstration at the
games.
A giant transport glider capable of
carrying 18 passengers is in operation
in Russia. according to reports re-
ceived by oficers of the Soaring Soc
ciety of America. The huge motors
less craft was designed principally for
AIR train" work. Recently a train
consisting Of three gliders and tow
plane, operated entirely by women,
made q 1,000-mile flight in Russia.
The society has been informed that
at the eleventh Soviet glider meet
held recently at Kitebel. in Crimea,
eight world records were reported to
have been broken, as follows:
Duration (single-place), 80 hours 10
minutes.
Duration Gwo-place), SO hours 10
minutes.
Duration (three-place), II hours 80
minutes.
Women's duration (single-place), IS
hours 80 minutes
Women's duration dwo-place), IL
hours 8 minutes.
Women's distance, ss.42 miles.
The other two records were In con-
nAction with the air traiE tcv fight.