The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-07

For five years, Dr. Robert H. Goddard, member of the faculty at Worcester Polytechnical Institute at Worcester, Mass, has struggled for the mastery of an arrow-like metal rocket plane which he hopes to send to the unheard of height of 100 miles or more His activities and experiments toward that end extend over approximately 20 years, the last five of which have been spent near Roswell, where he found at mos pheric and climatic conditions ideal.
 Dr. Goddard has worked metic- ulously, carrying out test after test of his rocket ship with sand ballast and dummy instruments. Not un- til he is definitely convinced he has reached perfection will he attempt a flight with a human cargo and expensive instruments for testing atmospheric conditions in the stra- tosphere.
 Secret Alloy Used
 The ship, a bubble weighing only 30 pounds, was constructed of a secret alloy of metals obtained after many tests. The streamlined af- fair has been proved capable of withstanding sudden changes in temperature and the "kick" of the powerful fuel which drives it at in credible speeds.
 The scientist is spending his time at present in efforts to reduce the weight of the already feathery tube and Its equipment proportionately to increase speed and possible dist ance of flights. Recently he com pleted tests of fuel to his satisfac- tion. The mixture of gasoline and liquid oxygen, which Dr. Goddard believes perfect for rocket power, drove the ship to height of 7,500 feet at a rate of 700 miles on hour in a test flight.
 Speed Terrific
 ITO even comprehend that tre- mendous speed" Dr. Goddard said, "one should occupy the pill box observation pit during the launch ing of a test flight.
 "When the mass of flame spouts from the base of the rocket, and the ship roars upward almost faster than the eye can follow, one won- ders that such power can be leashed to do mans bidding"
 The firing tower is between 75 and 100 feet high, located in the center of an eXpanse of rangeland, some 20 miles from here. The base laboratory is four miles from Ros- well.
 Stabilization for these straight up" flights is obtained by a small gyroscope, placed near the rear of the rocket to control four fins, operated similar to those of present day lighter -than-air craft.
 Test Flight Reviewed
 Dr. Goddard described an early test flight made before the gyro- scope was perfected:
 "The rocket took off at terrific speed, turned in midair, headed earthward in 8 curving line, and swept in an arc close to the ob- serves who were shooting the flight with a small movie camera.
 "At last the ship settled to earth a short distance from where we were standing. Even then my as- sistants approached warily, lest 1t might be playing possum."
 One of the most interested per- sons in Dr. Goddard's work is Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, a member of the Daniel Guggenheim Founda- ton board, sponsors of the project.
 Colonel and Mrs. Lindbergh have visited Roswell twice to confer with the scientist and see flight of the rocket ship.
 No Instruments Used
 Flight test, to date. have been confined to using weights equal to the weights of the delicate instru- ments.
 "The expense prohibits us risk ing real instruments until we have conclusive proof that the flight will be successful" Dr. Goddard said.
 Goddard and his associates are too involve with the problems con- fronting them to hazard any estin- ate of when the first real flight of the rocket craft will take place.
 "Someday, we'll find that we've solved the major problems and its just a question of fitting them into workable order" Goddard predicted.