Evening star., 1941-12-07
BY Devon Francis,
Wide World News.

came torque effect, the tendency of the
ship to swing left. counter to the rota-
ton of the propellers.
The controls began to feel good. He
pushed on the wheel. The tail came up.
The ship got lighter. 1t lifted gently.
He took it easy letting the engines in
crease his speed and altitude at their
will.
At 1000 feet he banked lightly, still
climbing. A long, slow circle brought
him over the airport at 1000 feet. Again
he tested his controls. The ship re-
sponded readily, for all its weight.
'Papana to tower he said into his
microphone, Il am getting ready to dump
the tanks"
He got an okay. He reached for the
trigger, pulled.
Something exploded. The noise was
mufled by the roar of the engines.
At the same instant white sub
stance, like fog, hissed into the cockpit.
He was blinded His eyes burned. His
hands and face felt hot, yet they were
cold to his touch.
He clapped his hands to his eyes. AS
though his mind stood apart from him
self, reasoning, calculating, he thought:
If this is carbon monoxide, l am done
for. If it is carbon dioxide, I have
chance.
Gas Cleared Up
He fumbled for the cockpit window
latch at his shoulder The window was
too small He could not get his head
out for breath of air. The ship was
careening. He could feel it twist like a
tortured serpent.
Savagely he tugged at the opposite
window. 1t shot open. The wind whip
ped in. He breathed deeply. He began
to see. Frost came off his lashes as he
rubbed his eyes. The cockpit was clear
ing Of the gas.
His heart pounded, but the steady
drone of the engines was reassuring. The
ship was back on an even keel now. He
could think He knew what had hap
DtIlSQ. LIE CN lIIlutl III tilc l4OSC iih't
spewed its contents into the cockpit.
He must figure this out The fuel
tanks remained brimful. Without the
carbon dioxide he could not operate the
dump valves. That meant he could
abandon ship and toss away the 100000
invested in it, or he could try to land it.
The plane had been paid for with his
own funds plus 100000 in public and
private subscriptions in Rumania.
He shook his head. He must not lose
it. But what would happen when he
asked the landing gear to take the crush
ing impact of twice the normal weight
of the plane?
"Papana to tower. Papana to tower
he called. "the dumping system does not
work. I must try TO land with full load"
Tower to Papana, We advise against
it. Abandon ship
"Papana to tower, no, I will try to
land"
He swung back. headed for the airport.
The beetle-backed ambulances had
moved. They were scattered here and
there on the field, each trying to guess
where the plane might crash. And with
them were the fire engines.
He had decided what he would do.
High above the airport he practiced his
landing. Gingerly he throttled down.
The airspeed needle crept backward. He
watched the rate of descent indicator.
At 100 revolutions on his engines the
rate of descent was slow enough to ease
the shock on his landing gear.
But that meant his wheels would
touch at 160 miles an hour.
He shrugged. He was ready.
He circled for his approach. He cleared
some buildings abutting the airport. The
ship streaked in. He watched the field,
the airspeed needle, the response Of
the controls. All was well-if the land
ing gear could take 1t.
He was just off the ground. The plane
settled. 1t touched lightly. Papana
yanked the throttles closed. The ship
rolled. 1t seemed that it would roll
forever He lived in slow motion.