HIGH FLYING AND SPEED

Evening Star, Issue 21746, 14 June 1934, Page 15

HIGH FLYING AND SPEED

WILEY POST’S RAGE FLAN CRITICISED LITTLE KNOWN OF UPPER STRATA CONDITIONS [Sfecial io tips ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, June 13. Wiley Post, round the world airman, proposes to fly in the Melbourne centenary air race with an oxygen-charged diver’s suit, which will enable him to fly in the rarefied atmosphere of 35,000 ft at a speed of 300 miles per hour, in his opinion. Christchurch flying men who wore consulted about this to-day, declared that high altitude flying was still in the experimental stage. It was thought that if machines could roach heights now regarded as exceptional, there would be comparatively miresistant air, which would allow normal cruising speeds faster than the top speeds of the fastest aeroplanes now in use. This, however, had still to be proved. Machines callable of regular flights in the higher altitudes had not yet'been perfected. There was a tendency on the part of some designers to concentrate on machines which would give great climbing powers in conjunction with high speeds, the idea being that height and weather were, to some extent at least ; the same thing, and that the machine which CQuld climb above storms would be able to fly at great speed at the heights. There would probably be serious experiment into high flying in time, though it was questionable if the exceptional speed which it was hoped would be secured was really necessary for commercial flying, when comfort for the passengers had to be considered. Oxygen apparatus was necessary for very high flying, airtight blouses and trousers being necessary, with special helmets, as well as heating apparatus for travellers. Wiley Post’s idea of using high speed at a great height in the air race was not favoured by one flying man of considerable experience, who thought that, as the trade winds blew in one direction on the surface of the earth, and were presumed to blow in another higher up, it was likely the machine would be retarded rather than assisted by high flying. He also stated that navigation would be difficult from .such exceptional heights. It would be necessary to steer a compass course and rely on time factors considerably, and it would he rather awkward to expect oneself to be above a certain point at a certain time only to find, on getting down, that one was- possibly a few hundred miles away in territory one could not identify at all. In an air race time spent jn taking bearings and recovering location would be a serious waste.