EVEREST FLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1933, Page 7

EVEREST FLIGHT

SUCCESSFUL TEST ACHIEVED

AT HEIGHT OF 35,000 FEET

(Per Press Association — Copyright. )

RUGBY, January 25

The ITouston-Westland bi-plane, which will be used in the Mt. Everest attempt, is equipped with the Bristol Peg 'sus 600 horse-power engine 0 f the tvpe used by Unwins, when he 'established the world altitude record. It was flown to-day in a test by the chief’ Wektiand ’ test pilot, with • Air 'Commodore Fellowes (leader of the Everest flight) as observer. The full equipment .was carried by the machine, which weighed over two tons. At thirty-five thousand feet the temperature was more severely cold than is anticipated on the actual Everest flight. Fellowes stated the test was ig every respect satisfactory. The oxygen equipment worked admirably. The machine will now be dismantled and shipped to India. The test was at Yeovil (Somerset), when it achieved a height of 35,000 feet which is a thousand feet higher than the altitude required by the expedition. The test of the electrically heated suits was entirely satisfactory. The plans include taking off from the R.A.F. base at Purma, 160 miles distant from Mount Everest, the flight t 0 which and back is likely to occupy six hours. The actual passage ‘ over the summit will be cimematographed, -nd the observers’ impression recorded on a dictaphone. As a precaution against frost bite, exposed parts of the bodies will be copiously oiled. The aeroplane will carry. special iron rations, for use in the eveqt of a forced landing in remote, valleys.