PILOT PLEASED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 494, 30 March 1933, Page 2

PILOT PLEASED

leverest flight PRELIM IN ARY TEST OF PLANE PROVES ENTIRELY S ATI SFACTORY. FEATUIRiES OF BIPLANE. The preliminary. tests of the Hous-ton-Westland two-Seater hiplane to he used in the flight over Mount Everest, were, according to the London Times, entirely satisfactory. The machine was up for about half- an hour, and reaehed an altitude of 24,000 feet without th'e slightest difficulty. In fact, it took only severfteen minutes to climh 20,000 feet. ..... The flight, took place at the Yeovil aerodrome, and was carried out under the supervision of the management and staff of the Westland Aircraft Works. The two-seater was built originally as an experimental machine, but has been adapted from its military form and has -been fitted with a Bristol Pegasus SIII emgine. ' It is calculated that the total loaded weight of the machine when setting out for the flight over Everest will be about 50001b. In the test it was loaded up to slightly more than that weight. It also carried a little -more petrol than will be required. ' , Electrical Heatxng. The excellent performance of the machine came as no -surprise to those who have been responsible for its design and ,eqxiipment. Th'e necessary adaptations have been carried out in a remarkably. short time, and those members of the Mount Everest Commitee who were present were more than pleased at the .result. The hiplane was taken up by Mr. H. J. Pen-l-ose, the test pilot at-the Westland Works, who had put the machine through some short experimental handling triia-ls. Lord Clydesdale, who is to be the pilot over Everest, did not go up, but spent some time making himself familiar with all the details of the engine and equipment and in testing th'e control. Air Commodore P. F. M. Fellowes, the leader of the Expedition, was the observer and went up with Mr. Penrose. • The afternoon was beautifully fine, but very eold, and there wias little or no wind when the machine was towed by tx'actor out of its slxed. Mr. Penrose and Air Commodore Fellowes were equipped with all th'e electrically heated clothing which will be worn on the actual expedition, except the electrically-heated goggles. The special electrical heating aparatus with whiclx. the machine has been fitted waxnns not only the pilot and the observer but also the valves, tlxe oxygen appax-atus, and the necessary instruments. Protection. There is no roof to the pilot's cockpit, which has been equipped with a hooded windscreen as a protection against draughts. The cockpit of the observer is roofed in. It has two windows on either side and a, window in the floor from which photographs will be taken by the Williamson Eagle caxxxeras and th'e cinematcgraph camera which ax*e to be used. Full oxygen cylinders were carried. From the start of the preliminary test Mr. Penrose adjusted the oxygen pad over his mouth, inhaling small quantities, which he increased as higher altitudes were reaehed. At 4.21 p.m., with the sun low on the lioiizon behind it, the machine took off perfectly. Th'ere was no wind, and after a run- of less than a hundreds yards the hiplane x'ose gracefully nto the air and began climbing at once. Soon it had become only a speclc in the sky. After remaining in the air for neaxiy half an hour the machine began to descend, and a very igood landing was made at iahout 4.55. Both pilot -and observer were enthusiastic over the performance. Mr. Penrose said that he climbed at the actual speed at which it. is expected that the machine will climh over 'Everest. They got up to 24,000 feet in slightly better time tjxan the theoretical time which they had mapped out. Had they had another half-hour they would have been able to carry out their full altitude test and have finished the job. There was absolutely no .trouble of any soxrt. All the electrical heating gear and the oxygen apparatus worked excellently. At 24,000 feet he took a hearty dose of oxygen. Although 'at that hedght the tenxperature was minus 3 degrees Centigrade, he did not feel the cold, so well was the machine hqated. At one time he was so warm that he turned off the heating apparatus. He felt no draught. He climbed at the rate .of about 1000 feet a iminute. The controls handled well, and he experienced no discomfort. Petrol consumption was good. Mr. Penrose was particularly pleased with the new air screw which has been fitted. This does not enable the full horse-power of the engine to be used until a height -of about 13,000 feet is reaehed, in order that a large portion of the horse-power may be available at a greater altitude. No Yibration. • Air-Comodore Fellowes said tha,it throughout-the flight he was very .eomfortable axxd warm. Indeed, wlxen he took off his flying helmet at the end of the flight he was perspiring. He spent rnost ;of his time while in the air testin'g1 the apparatus.' He communicated with the pilot by .means'Wf .slips of paper, and not hy imicrophbne.' The lowest tempierature they experienced— minus 30deg. Centrigrade — was, he stated, only a little higher than that which they expected to iget while over Everest. ■ He did not put on any goggles, which' were unnecessary in the observer's cockpit, and although he opened the side windows for some little tixne he did not feel the cold. One particularly ixnportant thing was the entire absence of vibration, which would he goo.d from the photographic point of view. . ■ ■ • It is expected that no difficulty will be experienced in obtaininig the required operatiye altitudes qf sonxething over 34,000 feet. Given reasonably good afmospheric conditiops over Everest, this should enable the summit of the mountain to he cleared with some 3000 feet to spare. •