AVIATOR'S EXPERIMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 212, 4 September 1920, Page 19

AVIATOR'S EXPERIMENTS.

The question of what height it is possible to fly anil still remain physically capable of maintaining co-nstioustiess, has been tested by Lieutenant Caeale. .the famous Kreneii airman, anxious to beat his own Recently,he went through an ordeal in order ro ascertain the feasibility of piloting his own flyiug maoMne to a height of 7J miles.

: . Shut into a pneumatic -cell at the Aerial ■ | Institute at St. Cyr. with two cylinders of | oxygen within reach, a glass ■ wns place*! so that those watching him ont- ' sli!e could Jirlng the experinieiu to an end • if It w-a« evident that to priH-eed would be I , dnngerous. j Thi> atmosphere within the ceil was then reduced until, after JTmin :!(>see it was exactly that which exirt.< 7* miles above the earth's surface: another 20 minutes brought the atmosphere baok to that of the level irround. I Lieutenant Cnsale used compressed , I oxysren, administered b.v means of a mask, .! when the atmosphere became that of -i ■ miles up: at .1} miles he felt very cold, and increased the supply of oxygen. At -1* miles he asked that rtie speed with ' which the atmosphere was being thinned : piould he reduceil. It was noticed that ho began to move with great difficulty, but he • was neverDheless a'lde to .stand the strain ! until an atmosphere equivalent to 7J miles was reached.