DOWN TO EARTH

Evening Star, Issue 19437, 21 December 1926, Page 5

DOWN TO EARTH

PARACHUTE CARRIES ABftAK The first landing of a plane supported by a parachute ever made in the United States was reported recently. The pilot, B. Carl Oelze, of the San Diego naval air station, shut off his motor at 2,500 ft altitude, but, it is said, made no attempt at gliding. The piano landed in one minute and six seconds after falling at an average speed of 38ft per second. The descent appeared rapid at first, but was checked as the parachute opened. The piano then swung from side to side, but as it approached the earth its descent became steadier. The plane and parachute settled to earth in a slight hollow, suffering some damage to the landing gear. The final speed .at which the plane landed was estimated to be considerably less than the average speed. The application of the parachute to the _ support of the entire plane is the joint invention of Harry B. Doucett, chief aviation machinist’s mate at the San Diego naval air station, and of H. R. Russell, maker of the so-called Russell para chute. Lieutenant P. D. Donnelly also of the San Diego air station, predicted that the tests would lead to the design of aircraft in which the passenger compartment would be detachable, so that in the event of serious accident in the air the pilot would bo able to deliver the whole compartment safely to earthy In the experiment described, plane, pilot, and equipment weighed about I,Boolb. The parachute weighed about 601 b, and was 54ft in diameter. The plane used in the test was specially rebuilt to strengthen the midship section of the fuselage, which would receive the greatest strain as the parachute opened. The parachute was installed in such a manner in the fuselage that it could readily be disengaged by the pilot. It was_ designed to be carried back by the wind, then opened and swung upward by the air pressure. A special cradle of steel and aluminium was built into heavy centre wing struts. The size of the parachute was determined from previous experience to give a landing speed of not more than 20ft per second. As an extra precaution the landing gear was strengthened to withstand an unexpectedly severe landing shock. The experiment is undoubtedly interesting, but it cannot be said to bo conclusive. In the most dangerous aerial difficulties, such as when the plane stalls a short distance from the ground and goes into a spin, there would be no time to use the parachute. At greater altitudes it is much simpler for the pilot and crew to jump m individual parachutes. But for commercial craft carrying several passengers unversed in parachute jumping the development is not without interest. —‘ Scientific American.’