PEAK CONQUERED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 109, 5 April 1933, Page 7

PEAK CONQUERED

FLIGHT OVER EVEREST. ANOTHER BRITISH ACHIEVEMENT. ' MAGNIFICENT PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Times Cable.) LONDON, April 4. The two aeroplanes of the Houston Mount Everest Flight Expedition, piloted respectively by Squadron-Leader Lord Clydesdale and Flight-Lieutenant D. F. McIntyre, have conquered the world’s highest mountain, clearing its summit by over 100 feet. The mountain is 29,141 feet high. In a. copyright message, the Times’s aeronautical correspondent at Purnea says:— “Tho flight over Everest was accomplished in exactly three hours, with no more fuss than a service flight in England. “The only mishap was a fracture of the cinematographer’s (Mr S. R. Bonnett) oxygen pipe over the summit, which was not noticed until faintness and violent stomach pains compelled him to sit down in the cockpit. Tying his handkerchief over the fracture, he soon recovered sufficiently to continue photographing. “The air survey was unsatisfactory because both cameras failed for part of the flight. Nevertheless, they produced magnificent photographs of the crest of Mount Everest and surrounding peaks, including a close-up view of the entire mountain peak, showing the main southern slopes and the final ridge where the climbers Mallory' and Irvine lost their lives, also the summit itself. “Lord Clydesdale said that both aeroplanes flew over the summit of Everest at 10.5 a.m. They felt no bumps. They flew for a quarter of an hour in the vicinity of the summit.”

A FORCED LANDING. UNFORTUNATE ANTI-CLIMAX. Received April 5, 10.10 a.m. CALCUTTA, April 4. An unfortunate anti-climax to the successful flight over Everest occurred when one of the aeroplanes left Purnea in the morning to reconnoitre Kinchin junga and made a forced landing on unapproachable ground, 60 miles from the base. The Marquess of Clydesdale has left in tho second machine with supplies of lood and water. There is no news of casualties and it is believed that all are well. CONGRATULATED BY KING. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 4. The King has sent a message of congratulation to the members of the Everest Expedition. The Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, and Sir Samuel Hoare are among the many others who sent congratulations. PRODIGIOUS. EFFORT. PREPARATIONS FOR EXPEDITION.

Squadron-Leader the Marquess of Clydesdale is the chief pilot of the Mount Everest flying expedition whieh has been financed by Lady Houston. He is accompanied by AirCommodore P. F. M. Fellowes (the leader), Flight-Lieutenant D. F. McIntyre and Mr Bonnet, cinematographer. The machines in use are two Westland-Wallace craft. The expedition set out from the Royal Air Force base at Purnea, which is 250 miles north of Calcutta and 160 miles from Everest. The ambition of the members of the expedition was to secure for Britain the honour of conquering Everest, while air survey photographs would supply important scientific and geographical data. The fact that the North and South Poles have been reached by foreign machines rendered it the more important that Everest, which was the greatest geographical objective remaining, should be attained, thus further stimulating British aviation enterprise. The possibility of engine failure had been reduced to a minimum by exhaustive experiments. Both ’planes are equipped with Bristol Pegasus S 3 specially supercharged engines. All military, equipment was removed, and wheel fairings and brakes and all other items that added to the weight of the machines was jettisoned in order to gain extra performance. The load of each aeroplane consisted of approximately 90 gallons of fuel, a crew of two, full oxygen and heating equipment, cameras and other special instruments and equipment for the work over Everest. In both machines the observer’s cockpit is enclosed, and sliding windows have been provided for the work with the cinematograph cameras. One of the machines used was tested at Yeovil, Somerset, on January 25. . It reached a height of 35,000 feet. In a further test at Karachi, on March 15, one of the aeroplanes climbed up to 34,000 feet in 90 minutes;, while the day before the achievement they attained 35,000 ft. The flight from the base to the summit of Everest and back was expected to occupy six hours. The actual passage to the summit was to be cinematographed and the observer’s impressions recorded on a dictaphone. As a precaution against frostbite the exposed parts of the airmen’s bodies were copiously oiled. The fliers wore electrically heated suits, and carried special “iron rations” in the event of a forced landing in some remote valley.