R.A.F. PILOT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 303, 20 November 1936, Page 12

R.A.F. PILOT

WORLD’S ALTITUDE RECORD. FIGHT FOR LIFE 9* MILES ABOVE GROUND. The aeronautical correspondent of the London Morning Post gives tho following story of the recent achievement of Squadron-Leader Swain in winning tho world’s altitude record: Trussed up in a pressure suit and fij’ing a large monoplane with special engine, Squadron-Leader F. R. D. Swain, of tho Royal Air Force, established for Britain a now world’s height record of 49,967 ft (15,230 metres). This is 1269 ft better than tho record set up by tho Frenchman Detre. Immediately after ho had achieved this success, while still flying in the stratosphere nine miles above the earth, SquadronLeader Swain was forced to fight for his life.

Blinded by the fogging up of the windows of the areoplane’s cockpit and the window of the helmet of the pressure suit, he suddenly felt himself suffocating. The emergency devices failed to work. When on the point, of losing consciousness he managed to find a sheath knife that had been fitted in the machine for that express purpose and to slash himself free from the suit.

This extraordinary story of what must be tho grimmest experience in record-making history was told me in detail by Squadron-Leader Swain. Sitting calmly in his chair, his voice perfectly level and unemotional, he described those dreadful moments when the elaborate fabric of preparation and precaution suddenly broke down and left him blind and choking, trapped in his narrow cockpit. The aeroplane and engine and the special pressure suit are the result of many months of careful research ana technical development. It was calculated before the start that a height sufficient to beat the world’s record should be possible, and shortly after 7 a.m., at Farnborough, Squadron-Leader Swain was sealed up in his pressure suit.

SPECIAL SUIT. This resembled a diving suit and is based on the work of the late Professor J. S. Haldane and Sir Robert Davis. It is of rubberised fabric fitted with a helmet of the same material, with a large curved double window. It is ma.de in two pieces, with a pipe-clip type of joint round the waist. A panel is fitted which is intended to enable the occupant of the suit to free his head in an emergency.

The breathing circuit is of the closed type. Oxygen is fed in, entering the helmet at the right side of the face. The outlet is on the left, and from this flows the gas now containing the exhaled breath. It goes to a canister containing chemicals which absorb the carbon dioxide and moisture from the exhaled breath, leaving the oxygen to be recirculated through the system. Squadron-Leader Swain put on the suit by donning the trousers first. The upper part was then slipped over his head, the hands and arms haying been forced into tho sleeves a.nd attached gloves; The joint was then made at the middle by means of a metal circlet which was drawn tight by two bolts. While donning the suit, and from the moment the top part ii 3 in place, oxygen is fed in from a portable bottle, and. this bottle must be carried with the pilot to the aeroplane, and continue to supply the oxygen until the suit is connected up with the system in the machine.

Ai 7.30 Squadron-Leader Swain ay as in his cockpit and took off from Farnborough. At first he climbed the machine in wide circles, and at 45,000 ft. h© ay as north of Brighton. After that he climbed into the wind, Avhich Avas from the north-ivest, until he estimated that lie had only three-quarters of an hour’s petrol left-. DAZZLING LIGHT. Looking doAvn from . 46,000 ft. the light Avas of dazzling intensity, but the top of the aeroplane is painted matt black to counter this glare. The 6ky, Avlien he looked up, Avas of a blue so deep that it Avas almost black. Squadron-Leader SAvain explained that there are no clouds above 35,000 feet, and that the hue of the sky ivas the result of there being no molecules of dust or moisture to split up the rays of light. Below him Squadron-Leader Strain could see the Avliole of the English coast line from Margate to Land’s End, and north almost as far as the Wash. “London,” ho said, “looked like a little toy town and the rivers like narrow ribbons. Further south I noticed the Channel Islands Avhich seemed like small pebbles in a shalloAV river bed.

“At the moment I felt A r cry small and lonely and had the impression that England was a very small country.”

From that time on Squadron-Leader Swain had to concentrate on the controls, which lose their sensitiveness at extreme height. His eyes continually travelled round the instruments, the air speed indicator, oxygen supply gauge, suit pressure gauge, compass, watch, altimotor and fuel contents gauge. At this stage the pressure suit began to cause him a little inconvenience and ho had some difficulty in moving his arms and legs owing to the pressure, Avhile slight cramp appeared in his right arm. But he had no difficulty in breathing and the suit Avas serving its purpose admirably. LONG GLIDE BACK. When he had reached 51,000 ft by his altimeter —the instrument in the machine gives only an approximate reading and Squadron-Leader Strain kneAV that in those conditions it Avould probably read 1000 ft too much—he found he could climb no higher. He believed ho had beaten the record and he throttled back the engine and began his long glide towards the earth. He Avas then over tho Bristol Channel and ho could see the Welsh mountains clearly. After he had come below 50,000 ft the windoiv of the helmet of the suit hazed over completely and the windows of the cockpit cabin did the same. He Avas therefore unable to see anything at all. “This worried mo a lot,” said Squad-ron-Leader SAvain, “because, being unable to read my compass, I Avas uncertain of the direction I Avas travelling.” He could, lioAvever, see the glare of tho sun Avhen he turned toAvards it and by this means he had a rough guide of his direction and could ensure that he Avas not gliding out to sea. Flying rather erratically, he continued to lose height, and for the account of the next moments I shall use His oavii Avords. “I started to feci that I Avas being, suffocated. I had the impression that I was running short of oxygen, and I \A'as gradually feeling Aveaker. I pressed the release lever Avhich should have opened the cockpit cover, but this did notf unction. I then tried to get hold of the zip cord and to zip open the suit and get my head clear of the helmet. But I could not find the zip fastener.” GREW WEAKER.. Squadron-Leader Swain explained that he Avas wearing fighting harness,

or shoulder and thigh straps, for holding him in the machine, and parachute harness, and that these prevented him from finding the fastener. With every moment he Avas getting Aveaker. “The only thing I could get hold of Avas a knife 1 had Avith me, and with this T decided to attempt to cut open the AvindoAv of the helmet. “I had great difficulty in doing this, as by then I Avas feeling A’ery weak. With a final effort, hoAvever, I slit the AvindoAv and tore it open' to get fresh air iii. Immediately I felt a lot better. I looked at the instruments and found that I was at 14,000 ft and someAvhcre in the direction of Yeovil. “I then steered an easterly course continuing to lose height until I reached Salisbury Plain. I then discovered I Avas running short, of petrol and that only tivo gallons tvere shoAving on the fuel contents gauge. So I landed at Netheravon.” Squadron-Leader SAvain explained that actually they bad found no evidence that tho oxygen had failed and he attributed his loss of strength to being so long at that height. Originally thev had expected the flight to take 1 hour and 50 minutes or two hours, Avhereas he did not land until 10.50, having been up 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Use of the engine on the Avay lip had helped the heating of the cockpit and prevented the fogging of the AvindoAvs. On the Avay doivn, Avith tho engine ticking over, there Avas less effective heating. Wing-Commander Woodliouse, vriio is in charge of the experimental flying at Farnborough, said that steps Avould be taken in future high flights to prevent fogging DISAPPOINTED.

When I asked Squadron-Leader Swnin what his chief sensation Avas at 50,000 feet, he ansivered that it Avas a feeling of disappointment, because lie had hoped to get higher. Wing-Commander Woodliouso said that it Avas clear from the evidence they had that the machine, as it then Avas and under those conditions, could not by any means have been got higher. The flight was observed by an official representative of tto Royal Aero Club, and the height attained Avas communicated to the Air Ministry by the club. It Avas arrived at from an examination by the National Physical Laboratory of the sealed barothermograplis which Avere carried in the Avings of the aeroplane. The figures are subject to homologation by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. The minimum pressure measured during the flight Avas 92.0 millimetres of mercury, and the loAvest temperature Avas —49.B centigrade.