THE UPPER AIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 18

THE UPPER AIR

EXPERIMENTAL FLIGHT BRITISH OFFICER'S TASK PROBLEM OF OXYGEN * [VItOM A SIVKCTAL COIIHKSI'ONDKNT] LONDON, August 39 Another attempt to fly into tho stratosphere is to he made by ail Royal Air Force pilot, Flight-Lieutenant M. J. Adam, who made last year's world record "ceiling" flight of 53,937 ft. —• more than 10 miles tip. It. will ho the first of a new series, of stratosphere experimental flights planned by the Air Ministry, and this new venture into the unknown will be made from Farnborough, Hampshire, on the first day weather conditions aro reported to he suitable. Experiments are to bo made on the flight with the newly discovered oxygen watt —a standard of measurement which shows how much oxygen is required by a human being at high altitude. A recent conference of experts decided that to be absolutely safe, passengers as well ns pilots require oxygen when flying at a height of more than 15,000 ft., and for lesser heights when maintained for some hours. The rarefied air in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the pilots decided, produced much the same effect on a human being as alcoholism. To make the oxygen effective, a special sealed stratosphere cabin is necessary. Flight-Lieu tenant Adam, whose record is 2000 ft. better than previous best, is aiming for a ''ceiling" of GO,oooft. Throughout the Ilight he will have a special notepad strapped on one knee. The aeroplane to be used is the largest single-seat machine ever built. From wing-tip to wing-tip it measures 60ft. The length is 44ft. and the height 10ft. 3in. It is powered by a special Pegasus air-cooled radial engine. It is virtually a high-flying laboratory.