WILEY-POST’S HOPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 208, 3 September 1934, Page 7

WILEY-POST’S HOPE

350 MILES AN HOUR FLIGHT ABOVE THIN AIR PLAN BELIEVED FEASIBLE SPECIAL BREATHING EQUIPMENT IBy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received Sept. 2, 8.30 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 1. The Dispatch states that Mr WileyPost will shoot through the stratosphere like a ro*cket, arriving in Australia on the second day of the Centenary race if his plan succeeds. He has fitted a blower to the engine with the object of obtaining ihin air from the stratosphere, enabling him to breathe and obviating the necessity of carrying heavy tubes of oxvgen. The engine collects thin air and delivers it at sea level atmospheric pressure. If the pressure is too great a valve will cut off the supply. The breathed air is discharged through valves in the boots of an airtight suit, in which Mr Post will be encased. The aluminium helmet is equipped to receive the transformed air. .Mr Post expects to get at least 350 miles an hour seven miles above the earth. His airtight suit carries a small supply of oxygen which will be useful if the blower on the engine fails. Experts regard the plan feasible, and say if it succeeds it will be the most sensational flight in history. A NARROW ESCAPE PILOT HIT BY LIGHTNING. Received Sept. 2 8.44 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 1. A passenger aeroplane flying from Paris to London had a remarkable escape when struck by lightning during a sudden storm over the Channel, says the Daily Mail. The pilot himself was struck on tho face and his hair was scorched and clothing slightly burnt. He carried on, however, none of the passengers being aware of what had happened until the machine landed safely at London. The pilot emerged from tho cabin and appeared badly shaken. 250 MILES AN HOUR LOS ANGELES TO NEW YOBK. NEW RECORD BETTERED. Received Sept. 2, 8.7 p.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 1. In connection with the National Air Races being held at Cleveland, Mr. Roscoe-Turner to-day bettered his own trans-continental record by 2 minutes 39 seconds. Ho flew from Los Angeles to New York, approximately 2520 miles, in 10 hours 2 minutes 50 seconds, halting for fuel three times, at Wichita (Kansas), St. Louis and Cleveland. His average speed was over 250 miles an hour. MELBOURNE TO SYDNEY KINGSFORD SMITH’S FLIGHT OWN RECORD BEATEN SYDNEY, Aug. 31. Creating a fresh record, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew hLs new Lockheed Altair monoplane from Melbourne to Sydney in 2 hours 11 minutes. Sir Charles states that if through inability to obtain a certificate of airworthiness he is unable to enter for the Centenary race he will sell the machine, but first will seek permission to fly it iu Australia for demonstration purposes, probably attempting some trans-Australian records. On August 23 Sir Charles broke the existing record by flying from Sydney to Melbourne in 2 hours 23 minutes.