“STRATOSPHERE” PLANES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 10

“STRATOSPHERE” PLANES

New York-London in Night

rpRANS-OCEANIC ‘ 4 sub-stratosphere ’ ’ air travel making it literally possible to go from New York to London overnight is practically within the realm of accomplishment by the specification of two new “(stratosphere type’* transport land planes which Pan American Airways has developed with the Boeing company of Seattle and which may be ordered to be bubilt soon, writes the aviation editor of the Christian Science Monitor. These giant four-engined craft arc designed for use in the thin “upper air track,” four or five miles above the earth’s surface, and will have * ‘pressure” cabins designed to give at those heights the slightly lowered air pressure now existing at present flight levels of from 8000 to 42,000 feet and which is not considered harmful. A special air-conditioning system built into the plane will, in other words, maintain a pressure of six pounds a square inch in the stratosphere plane’s cabin, nearly half the normal air pressure of 15 pounds a square inch on the human system. At the present levels of 10 to 20 thousand feet at which air pilots cross the Rockies or the Andes passengers have no need of extra oxygen, though on Andes flights it is available if needed. The Boeing Pan-American plane has a range of 4000 miles, obviously enough for a direct flight from the United States to Europe without intermediate stops, and places tTie United States in a position to be able to bargain directly w’ith Continental European nations for landing rights. The British-American trans-oceanic plans, it is understood, have temporarily halted owing to what is said to be Canada’s insistence upon Montreal as a terminal for the trans-Atlantic line. It is learned, however, from reliable sources that the British-Canadian and

British-American trans-Atlantic service* could go along side by side. England is* of course, interested in a trans-Atlanti# service to Canada ae a part of her vast “empire” scheme. Pan-American, re* presenting the United States, has askc(| for certain landing rights on English* Irish and Canadian territory, asid4 from England’s agreements with he* own dominions. The land-to-land distance from United States to Europe is 3000 leaving 1000 inilct* range in the i>lan< for bucking head winds on the wesw bound journey, from Europe 1<» United States, or in case of rnuto* failure. Ample margin is also by the fact that the new plane will b* able to fly on only two of its fou* 1250-horsc-power Wright motors. The new stratosphere plane, uhicM compares roughly in .size to the per” flying boats of Pan American the Pacific or its South American “clipA pers,” will carry 32 passengers in day 4 time service, with sleeping accoinmoda4 tious for 18 passengers in berths an 4 eight luxurious sleeping chairs. The baggage and mail load on th<i stratosphere plane will be 4000 or equal to the entire “pay” load, bottf passengers and express, carried on 4 typical Douglas now used in domestic trans-continental services in the United States. This 4000-pound load is carried in addition, therefore, to the list of 3* passengers. Land-plane operation across the Atlani tic Ocean is considered relatively safen due to the fact that the chances od engine failure are growing eally less plus the added margin of flight on two engines. Furthermore, ad Atlantic flight goes from one land masd to another, w’hereas Pacific Ocean operat tion is essentially all-water, necessitate ing the use of flying boats.