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WHITBREAD'S
LIGHT BEER
Brewed a bottled by WHITBREAD & CO, LTD
LONDON, ENGLAND.
ESTABLISHED 1742
A. S. WATSON &
CO., WINE DEPT. TEL. 20616
LTD.
GEO. FALCONER & CO., LTD.
UNION BLDG. OPP. G.P.O. EST. 1855
Specialists in
Repairing Watches, Clocks, Chronometers Binoculars and Technical Instruments,
All repairs are carried through in our own workshop under European Supervision.
In the
TONG KONG HOTEL
DINNER DANCE
With Nick Korin & His. Swing Band NIGHTLY 9 P.M. TILL 1 A.M.
TEA DANCE
SUNDAYS 5 TILL 7.
THE HONG KONG. &, SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD,
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Tel No. 20135.
Salp Agants;
GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD. Hong Kong.
Obtainable at all Wine Dealers, Clubs & Hotels,
THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 16, 1940
NEW PROBLEMS FOR PILOTS
“THE HIGHER THE SAFER" is an old flying maxim to which added point is lent in wartime when the attainment of great height may often prove an aircraft's best means of evading unwelcome atten- tion from the ground defences while flying above enemy territory. But the great heights attainable by modern aircraft bring their own problems in fly- ing and fighting.
Heights of three and four miles above the earth. are frequently reached by bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force in the course of their flights into the heart of Germany, while even the five mile mark does not represent the "ceiling" to which the latest types of R.A.F. fighter craft can attain in search of the enemy.
both men and machine are
Jean Arthur, • starring in "Too Many, Hucbands," which openc at, the King's to-day.
a
now satisfactorily overcome the difficulty of compressing a com- Dus bie mixture at a low outside a problem which pre- pressure, viously limited aeroplanes to maximum height of about 1,500 feet, But the thin air of great heights still takes its toll of aircraft's performance by reduc- ing its rate of climb and render- ing it far less manoeuvrable than at lower levels.
an
At heights above 20,000 feet, for atmos- example, the attenuated phere provides so little "lift" for the aeroplane's wings that, com- of bined with the lower output
*In
At such immense heights, when suspended a length of flexible the earth below shrinks to the tubing. On taking up his position proportions of a relief map and in the aircraft the airman plugs islands resemble rocks awash in his mask-tube into the oxygen the tide, the airman flies in a point close by and is thus directly strange new world of space. In connected to the source of supply, this lonely arena conditions for The length of the tubing allows far freedom of movement and, in the different from those prevailing at case of the air gunner, permits him lower levels and must be met by to stand up and manipulate his precautions as essential to the gun while still attached to his preservation of life as those of a oxygen point. diver preparing to descend into Just before the aircraft leaves the ocean depths.
the ground the taps of all the oxy- The extreme cold and the rari-gen bottles are turned full on, and the engines, the rate of climb may fled air of high altitudes are the when the 10,000 feet mark has fall to about one-tenth of the air- two greatest dangers from the been reached the crew who, mean-craf's ground level ability. physical standpoint. On night while, have been breathing other words, an aircraft which can flights over Germany during re- through the air holes in their climb from ground level to 3,000 cent weeks bomber crews, flying masks, open their individual con feet in 2 minutes may well take high, have reported temperatures trol valves suficiently to allow the 20 minutes to climb from 25,000 as low as 54 degrees (Fahrenheit) constant emission of a slight feet to 28,000.
High altitude flying also calls of frost and the formation of ¡ quantity of the gas. layers of ice on the cockpit floor With each 1,000 feet increase in for exceptionally careful handling the inside the aircraft.
height the valve opening is slightly of the aircraft, for though
of On another occasion the air increased and the rate of supply thin air offers the minimum gunner of a twin-engined bom- quickened until, when the aircraft resistance to the aircraft's passage ber, flying at 20,000 feet over has reached its "ceiling," the oxy-and so permits of the attainment
German naval baso,
mogen is being delivered, through the of higher speeds, its buoyancy` is far less than at lower levels. Even mentarily removed his gloves masks at maximum pressure. to manipulate his wireless key. Provided this procedure is rigidly to maintain level flight it becomes He was so severely frost-bitten adhered to and the supply rate necessary to keep the aircraft in that it became necessary later steadily increased as height is a slightly fail-down attitude to amputate the top joints of gained a normal crew. will ex-
that the wings are presented to of all four fingers of one hand. perience no. ill-effects and little the airstream at their angle For protection against such discomfort at heights as great as maximum lift. intense cold the airman relies four and five miles above the A steep turn in that thin air solely upon warm clothing: fur-earth.
would be impossible and to at- lined boots reaching above the Above 35,000 feet however, the tempt it would result only in an the knee, fur-lined overalls, a close- low pressure of the atmosphere immediate loss of height as Atting-helmet and a pair of heavy makes breathing, even with the aircraft, suddenly robbed of much gloves, usually worn over a thin aid of an oxygen-mask, impos- of its lift by the altered angle,of silken pair to serve as insulation sible and it then becomes necessary the wings, slipped sideways on one against the cold.
to encase the airman in an air-wingtip.. Electrically heated flying- tight "pressure" suit. resembling The thinness of the alr necessi- clothes, in which heating elements a diver's outfit, inside which atates, too, a much coarser use of were sewn into the lining of a predetermined pressure, sufficient the controls than is required lightweight suit and connected by to permit of the inhalation of oxy-lower-levels to achieve the same a length of flex to the aircraft's gen, can be maintained. electrical system, are no longer generally employed in the Royal
a
-
Air Force. In the event of the failure of the electrical supply at high altitudes, the entire crew would immediately be deprived of their sole protection
against the cold.
Not, all R.A.F, aircraft are fitted
Must Breathe
SO
at
alteration in the direction or al- titude. For the same reason the An Attitude Adventure
Military aircraft, however, sel- speed at..which the aircraft stalls. dom attain heights greater than or loses flying, speed, is so much At these great greater at heights, that an aero- about 30,000 feet. altitudes the airman's life may plane which, at ground level. depend upon the efficient function- loses flying speed at 80 m.p.h, will. when flying at 20,000 feet, be ing of his oxygen supply.
completely stalled at 90 m.p.h. High Fighting Technique
དྷྭ "",
2
3
Not every man can count upon with cabin-heating equipment and being as fortunate as the pilot of though the single engined aircraft a Spitfire fighter who recently pilot derives a certain amount of fainted at a great height owing It follows that the tactics of heat from the power-plant im-to a failure in his oxygen system fighter pilot engaged in combat mediately in front of him, the and recovered consciousness some miles above the earth and near crew of the multi-motored bomb-moments later to find his aircraft the limit of his ceiling must ne- er, whose engines are mount-plunging earthwards under full cessarily differ from those which ed out on the wings suine engine in an almost vertical dive. he would employ in action at
had lower level. The margin of height distance from the fuselage, have Instinctively, and before he
fully regained his senses, he eased which will give him the tactical no such, comfort,
back the contral column and such advantage over his opponent can was the accumulated, velocity of be contrived only by the most next instant," he iskilful handling of the controls As height increases air pressure his dive that, becomes less dense and the atmosfound himself climbing nearly and, having once, secured it, he an must guard against the ill judged phare progressively more rarified, vertically at some 400 miles
turn, which may send him plung- The effect of this diminution: In hour. the oxygen content of the air is A failure of the oxygen supplying hundreds of feet and put him felt at different heights according at heights below 20,000 feet, or the at the mercy of his adversary,
To the bomb-aimer, also, high. to the physique of the individual. temporary disconnecting of the Some pilots experience no disr. masie while the wearer alters his altitude flying presents its own comfort up to heights as great as position in the aircraft, will not special difficulties. Precision bomb- 15,000 feet but, the majority be- necessarily result in an immediate ing can be carried out from gin, to suffer from the want of loss of consciousness, though, there heights, as grout as 20,000 feet oxygen-evidenced by shortage of will bo discomfort, varying in but some indication of the skill breath and a growing feeling of direct proportion to the height at with which the sighting: must be lassitude soon after passing the which the cutting-off of the sup-done is afforded by the fact that at this hoight,, from an aircraft
·10,000 feet mark.
To guard against risk of prema- The greatest danger for the air travelling at 200 m.p.h., the bomb ture collapse it is the usual prac-man, lies in the slowing-up of the has to be released approximately tice in the Royal Air Force for thought processes and reactions 2 miles in advance of the far- oxygen, inhalation to begin at 10, which lack of oxygen induces in e- 000 feet, the rate of supply then the human mind. Concentration. During the sighting run, which being steadily increased as the becomes difficult and in the feel-may occupy rather less than a aircraft gains height. In a. bombering of lassitude which quickly minute in a modern bomber, it is aircraft the oxygen supply is overtakes the oxygen-starved air essential that the pilot maintains, stored in metal botties which are man: even such simple actions as as straight and level, a course as stowed in a central: position in wiping his nose or picking up a possible a condition of which the the aircraft. Tubes from these fallen map become tasks too -in-onemy's anti-aircraft gunners..are they bottles lead to points, one in cach tolerably burdensome to be at well aware and of which For the crew positions, and each templed.
will certainly take full advantage. point is provided with a valve and He will lapse into a fainting In such a situation, the bomb- metor for regulating, and, record; | condition, until either oxygen is aimer, a grotesquely-muffled the ing the rate of supply. A second administered or the aircraft des figure lying prostrata on 'dial; close by registers, the prescends to a lower level where nor cockpit floor sustained by the sure in the main supply and; when at uncalling, so
|1[fe-giving oxygen spraying from the oxygen is being used, affords
[Jiis, idee-mask. Hakui jus èyes. an indication of the
«lued) to the bomb si ht, can, only strive to ignore the bursting * In his flying helmet, each mem,onsiderau, high nititude flying moka-puffs of the del's ground. ben of the arpw. wears an oxygen also. Introduces special problema lim and. And what comfort breathing mask covering host and ciating dulang dumada, listat. The con in that maxim of the high- mouth,...and from this...mask. la super-chargedi aero-engine has or the safer."
gas remaining.
ply occurs.
f
Hard Air To. Fly In / Apart from the physiologień
he