Nine Miles

By a new ruling of the Federation Internationale Aeronautique (TiME, Nov. 12), an aviator must rise--in order to beat Sadi Lecointe's 36,745 ft. world's altitude record--400 metres (or nearly 1,300 feet) higher than the present mark.

Last week, Lieutenant John A. Macready tried for a second time to beat Lecointe. He failed--reaching the modest elevation of 34,983 feet. His altimeter recorded 41,000 feet but the altimeter is not an absolute instrument to show height. It measures how much lighter the air is at heights than it is at ground level. On a cold day the air is heavier at ground level, hence the error. And it certainly was cold the day of the flight--the thermometer failed at 70DEG below zero Fahrenheit, at some 30,000 feet. Macready went still higher and into still colder air; he needed his five suits of underwear, his furlined clothing, his specially designed helmet.

It was not the Lepere plane nor any lack of the pilot's endurance that pre-vented victory, but the breaking of the supercharger, whose function is to maintain the power of the motor in rarefied air. The undismayed Macready will try again, with another supercharged plane which theoretically can reach 45,000 feet, or nearly nine miles of altitude.

The following figures show the world's altitude records since 1911:

Date Pilot Feet

1911 R. Garros, French 13,943

1912 R. Legagneux, French 17,878

1913 R. Legagneux, French 20,090

1914 Oelrich, German 36,580

1918 Schroeder, American 28,90(

1919 Lang, English 30,500

1919 Schroeder, American 30,900

1919 Casale, French 33,136

1919 Rohlfs, American 34,610

1920 * ;Schroeder, American 33,11;

1921 Macready, American 34,509

1923 Lecointe, French 35,178

1923 Lecointe, French 36,745

Metal Skin

Every nine months or so, a dirigible has to slough its outer skin. Every year the interior gasbags have to be removed. Between renewals both the inner and outer fabric system have to be constantly repaired. The Airship Construction Co. of Detroit, said to be backed by Edsel Ford, is experimenting with a new form of covering and interior cell, to be built entirely of very thin sheet duralumin, not more than one one-hundredth of an inch in thickness.

"Not for Stunts"

The U. S. Navy is bitterly disappointed at the abandonment of the so-called Pole-flight plans (TiME, Feb. 18). Its disappointment may be still greater if the British get the chance of which the Americans were deprived. Commander F. M. Boothby, British airship expert, is trying to borrow the R36 from the Air Ministry on the plea that he can fly from England to the Pole, in 96 hours there and back, at an expenditure of only $25,000. The Labor Air Minister is cold to his plans. "Airships are for military purposes, not for stunts!"

New Job

Less spectacular but perhaps more useful will be the Shenandoah's future duties. The Naval collier Patoka will be equipped as an airship tender, carrying tanks for helium and gasoline, with a special mooring mast to cost $100,000. Supported by this floating base, the dirigible will be a most useful scout for the Atlantic Fleet, and this Summer joint maneuvers between warships and dirigible will be carried out for the first time in American Naval operations.

* Since 1920 all altimeter readings have been calibrated.