OCR Text |
Show Speed in Falling If one should fall from an airplane air-plane or balloon at a height however how-ever great, his velocity would never exceed 118 miles an hour at any point before reaching the earth, according ac-cording to the conclusion of the Army Air Service as a result of experiments made with dummies. This is contrary to the belief formerly for-merly held by most persons that a body continually increased its speed when falling from any distance. dis-tance. The fact is that this rapid ra-pid increase of speed in the case of a body similar to that of a man continues only until it has fallen about 1,2C0 feet, after which it maintains a constant rate, due tithe ti-the resistance of the air. This di.'covery also explodes the theory that a person falling frv.i a great height would lose consciousness con-sciousness and perhaps be dead before striking the ground, for it is well known that aviators have driven their planes at speeds of more than 350 miles an hour on a straightaway course, and at much greater velocity when diving to make an "outside loop." The knowledge that falling speed is limited is not of much pract.cpl benefit to one who falls from a' great height, however, for the 118 j miles an hour possible of attainment attain-ment is quite sufficient to effectively effective-ly put him out of business when he strikes the earth. |