Show navy men give planes rigid test kept busy trying out the many new models washington washing ton it if you yon want to know what can be done with an airplane the navy department recommends its flight test section at ana costa D C just across the poto mac from ron here fler e a group of flying er experts eraerts two aeronautical engineers and a crew of mechanics conduct the strenuous tests on all new aviation developments submitted to the navy by the nature of their work they probably come to know as much about the behavior of planes as any group in the country during the past year according to rear admiral william A moffett aeronautics bureau chief tests have been conducted on 42 different types of planes including nine lighters fighters ten observation planes six transports six patrol or flying boat types two bombers tour training types one scouting plane and three miscellaneous craft all experimental machines and the first plane of each production contract acL are put through the ana costa testing laboratory before being accepted moffett said A new plane brought to the field Is first flown by one of the contractors pilots just to prove it will leave ther the uund then it Is turned over to the test section the machine Is then weighed to determine the center of gravity and photographed this done the machine Is ready tor for flight testing the navy pilot climbs in A board equipped with paper on which to make notations and a specially de signed stop watch recording down to tenths of a second Is strapped to his leg the plane takes off it ries files back and forth over a measured course to determine the marl maximum mum the minimum and landing speeds and to calibrate the air speed meter these tests concluded the plane Is ready for its climb test in these tests the plane Is brought close to the ground and the stop watch started the machine is shot up at steady speed the pilot recording his readings until the th service ceiling Is reached ren ched similarly during the descent he records the maximum speeds at varying altitudes still more complicated are the fhe higher attitude altitude tests for the small high powered fighting plans at a temperature of approximately 40 degrees below zero he not only must record with unerring accuracy the readings of seven instruments every two minutes but bul must constantly regulate the mixture control of the engine engan and the amount of oxygen he breathes by the time these tests have been concluded both machine and pilot have probably gone through every test that might arise in actual service |