Firewalls of airplanes are built to withstand a heat of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.This is a CAA requirement. However, to add safety to aircraft, a new product has been introduced by Dupont which will withstand 2,200 degrees for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, a human hand held less than one inch from the wall, was comfortable.

Firewalls are the panel between the motor of the plane and the cabin occupied by the pilot and/or passengers. Theory is that if the engine catches fire, the flames cannot reach personnel until the ship can be landed. That is theory, that is. With the ordinary cooking oven measuring at hits hottest, 550 degrees, it is comforting to know that these walls will stand up under more than 2,000 degrees, without doing the occupants to a nice toastie brown.

Rochester's Link
If you want to fly in the fog and keep one foot on the ground, Rochester is your place. The new Link trainer, donated by the civil Air Patrol, has been installed there and is in operation.

 

Actually, Wayne and Helen Outcelt spent a tidy sum to house the expensive gadget and prepare it for operation. The Link trainer is an inventor's answer to learning to fly "blind" without air-hazards. In the Link trainer, the student follows regulation airplane controls and instruments on a theoretical course, just exactly as if he were in a airplane, flying through thick fog, or "blind".

A trained operator on the outside of the Link, is able to record his every action and reaction, the attitude of his "plane" at all times. It is very excellent training and very necessary if you intend to do any "blind" flying. The Link is making a great hit at Rochester. It is also probably the only invention ever made which will stop fathers from breaking the boy's electric train. They play on the Link instead, making theoretical flights to Kansas City, New York, through the worst kind of "weather."

As far as I know, it is the only Link trainer available in this area of Kosko-land.

Russel Doering of Akron, and Howard Hoover of New Paris both own new Luscombes, have them based at Rochester. Helen and Pilot Doering ferried the two ships in from Dallas Texas last week.

Sweepstakes Rules
Uncle Sam, in the person of the G.I. flight inspector, has stepped in and settled the controversy over the New Year's day air race for the Sky Writing trophy. Would the race be dual, would it be solo? Could G.I.s fly on G.I. time in the race or not? These questions were answered in a conference with G.I. officials.

Veterans may fly in the race, but not on G.I. time. The race will be dual. Students, privates and commercials may team up to enter. Names of both pilot and navigator will be engraved on the cup. Students may take a private pilot along as navigator to make it legal.

The race will start from Smith Field and end at Municipal and the first heat will be run-off in the morning, with two races in the afternoon, so that more than one pilot may enter the same plane.

Gulf dealer, Bill Warren, is furnishing the gasoline, which I think is very brave of him, buying a pig in a poke. Man, I hope no Thunderbolts enter. Operators will deduct the cost of gasoline from the amount charged to the pilots who rent planes, which will make a substantial difference--at Mr. Warren's expense.

The course of the race will not be announced until the last minute, to give the navigators something to do--so pick a good map-man, boys and girls.

The committee is looking for judges to assist at both fields and for judges to fly into the airports which will be used as pylons and see to it that all entries arrive at those outlying fields on course. If you want to volunteer your services contact Jack Doswell or E. Kaye-Smith.

Some of the boys are splitting the cost of the plane, No. 1 flies the first round, while his partner navigates. On the second round, the partner flies the plane while No. 1 man does the "huggin' and chalkin'." Entries close Sunday evening.

Aviation Cadets Back
Those men who were "booted" from aviation cadet training during '44 or '45 because the program was curtailed, may be readily re-admitted to finish their training at this time, if they are still physically fit. They will not be required to retake the USAF qualifying exam. Write direct to the U.S. Air force HQ, Washington, D. C, 25.

Warsaw Daily Times, Fri. Dec. 26, 1947

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