Records Regained

Almost unnoticed, the Russians have become major challengers in the international competition for airplane records, earlier this year snatched both the altitude and speed records from the U.S. Galled by such impudence, the U.S. Air Force last week organized a major assault on both Russian-held records.

A delta-winged, wasp-waisted Convair F106 interceptor, piloted by Major Joseph W. Rogers of Worthington, Ohio, took off from Edwards Air Force Base and climbed to 40,000 ft. (jets are slow at low altitude). Air conditions were ideal; the aircraft and its Pratt & Whitney J-75 engine were new but carefully chosen. In earlier tests, the engine had been revved up until its temperature reached the highest permissible level, and the fuel-input control was set at that point.

When Rogers reached 40,000 ft., he leveled off, and a ground radar guided him toward the 18 km. (eleven mile) course that is specified by the F.A.I. (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) in Paris. He lit the afterburner and opened the fuel control to the limit. Quickly, the ship accelerated past Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound). The F.A.I, specifies that an airplane trying for a straightaway, level-flight record must not climb or dive more than 164 ft. over the course. To respect these narrow limits at better than 1,500 m.p.h. is quite a pilot's trick. Admitted Major Rogers afterward: "I came within 3 ft. of going out."

Pilot Rogers covered the course twice at an average speed of 1,525.95 m.p.h., as measured by radar, tracking cameras and two men lying on their backs on the desert, sighting upward past tight-stretched wires that marked start and finish. The metal skin of the F106 touched 340DEGF.; a lot of its grey paint was burned off, and its Air Force insignia bubbled and blistered. It landed with almost empty tanks, but it had beaten Russia's record of 1,483.83 m.p.h.

The new altitude record was set by Captain Joe B. Jordan of Huntsville, Texas in a Lockheed F-104C. Altitude tries require lots of advance planning. The ship was considerably rejiggered. It got a slightly larger fin (which will be standard on new production models) to keep it from yawing in thin air, and the intake duct was modified. To prepare for the record-breaking flight, Lockheed and the Air Force worked out a new flight plan. They decided that the F-104C should climb only to 40,000 ft., where the air is still dense enough to give the jet maximum thrust. When the plane hit full speed, Pilot Jordan was to zoom upward at a climb angle of between 45DEG and 50DEG.

The F-104C did the work, but Captain Jordan contributed importantly by flying a perfect profile. At 39,800 ft. he kicked in his afterburner and accelerated to Mach 2.36, which is close to the F-104C's maximum permissible speed at that altitude. Then he nosed up at an ideal 47DEG. At 40,000 ft. he dumped his cabin pressure, and his pressure suit inflated. His afterburner went out at 75,000 ft. He shut off his air-starved engine at 95,000 ft. The ship coasted up without power and porpoised over at 103,395 ft., beating the Russian record (94,658 ft.) by more than the 3% required by the F.A.I, to certify a new record.

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