Air‐conditioning for Aircraft Cabins: A General Examination of the Conditions at Altitude and the Installations Required for Meeting Them

AS air is a compressible fluid, a decrease of pressure occurs with increase of altitude (FIG. 1.) This change gives rise to anoxia or altitude sickness (due to lack of oxygen), expansion of the gas in ear or abdomen and ‘bends’ or decompression sickness. For these reasons (and also because of the low temperature and humidity) it is necessary to protect passengers intending to fly at high altitudes by placing them in a special cabin in which a suitable pressurized atmosphere can be maintained.