The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-21
BRITAIN'S AIR NAVY.
she viii Soon Have five Dirisiblrs. Each
Larger Than One BEFORE.

LONDON. Nov. e-Ths British Govern
ment. having satisfied itself that air
vessels must form part Of the country =
war equipment. ia now showing com
mendahle energy in getting together
the nucleus ~ an aerial feet. Until re-
Gently the only airship possessed nv tn"
military authorities was the Beta. a small
vessel II some Il .OOO cubic feet gas capa-
city This dirigihle WAS the only one
employed in the autumn military ma
n,ruvres and the facility with which
she was handled came as a revelation
To- those scepticS Who had hitherto 70
garcied her as nothing better than a toy.
Her performance has given rise Ia
discussion whether after all the small
dirigible airship is not Of more use than
tn. hig type Of airship. at any rate for
scouting purposes.
Tn. Beta was folowe ed by the Gamma,
lit on similar lines hut much larger
with gas capacity 81 7O.SOo cubic feet
and capable of carrying ak persons
against the Bctas four. The relta. an
even larger vc-sel ~ nnw under con-
s,riction Very little is known about
her. hut " IL reported that she will b"
,~tc. tn. size 81 the Gamma. The latest
addition to the British aerial feet IL the
clement Bayari H.. a vessel Of 2t7."n
cubic feet capacity. which recently made
a flight from Paris TO London the first
dirigibie balloon To accomplish such a
feat
Before the purchase Of tho Clement
Rayard had been completed newspaper
enterprises had been responsible for the
app-raanc. over London of yet another
aIrship. which had also travelled from
the nelghborhood OF Paris. This was
the semi rigid Lebaudy vessel Of 1853 200
cubic feet capacity. The Morning Post
had already raised a public subscription
for the purchase Of this ship. There -
no doubt that the Lebaudy made a much
better performance in her flight 10 Lon
don than did the clement Bayard. and
SEEING that her purchase will cost Tia.
,iuv-rnri ant nothing ~ IL practically Ger
tam that she will tie added to the British
aerial i,-'t
: But large as TN. Glenn -nt BayaId and
I .baudy are Their. ia being built for the
British navy an airship ~hich will easily
surpass them ia size The authorities
are showing a great amount Il secr-Cy
with regard 10 this yessel Fred I Jane.
editor 81 An tho Worlds Airships
places iIs gls capacity AZ 100000 cubic
feet He -ays that u ~ being built on
II will exceed in Dimensions any dlrigibls
Ia -listenc.. hsinx approximately the
size 81 "A l,r"adnought Its total lit will
IT, about twenty tons as against ten tons
of the arrrag" dir,glhIs
Another writer says that this airshlp
IL almost Completed Naval Airship NJ
l. as It 10 officially described. Is b.In =
built at BARROW on IN. water. " Will b.
launched on the water and its home
station will he on ths wafer Its Gas
~.
from ITS station for three or four DAYS
Tn. shed in viii Ch th.. vessel IN being
constructed ls about 100 feet long hy !ni
feet wide and IL hnilt over an enclosed
strip OF water. 40 that when the vessel
IL launched Il will b- drawn from tn.
shed into the open and vii! rest all tho
while on tn. water
Two gondolalik" boats ono AZ each
end of the a.rship viii presery" its buoy.
auCy on the water An olGDor.Sf" and
in gsnious arrangement Of network and
anchors will also be- Employed To steady
the ship Will. al rr--t. even during thS
stOrIuIust weather The boats will be
the living quarters Of the two officers and
six men who are to work tho vessel and
they arr. b.,ing fitted with every necessary
Convenience. such as sleeping berth-.
cook ing galley. stores and so on. TO en-
able u cruise OF several days TO bs made
The boats are large enough 10 accom-
rnodate at least hsty men. but all the
spar. SPACE will he devoted to the storage
81 p..trol. rs hundreds Of gallons will hs
required on continuous long cruises Tn.
Ell gines have been specially designed To
meet the requirements II the Admiralty
and IL IL believed that in moderate weather
they will give the airship sp-sd Of fifty
niles an hour The cost OF the vessel " III
not be far short Of $500 100.
The airship most needed by the army,
IL In stated is one in which high and
sustained speed is combined with not too
great a bulk. big vessel offering too
Conspicuous target for artillery. The
oh jsct IL to secure fast aerial scout for
accommodating work capable II necessary
OF mounting a machine gun.