The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-11
ENGLAND TO HAVE
DREADAOUGHT OF AIR
Worlds Largest and Most Power
full Airship Being Built
for Navy.
MILE-PER-MINUTE SPEED
Constructed to Remain in Cloud
land for Days and Beat ANY
Rival on Earth.
LONDON, June II.

LONDON, June II.
In few weeks time the iarges..
fastest and most powerful airship In the
world will be launched at Barrow.
This ievfathan IL the first airship ever
constructed for the British navy. and 1t
Is the forerunner OF feet OF ships
which are to be the Dreadnoughts Of
the air.
The same invioiable secrecy that was
maintained during she rapid construc-
Hon OF the sea DreadneagAts at Pefts-
mouth is being preserved in the case OF
this vessel which Messrs. vickers, Sons
& Maxim are building at Barrow FOR
the Admiralty.
Only half dozen people I'm the coun-
try possess knowledge OF the entire de-
sign. and knowledge of sections Is con-
fined to the smallest possible number Of
officials and workmen any or whom
would he liable to penal servitude If he
divuiged any OF the precious secrets CEN
nected with the vessel.
New Ships Duties.
This airship is intended to be a battle
shin OF the air. 1t win be manned by
specially trained crew. and its duties
will consist of thoroughly and quickly
exploring the UPPER regions In search OF
the enemys airships. overtaking them
and destroying them and dropping ex-
piosives on the decks of warships below.
To carry out these duties efrectnaiiy
Brtain's airship will have to remain In
the air for several days on end and have
a speed superior to that Of any foreign
ship. whether on the sea or in the air.
So tar az 's-an he gathered. both These
vital conditions will be fuiflbsd. When
completed. the ship will be nearly 800
yards long and wifi almost fill gigan-
tic shed 800 yards long. 30 yards wide and
10 yards high. which Ia now being fin-
ished at Cavendish Dock. Barrow
The gas envelope alone viii be OF snor-
nous proportions far larger than that
of the famous Zeppelin airship. while the
vessel itself will be fitted with not only
powerful engines. but with sleeping ac-
eomn,odations for the crew. and mum.
Der Of special guns and mountings.
In regard to the speed. ii is said on
good authority that it is hoped to main
tain a rate of sixty miles an'hoar under
favorable conditions.
Propeller Testing.
Experiments are now being made with
the object OF finding cut which ss ths
best type OF propeller 10 use. y curious
looking structure has been erected in
MeSsrs. Vickers engineering yard at Bar.
row for carrying out these experiments.
IL rather resembles section OF steel
suspension bridge. through the middle OF
which has been run mast. At one end
of the bridge a propeller Is nxed on
shaft. a motor Is set going. and the ~hnis
Of the heavy structure is carried ronnd
and round at a terrific speed by the force
OF the revolving propeller.
This testing structure can be. seen from
Ehe roadway, and when at " working
many people try to figure out the speed
at which II Is whizzed round by the
rapidly revolving propeller. The airship
is being built in sections In the engineer
ing shops. when completed the sectionf
will be taken to the shed and assembled.
Trials on an extensive scale will be con-
Quoted, and the ship will afterward leave
for her permanent station. which, 80
doubt. will be on the east coast.
As soon as the trials are completed
feet OF airships will he built embodyins
whatever improvements on the original
design are thought TO be necessary.