The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24
FIRST NAVY BALLOON
TO BE- TESTED SOON
Question Of Site Puzzles Build.
ers of Craft in New
Haven.

New HAVEN. Oct. e3.-Lieutenant-
Commander Frank McCreary Of the de-
partment OF naval aeronautlcs has ar
first of the navy's fleet OF balloons being
Sbuilt here by the Connecticut Aircraft
Company.
The officers OF the company an
nounced recently In reply TO n story
from Washington to the effect that the
Government was dissatisfied with the
failure OF the company to have this ma
chine ready for testing OF October !
that the machine was practically in read
mess as soon as Il hangar was pro-
vided and that an early inspection by
Government officials was desired. 1t
was pointed out that when the contract
was given II was understood that the
balloon was to be shipped to the Pensa-
cola a%eronautic station. where 1t was TO
be tried out. The hangar there, how
ever. has not been completed. 1t Is
proposed therefore to find. II possible. a
place in Connecticut where the machine
can be assembled.
When asked to-day II he would make
a final report on this dirigible or II this
inspection was only a preliminary one
Commander McCreary said: Il shall
he here for the finish. j am now look
ing over the working plans and going
over the specifications and the various
parts OF the machine. / shall stay I'M
iii a place is found where the machine
can be assembled and the hnal inspec-
ton completed.
capt. Mark l.. Bristol. in charge OF
the office OF naval aeronautlcs, Is
at present on n tour OF Inspection Oh
the different aircraft plants. and whether
he will be able to get to New raven
or not I mo say. but we are III
hopes that he will give us a Visit
According to newspaper reports
Can, bristol has said that through the
use of dirigibles and aeropianes we
could make IL impossible for "A hostile
! fleet to approach our coast unexpectedly
and that we could prevent the Possi-
bility Of a foe getting close enough 10
mba any coast city. He IL credited
with the statement that with an aue-
! auate feet of dirigibles and a~erop'ahes
we could build up n coast deieiice .ha'
Z, would absolutely protect New ioih,
philade,nhia Boston, San Francisco ana
other sea coast cities from an enemy
The plan is entirely feasible and prac-
ticable." ,,
The Anal specifications Of the working
drawings Of the dirigible which SoH",
mander McCreary Is looking over can
for a machine IFS feet long. !S max.
mum height fifty feet and It's grea.es.
beam thirty-ive feet, with tho srea.ess
beam of fms fifty feet. The maximum,
snsed will he between twenty-five and
,hirtv.ave miles an hour and 1t will be
capable OF maximum speed for nve nouis,
The volume of the envelope Is lio.ooo
| cubic feet and the volume OF each OH
ioonet ia 5000 cubic feet. The engine
is $50 horsepower. with two iour pia'eu
propellers. 1t will rise to 5.ooo teet'
THE weight OF the envelope IL ip..u'
hounds and the anchor weighs tn'r'y-
eight pounds The anchor rope IL one
inch and ia $50 feet long. The total
dead weight Of the machine IL s'ooo
mounds and the lifting capacity Is ''eou
Mounds. SO that II will carry a usetu
load OF $500 pounds.
II IL built to carry one engineer on
navigating officer who does the as'ro'
nomical measurements. one pinot anu sN
observing officers. ,,
setts and New York have offered site'
that would be suitable for a hnal test o.
the balloon, but those In charge wouie
nrefer some place In this State, mas
much as the machine was butt mere
FOR several days negotiations have peer
in progress to engage the armory u
Hartford. 1t Is understood hat the pay
is now In Naugatuck. q comparative
short haul from Hartford, n ma ono
a place has been found TO asse'hp.e W
dirigible the work will be Il question
OF a week or perhaps less.
1t is known that since the hrst plan
for this balloon were drawn man!
chanKes have been made and mat IN
finished product will show thai the cofn
pany has expended thousands OF doiiar
In improvements.