Evening journal., 1916-04-01
FlRSTU. S. NAVY DIRICIDLE
READY FOR FLIGHT today
BY The United Press.


PENSACOLA. Fla. Anru rho
oN-i' hrst of the United States Navy's
meet OF dirigible airships. was deliv-
cred to the government bv the Con
hectcut Aircraft Company. and made
ready for it's initial flight under the
direction OF Pilot Lieutenant Com
mander McCrary. at the naval aero
nautic station here today
commander McCrary returned from
MS naval business Journey To London
ana supervised the completion OF the
DN-l at New Haven. Conn. where the
big envelope was assembled. Naval
authorities predict that the DN-t is
the first OF a monster fleet of aircraft
which eventually will become one of
the country's biggest defensive forces.
While this dirigible is q small non
rigid affair. compared to the Zeppelins
IN use on the other side. the companv
is already working on plans for the
construction at once Of a larger shin
OF the rigid type, and built on the
lines Of the latest models now i'm use
IN Europe. II will be used a sa train.
ing ship for the instruction of pilots.
The dirigible is 175 feet long. 30 feet
in diameter and so feet high. II
weighs 5000 pounds. and has a lifting
capacity Of 1000 pounds. making a
total OF 1000 pounds. The envelope
will contain 100000 cubic feet of
hydrogen and the craft will travel al
speed Of thirty-fve miles an hour
The car is twenty feet long. and Ave
feet wide. and will carry a crew of
eight II is built to float on the water
Motive power is provided by an eight
cylinder gasoline engine, which oper-
ates two four-bladed propellers. one
on each side Of the car. The car
Will be steered by a big canvas rud.
der. hung on the rear Of the envelope
while horizontal planes. running on
the equator Of the envelope, will pre-
vent q rolling motion.
In the front and back ends of the
envelope, separated from the main
compartment for the lifting hydrogen
gas. are two compartments to direct
the balloon up and down as il travels
| through the air. When it Is proposed
to ascend the rear compartment is
pumped full OF air. which makes that
end much heavier than the front. The
envelope points upward and is driven
by the propellers. When it is desired
TO descend the operation is reversed,
the front OF the machine being made
heavier than the rear.
A system OF pulleys through which
the suspending ropes pass keeps the
car itself at a horizontal position. no
matter what the angle of inclination
of the envelope may be. A tube rises
from the car which is for the purpose
of driving air into the two compart-
ments, which are known as balonets.
The two propellers can be rotated
/ by means of a handwheel and worm
gear in a vertical plane, so that their
/ line of thrust can be kept parallel TO
/ the horizontal axis Of the envelope nc
matter what the angle of inclination OF
the car.
Every portion OF the cloth that went
into the envelope Of this balloon was
examined with the aid OF a strong
light. and wherever the warp or wool
threads appeared TO be separated OF
thinner than usual. the parts were re
enforced. although the cloth was alb
solutely new.
In the gondola a large margin o.
safety has been observed. while th'
balloon for its size is said to be NOR,
powerfully engined than any now il
existence.