Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-11
DlRiGIBLES FUR
SCOUTING BEING
| BUILT FOR ARMY
BLIMP BALLOONS, NOW UNDERWAY AT
At AKRON, OHIO, TO HAVE SAIL
ING ENDURANCE or rs HOURS
CRUISING SPEED WILL BE IS MILES
AN H0UR-ESTIMATED TOTAL OF
ITS WEIGHT IS 5275 POUNDS

NEW YORK, Apr. 11.-By permission
of the secretary of the navy the following
description Of the Blimp dirigible balloons.
which the b. +. Goodrich Company L.
building a. rapidly a. possible for the gov
|ernment 30 that they may be available for
war scout work, Is made public:
"The shape of the envelope of the Blimp
dirigible somewhat resembles that of a
cigar. The entire length, from tip TO tip,
will be 100 feet and the maximum diamet-
er 3l.5 feet, hut the maximum diameter
over the tail fins will be S6.2 feet. This
huge envelope will displace 1900 cubic
feet.
suspended from the envelope will be n
Irigidly built car, spacious enough TO carry
Ia pilot, an observer, the necessary Access
SORES for determining altitude, speed. etc.
and a 100-horse power gasoline motor Of
the latest improved type. Provision j. nj
so mad for carrying ballast, which when
thrown out, will enable the dirigable to
reach an altitude of $500 feet with safe
lty.
''These dirigibles are to be so contruct-
ed that the miximnm speed Of forty-five
miles per hour is a%ttainable ut an altitude
of GOO feet, and this speed may be main
tanned for ten hours. They can also en-
dure sixteen hours of flying at the cruis-
ling speed Of thirty-five miles per hour,
which permits n range of $50 miles.
"lncluding the weight Of the pilot and
observer and their equipment, the estimat-
ed weight of the dirigible j. 5,275 pounds.
The total weight of ballast is only 211
pounds of sand. This total weight of 5,275
Ipounds j. divided by the government engi-
neers into two classes, known as penalty
weight and useful load The first men
toned covers only the dirigible and it, me-
chanical equipment, which j. specified Mt
1884 pounds. The useful load includes
the pilot and observer, their instruments,
radio, fuel, oil and water, together with
the sand and water ballast and the maxi
mum weight of this il set at l,941 pounds.
"Some idea of the development of power
lplants for dirigibles i gained from the
fact that only SOS pounds is allowed for
the combined weight of the engine, muf-
- 'o "et'As pAtitsVi aHA iiub.
In the early stages of gasoline engine man
ufacturc the old single cylinder motor alone
nearly approached this weight.
"The ear used in these dirigbles will
greatly resemble that of the ordinary. aer-
oplane, expect that it is 80 constructed
that for strategic or other reasons the pill
OF may light upon a body Of water. This
is made possible by attaching skids Of ash
to which are securely fastened large wat
|erproof cylinders of fabric stuffed with
kapok fiber. which afford the requisite
~buoyancy. Ample room i provided in The
ear for the pilot and observer, n well a
the compact power plant, and both com
%partments are well protected from the
weather. The weight of the car less it,
equipment will be 1876 pounds"
These %diriglbles, for which the Goodrich
Company is under contract with the gov
eminent, will be built complete in it,. Ak
ron factories. 20 that when they reach their
destination they will be ready for i'm
mediate trial flights.