The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-20
Heavier Than Air.

IN GENERAL-Owing to the unfa-
'Vorable weather conditions this week
gunnery exercises for period ending 9,
december We're carried out on Monday
Tuesday and Saturday only. Eight
Officers and nine engineer gunners
completed gunnery practice No /
eground targets), and two officers
completed camera gun practice on
Monday and Tuesday. On Saturday a
total of sixty-three practices were fin
ished
The total time flown in H-T-A- was
ninety-nine hours and forty minutes
(99:40)
ELEMENTARY TRAINING. On Z
December 1919 there We're 81 students
attached. No new students reported
for flight training. No students COM
pleted the course.
An average of 10 planes We're avail
able during the week.
The flying time was fifty-four hours
and fifteen minutes {54:15).
ADVANCED TRAINING - Seven
students were attached on Deem
Der 1919. One new student reported.
| One student is taking ground gunnery.
Five students are awaiting aerial gun
merry, and two students are awaiting
aerial navigation.
An average of planes were avail
able during the week.
! The flying time was forty-five hours
and twenty five minutes.
| Lighter Than Air.
| IN GENERAL.-There are 81 en-
listed men now attached to the lighter
than air division; four of these are
students under flight instructions:
/ three have special details and four
men are in the hospital or on the sick
| LIST he la ,1a
ating complement amount to &c en-
listed men.
The work of erecting the Goodyear
dirigible Ell continued throughout
| the week. An attempt to conserve
hydrogen by keeping the pressure UP
during the night by Initiating the ball
lonets with air, resulted in a drop in
purity from 9S per cent to 90 per cent
AS no holes in the envelope. or leaks
| around the valve could be found. il
was judged that the ballonets diffused
to highly to keep them inflated with
air during the night and consequently
| tfn> old procedure of keeping up the
pressure with gas was resumed and
the purity rose the following day te
t97 per cent.
/ GROUND SCHOOL-Arrangem
have been made with the radio Off
Ger to form classes in practical oper-
alton of wireless telephone set &C
1104. The contemplated weekly classes
in aerography have been postponed
until the first of the year a major
ity of officers eligible for these classe:
have been assigned Sor duty as UNI
pires in the heayier-than-a large
practice.
KITE BALLOON sEcTIoN.-Tota
of two free balloon flights were made
a, wit fnfn wi
time of 35 minutes. Landings in free
balloon flights must be made within
trucking distance of the station. Due
to swamps and bad roads this distance
1 is less than twenty miles; consequent
ly flying time for free balloons is low
DIRIGIBLE SECTION.-E-1 car wa:
suspended under envelope E-102~ anc
Suspensions and general controls were
fitted; pontoons attached and tam
filled with gas and water. There was
a heavy diffusion in gas during the
early part of the week until hole
was discovered in the top of the bag
This was Immediately repaired. Valve
control wires were attached, fitted and
lined up. Upper and lower vertica
fins were secured and the car was
plumbed up and moved forward two
inches to equalize the forward sus-
pensions.
A diffusion test was made of eacf
ton panel in the envelope and me-
dunn diffusion was found to all panels
except four panels in the center, which
had no diffusion. Purity of the en-
veIope is now 81 per cent.
HYDROGEN SECTION. = Routine
operation of the steam and iron plan
was carried out during the week. 1
was necessary to cut retort out o.
Operation because of gasket blowing
out in the retort head. Work started
to bring the hydrogen cylinders re.
ceived from Brunwick, Ga, to a pres.
sure of 1000 So. ms, by compressins
hydrogen into them. Daily analyst:
was taken of all gas made and stored
The routine daily and weekly report:
were made out.
First Lieutenant.
/ Concrete on pier and quay wall com
pleted 8 p. m. Saturday.
Storing of yard craft under cover
ard factory has been organized.