The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-12-03
Prediction Is Made That Huge
Craft Will Be Used in Regular
Transatlantic Trips.
AIR LINER is ON THE WAY
Long Distance Craft of the Future May
Be Plane, but Experts at London
Conference Predict Lighter
Than-Air Type.

LOndOn.-In awarding prizes recent.
Iy for new types of airplanes built by
British manufacturers, the govern.
ment took occasion to deplore what il
viewed as retrOgressiOn in the field
Of aerial research. Manufacturers of
aircraft, in answering the criticism, re-
piled that one could not hope, in times
of peace, for as rapid developments as
were possible when the exigencies of
war made expense and human life com
paratively of little Importance
Nevertheless, some bold predictions
have been made at the air conference
which met at the Guildhall. There
were, of course, speeches which embOd-
led the dreams of every reader of
Jules Verne or III. G. Wells, aid there
were graphic pictures of the great air
liners of the future. But there also
were sober talks by distinguished sci
entists, who paid more attention to
such practical details as wing tips and
automatic controls than to visions.
The air liner is on the way, there is
IL
come as result of tireless and patient
research and experimenting it is go.
ing to embOdy detail here and sug-
gestion there, and when it is finally
turned out on profitable basis it
will provide mode of travel as safe
as and infinitely more swift than any
land transport
Craft Eight Hundred Feet Long.
The long distance aircraft Of the fu-
lure may be an airplane, but it is more
likely that lighter-than-air type will
prevail.
What are the requirements for a
craft capable of carrying out a sus-
tanned flight, say, from England to
Australia?
According to the experts at the
Guildhall, each craft would be about
800 feet long, with gas capacity of
at least 100000 cubic feet. The "R"
dirigibles already constructed in Eng
land hold more than 100000 cubic
feet, so that this seems by no means
an impossible provision. An average
speed of 60 miles an hour would be
Notwithstanding already achieved.
1t is estimated that a dirigible con-
structed on this basis would carry 100
passengers, for whom comfortable.
properly heated and well ventilated
living, dining and sleeping quarters
would be provided.
Inasmuch as the dirigible would fly
in a direct line, it would be able to
make the London-Cape Town journey
in five days, whereas the ocean trip
now requires IS days. India might
be reached in four days, as against IS
at present.
Even though passenger-carrying at
first might not prove practicable, it
seems probable that before long mails
for the fringes of the British empire
may be carried by the air route. 1t is
calculated that the whole weekly mail
from Britain for Egypt, South Africa,
India, Australia and New Zealand
could be transported in one dirigible
for each route. Sir Trevor Dawson,
vice-chairman of Vickers, Limited,
the great aeronautic firm, is authority
for the statement that the fire danger
for dirigible is really no greater
than that Of any ocean liner.
One of the great drawbacks to the
use of the dirigibles-the difficulty of
housing them in storms may be avoid
ed by mooring them to great masts