The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-22
British Are Building Giant Rigid
Dirigible for United States
Nary.
AMERICA APD HELPING
Officers and Men Serving Over
seas on Construction Duty
Will Fly Home.
BY MILTON BRoNNER.

1~LulnBton, Bedford, England, Aug.
21.-They arm you with a special pass
from Che air ministry and with an
other issued by Commander c. I.
Campbell, in charge OF fhe royal air
shipworkers here. Then they take
away your matches and tobacco and
furnish you With rubber goloshes to
put on over your shoes. Then you
step within building as b z as rail-
road shed.
You are standing close by the frame
work Of the RIBS. the last word in
rigid airships. which the British are
building for the United States.
Huge Affair.
This monster of the air is huge be-
yond the widest vision. Looking up
five or six stories, you ser man,
swarming like bees, putting finishing
touches to some riveting.
Down the building you see a tre-
mendous vista of lacelike girders. They
are too small for bridge or a ship.
but are capable Of tremendous strain.
They are made of "duralumin" VIII oh
consists mainly of aluminium. but also
contains silicon, manganese, copper.
magnesium and iron
The Orders form the rigid part OF
the airsh.p. Into each section there
will be fitted an immense gas bag and
there will be % OF these IN all. each
one Independent OF the others.
At the forepart OF the ship there
will be big control car where the
commanders and his assistants Will be.
They win have levers which control
the rudders OF the ship, the gas sup
ply, the water ballast, the wireless
telegraph. etc.
Six Engine Cars.
At intervals, on both sides of the
craft will be swung six engine ears.
I One man VII be on duty in each. and
he will have charge OF a Sunbeam en-
CINE Of about $50 horsepower which
win rule powerful set Of propeliers
Each car will have own oil tanks and
gas supply
II anything happens TO one or two
of the engines the others can stil be
on the job.
In the rear Of these ships are the four
tremendous rudders and guiders. They
are 40 10 so feet in length. There viii
be runway from directly over the
control car past the engine cars and
back TO the rear. on each side Of this
the crew.
The ship Is s95 feet long. has 4 d.
ameter Of IS IL feet lifting power Of
50 tons. This means she viii lift 20
tons beside her own weight. Gas bags
will have a capacity OF $3.50, 600 cubic
feet of hydrogen gas.
The maximum speed is estimated at
20 miles an hour. Her economic. cruis-
ing speed viii be about 60 miles. She
take 160 men or 1926 tons OF freight
for 1000 miles; 104 men or rs tons OF
freight for 1000 miles: and AZ men or
6.7S tons Of freight for 1000 miles As
the ordinary crew would not exceed %
TO 80. the ship could take a few visi-
tors along.
Officers in Training.
She will not be ready TO turn over
TO the American government until late
next fall or early next spring. And
before she sails for America she VIII
be thoroughly tested over here.
And; in the meantime. American Of
Ecers and petty officers in the aviation
branch of the United States Navy. are
going to an airship training school in
Howden, England. They are the ones
who will sail the RIBS to America some
day
The party under the charge Of
Commander L. H. Maxfield, at present
consists OF 10 officers and 20 petty Of
fcers. All Of them have had actual
experiences in the flying branch Of our
navy, but none Of them ever handled a
rigid airship.
They are finding ont that the han
ding and caring for a huge liner Of the
air IS job Of many angles. They are
getting lectures on aerostatics. aero
dynamics. meteorology, navigation and
the handling Of ships, both in the air
and on the ground.
It is expected that by the time the
R-3s is ready TO be taken 10 ARner.ss.
our men will know enough about her
TO be ready 10 build an airship them
selves, after il has been designed by
naval Constructors.
American Colony.
At the big air base at Howden one
portion Of the grounds has been turned
over TO our men and they have real
American comfort The whole force is
lined up for inspection by Commander
Maxwell. just as If they were the Off
GERS and crew on board a destroyer
And all Of the Americans are anxious
for the day when they set sail for
home-via airship!
One variety Of japanese fan Is made
Of water proof paper. which can be
dipped in water and creates coolness