New-York tribune., 1920-11-07
Airships 800 Feet Long Planned
For Regular Transatlantic Line
Long-Distance Craft of Future May BE Plane, but
Experts al London Conference Predict Lighter
Than-Air Type of Machine Finally Will Prevail
From the T,4bune's European Bureau

From the Trbunes European Bureau
LONDON, Oct. 27.--In awarding
prizes recently for new types Of air
planes built by British manufacturers,
the government took occasion to de-
plore what it viewed as a retrogression
in the fed Of aerial research Manu-
facturers of aircraft, in answering the
criticism replied that one could not
hope, in times of peace, for as rapid
developments as were possible when
the eXigercies of war made expense
and human life comparatively of little
Importance.
Nevertheless, some bold predictions
have been made at the air conference
which met at the Guldhall. There we're,
Il course, speeches which embodied the
dreams of every reader of Jules Ve!nc
OF H. G. Wells, and there were graphic
pictures of the great air liners cf the
future. But there also were sober talks
by distinguished scientists. 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
no doubt about that; but SIS going to
come as a result of tireless and patient
research and experimenting; it is going
10 embody a detail here and o sugges-
tion there. and when it finally is turned
out on profitable basis it will provide
mode Of travel as safe as and in
hritely mere swift than any land trans
port.
Craft Eight Hundred Feet Long
The long distance airshp Of the fu-
turc may be an airplane, but it is more
likely that the lighter than air type will
prevail.
What are the requirements for
craft capable Of carrying out sus-
tanned figh:, say, from England to
Australia?
According to the experts at the
Guildhall. each craft would be about
500 feet long, with q gas capacity of
at least 1000 900 cubic feet. The "R"
dlrlgibles 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 sixty miles an hour would be
required something already achieved.
1t Is estimated that dirigible con-
struct"d on this basis would carry 100
passengers, for whom comfortable,
properly heated and we'll ventilated
living, dining ard sleeping quarters
would be provided.
lnasmuch as the dirigible would fly
in a direct line, it would be able to
make the London-Cape Town journey
n five days, whereas the ocean trip
now requires eighteen days India
might be reached in four days, as
against sixteen at present
Even though passenger carrying at
first might not prove practicable, it
seems probable that before long mails
Tor the fringes Of the British Empire
may be carried by the air route 1t is
calculated that the whole weekly mail
rom Britain for Egyrt, South Africa,
India. Au tralia and New Zealand
could be transported in one dirigible
tor each route. Sir Trevor Dawson,
vice chairman of Nickors, Limited,
the great aeronautic firm, is auth ority
for the stntement that the fire danger
tor lirigiblc is really no greater
than that on.any ocean liner.
One Of the great drawbacks to the
use of dirigiblcs II the difficulty Of
housing them n storns-may be avoid
ed by mooring them 20 great masts
and allowing them to float at the end
of tNo'r cnhies j. is sai1 tNat a