The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-12-09
Prediction Is 'daGe That Huge
Craft Will Be Used in Regular
Transatlantic Trips.
AIR LINER is ON THE WAY
Lonp-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 alrplanes built by
British manufacturers, the govern
ment took occasion Ia deplore what II
viewed as d retrosression 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 eXigCncies 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 ii. G. Wells. aLd there
liners OF the future. But here also
were sober talks by distinguished sell
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
no doubt about that but ii is going TO
come as a result Of t~irelesS and patient
research and experimenting; il Is go
Ing TO embOdy a detail here and n sug-
gestion there, and when 1t Is finally
will provide a 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 flu
mre may be an airplane. but II is more
likely that a lighter-than-air type will
prevail.
What are the requirements for n
craft capable Of carrying out a sus-
tanned flight, say, from England to
Australia?
According TO the experts ut the
Guildhall, each craft would ne about
800 feet long. with a gas capacity OF
at least 4.000,O 600 cubic feet. The "R'
d~irigibles already constructed In Eng
land hold more than 3,OOO.0O0 cubic
feet. so that this seems by no means
an Impossible provision. An average
speed of GO miles an hour would he
Notwithstanding already achieved.
1t Is estimated that a dirlgibie con
structed on this basis would carry 1OO
for whom comfortable
properly heated and we'll ventilated
living, dining and sleeping quarters
would he provided.
Inasmuch as the dirigible would fly
in q direct line. It would be able tt
make the London-C Cape Town Journey
I'm five days. whereas the ocean trlI
now requires IS days. India NIGH
be reached in four days. as against II
at present.
Ever Though passenger-carrying a
first might not prove practicable. !
seems probable that before long malls
for the fr,nGes of the British empir
may be carried by the air route. II i
calculated that the whole weekly ma
from Britain for Egypt. South Africa
India. Australia and New Zealan'
could he transported In one dirigihi
for each rouae Sir Trevor nawsor
vice-chuirman Of Vckers. Limited
the greas aeronautic Arm, In authorit'
FOR the statement that the fire DANCE
for q dsrIgible Is really no create
thnn thai Of any 3 liner.
one or the great drnwhacks 70 tn
r,se ~ me charlottesville dificslty o
kotslne fhem IN storms-ipny hr avoid
"a 81 n,0oFIng tltsm % grsaf mass