New-York tribune., 1921-10-02
Navy Contracts
Let for l8 Gas
Bags for Fri
Frame Members Are Being
Assembled and Keel Will
Be Laid at Lakehurst.
Y. J.. Within Few Months
Built on Zeppelin Model
Will Be Smaller Than ILL.,
Fated ZR-2. but Is Expect
ed TO Have an Equal Lift

WASHINGTON, Oct. Loss Of the
giant British-built sirship zR2 with
many lives on her trial trip il England
has not thus far caused any change in
plans for the ZR-l now building for
the navy The two designs were So
dissimilar. it is said by navy officials
/ taat the wrecking of the ZR-2 carried
With it no lessons SO far as now known
TO be woven into construction of the
ZR-l as a safeguard against similar
disaster TO thai -essel.
The ZR1, ic is explained. Is the
American navys pioneer project il
airship construction Of the rigid type
and the vessel follows very closely the
design OF the German Zeppelin L-te
captured intact in France during the
war. Notifications TO permit installa,
ton Of American made propeliing ell
xines and few other changes we're
necessary, out navy oniclats regard the
ZRl as practically reproduction OF
! the Lac, which vas proved by the
Germans as safe and reliable craft
with all stresses and strains demon
atrated in actual flight under varying
conditions.
II was the purpose Of the navy ex-
perts to make the LAG. which was
almost the last word in German war
experience construction, the starting
point for American development OF
!igAter-th&n-a air rigid war craft. On
the experience gained in operation @.
the zE-l it is planned to base futSrc
improvements or increases in size.
The ZR-2, on the other hand. repre-
sented the last word in British engi-
, neerIng progress over German origi-
nails, and the disaster to the British
built vessel. officers here feel. only
tends to confirm the decision to at
tempt no unexplored field OF construc-
ton III turning out American Zeppc-
Inns, but to proceed from one we'll es-
tablishcd model TO the next improve
ment slowly ano SO on, step by step
to whatever the ultimate lighter than.
air cruiser OF the future is to be.
Construction of the ZR-1 is said tc
be going slowly BY reason Of reduced
appropriations for the navy this year
Practically all OF the duralum,num foi
girders Of the ships framework has
been produced and is now in process OF
| fabrication into the latticework frame
members at the Philadelphia aircraft
plant OF the navy; contracts have beer
| let for the eighteen gas bags which
will furnish the lifting power, and the
keel Of the ship will be laid within {
few months at the LaEehurst, \. j.
hangar bullt to mouse both the ZR-l
and ZR-2
The frame members are being GU
and assembled al Philadelphia to bt
knocked down when complete an,
shipped TO Lakehurst, where they vii
be reassembled and placed in the Ship
The gas bags are designed for either
hydrogen or the new non-explosive bu
highly expensive helium gas discovered
! during the war. AT present plans cal
for thesuse Of hydrogen because of the
excessive cost Of producing sufficient
helium to fill the bags to their full
100000 cubic feet capacity.
Same Size as German Balloon
The ZR-1s CAS- feet in length and rs
feet in diameter practically duplicate
the standard German practice. as
shown in the Lag, which was pro
6uced after the Germans had ted
some LAO aircraft of the Zeppelin char
acteristics iN actual service. In speed
however, the American craft is cx-
pected to exceed the sxty-mile maxi
mum Of her German prototype. due to