The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-03-25
Plan to Fly Giant Dirigib!es From
London to America, Aus
traIia and Africa.
SPEED 60 MILES AN HOUR
Craft, With 100 Passengers Aboard,
Expected to Fly From England
to California in Four Days
Commercial Airship Is Al
ready a Success.

London.-plans are now unuer dis
cussion here for linking up all parts
| OF the world by passenger air routes,
| on which giant dirigibles,' flying two
miles above the surface at 60 miles an
hour will join London with North
America, Australia, India and South
Africa. If these plans are carried
out air liners 800 feet long, equipped
with berths, dining rooms, smoking
rooms, libraries and observation plat
forms, will speed from England TO
San Francisco in four days. stopping
to discharge passengers and mails at
New York and Chicago. Each ship
will carry 100 passengers, and the fare
will be only 90 per cent more than
present steamship rates. Ships capa-
Bile of this service are now In com
mission, and trial passenger flight
will be made to Egypt by British
government airship to determine the
feasibility of opening such passenger
routes.
The commercial airship already
has proved its success" said Sir Ire
vor Dawson of Vickers, Limited.
when asked whether he thought the
plan practicable. Vickers, Limited
now building airships for the Brit
n government. and Sir Trevor Is an
expert on the -than-air craft.
DAY Of Passenger Liner Here"
The success of the R-34 showed
the possibilities of transatlantic
service" he continued. ut Is now only
question of building more and Larger
ships and equipping suitable landing
both sides of the Atlantic. The air
ships are speedy. safe and reliable.
They can carry large cargoes, have a
wide cruising range, and can ride out
almost any weather
The day of the passenger air liner
is here, and If the task of organizing
air routes Is undertaken by big finan-
cial interests II should be possible To
begin a regular passenger service over
Europe within six months with the
ships and bases already in existence
The American service would require
somewhat larger ships and landing
stations in North America. But Il
could be in operation in less than
three years. We need such service,
and believe that IL will come
The R-3+ is the type of craft sug-
gested for tile proposed service. but
the contemplated ships, although
built on the R-34 lines. would be much
Ia, n1 hnx for
radius. II Is said that rigid airship
could he built that would he 100
feet long carrying 1876 tons of freight
or passengers, and having q maximum
range of 1870 miles cruising radius.
Maitland Supports PROJECT
Brig. .irn. T. NJ. Maitland, who
commanded the R-3I in the tran~at-
innlic flight, is a believer Ia the plan
for world air routes.
Even The existing air~nip OF today
can lie regarded a. y reasonably safe
public conveyance. he Says. They
already have proved themselves capa.
bic VI dying through practically any
type 81 weather and the larger air j
ships Of The future. fitted with more
pow erful machinery. necessarily Will i
lie even safer fJ-~ - moi liraye a
raj menace 70 rSh'ps. a. with The +
present use.tus!~ 80 NAV isutteu II i i
not necessary fo See the ground In 1
tiy ~ hctNssn bases. II II true that AT ]
present tie most violent forms of .ler- i
trjc st8rE,~ are I'd apioubfvd danger i
to aft fn~nls q aireruft. but at the
NEST ihis dan-er appears 10 be less
than tie dsu-er ~ rocky coasts and
to the sea -oir- sh5
"Airshps o. This tyr. II tie RES
which j. uoN being built al Bedford
Or the German Ill. aould be capable
u flying from England 70 Egypt.
distance Of 2.-o miles, without a stop
In two and one-half DAYS. These
ships would carry about ~ pa,een.
gers, With 100 pounds Of ha-ca-e FOR