The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-10-10
ANOTHER BIC
/ D|RIC|bLE IS
/ To BE BUILT

England has not thus far caused an!
change in plans for the ZR-1 now
building for the navy. The two de
signs were 80 dissimilar, It is said b,
navy officials. that the wrecking o
the ZR-2 carried with II no lesson.
SO far as now known to be woven in
to construction Of the zR-1 as d
safeguard against similar disaster to
that vessel.
The ZR-1. II Is explained, is the
American navy's pioneer project IN
airship construction OF the rigid type
and the vessel follows very closely
design of the German Zeppelin Las
captured intact in France during the
war. Notifications to permit installa-
tion OF American made propelling
engines and few other changes
were necessary. but navy officials re-
gard the zR-l as practically re-
production of the Las which was
proven by the Germans as safe and
reliable craft with all stresses and
strains demonstrated in actual
flight under varying conditions.
1t was the purpose of the navy ex-
perts to make the Lac, which was
almost the last word in German war
experience construction, the starting
. point for American development of
lighter than air rigid war craft. On
the experience gained in operation Of
the zR-1 operation It Us planned to
base future improvements or In
creases in size.
The ZR-2 on the other hand. repre-
sentcd the last word In British en-
gineering progress over German orr
ginals and the disaster to the Brit
fish built vesesl, officers here feel.
only tends to confirm the decision to
attempt no unexpiored field of con.
struction. turning out American Zep-
pelin's. but to proceed from one well
established model to the next i'm
provement slowly and so on step by
step to what ever the ultimate lighter
than mir cruiser OF the future is to be.
Plans for purchase of the zR-2 In
England came after the war. while
des!gas for the ZR-1 were well in
hand at the Navy Department before
the war ended. When hostilities ceas-
ed, the British were left with a nun
ber OF giant craft under construction
in addition to the R-34 to stop work
on these and salvage all that had
been done. and the United States
then stepped In to obtain by pur-
chase the ship most advanced in con-
struction. British R-38 which was to
become the ZR-s. Designation OF the
vessels in numerical order. In what
appeared to be the reverse OF the
order OF construction. Is accounted
for that fact.
The chief reason for purchase Of
the British ship. II was explained.
was on the old engineering axiom
that better progress Is ~ he made II
two Of any new type of any mechan.-
cal device are worked up for test
simultaneously than II only one pilot
design is completed. Had all the eggs
been placed in the ZR-2 basket In
this case. Il was pointed out. the
navy would have to begin again at
the grass roots In development of
this arm of the aerial fleets of the
future.
As Il is, construction of the ZR-l
Is proceeding unaffected by the ZR-2
disaster, although II was said to be
going slowly by reason OF riduced
appropriations for the navy this year.
Practically all Of the duraluminum
for girders of the ships frame work
has been producei and Ia now In pro-
cess Of fabrication into the 'Ptt.ce
work frame members at the Phlla-
delphia aircraft plant of the navy;
contracts have been let .or the eight
cen gas bags which will furnish the
lifting power and tia keel Of the
ship will be laid within few nj ,nths
at the Lakehurst IN. J) ha' gar
built to house both the ZR-1 and
HR-2 The frame members are oeing
cut and assembled at Philadelphia
10 | knocked down whsr complete
and shipped to Lakehurst where they
will be reassembled and placed in
the ship.
The gas bags are designed for
either hydrogen or the new. non ex-
plosive but highly expensive hcllium
gas discovered during the war. At
present plans call for the use cf hy-
drogen because of the excessive cost
OF producing sufficient heiium TO fiji
the bags to their full 1000, 900 cub
lie feet capacity.
The zR-1's Gas feet In length and
rs feet in diameter practically dup
lieate the standard German practice
ss shown In the L-49 which was pro-
: ,duced altar the Horm ans had onernt-