Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-23
IG|ANT zR-2 OFF
| ON TRIAL FLIGHT
DirigibIe Leaves Howden on
Trip Preliminary to Its Ac-
ceptance by U. s.
SOON TO CROSS ATLANTIC

Howden, England, Aug. %. - The
dirigible ZR-2, purchased from
Great Britain by the United States,
commenced trial trip at 7:10
o'clock this morning. British and
American aerial officers were in charge
OF the giant balloon, which will start on
its flight across the Atlantic to America
as soon as practicable.
Three hundred men carefully guided
the craft from the hangar. where 1t
had been awaiting suitable flying
weather. Members Of the crew took
their posts. General Maitland nimbly
clambered up the ladder and disappeared
amidships and then came the ringing Of
signal bells and the responding sputter
Of the ships six powerful motors.
The commander of the ground party
megaphoned the order Cast off, and
the 700 feet long silvery gas bag glided
upward into the clear morning sky.
Immediately upon taking the air the
big dirisible made two circuits of the
airdrome and then. with an American
bluejacket perched in the machine gun
ner's nest at the very tip of the ships
stern waving good-by, the craft headed
due west and soon disappeared from
view.
Before the start General Maitland
said he intended maneuvering the ship
show what ability she possessed in
combating the wind, and then to make
southwark swing to Pulham, where
he expected to tic the IR-2 to her
mooring mast at 10 o'clock tonight.
If the conclusion of today's test
should be successful, Commander Louis
y. Maxfield, U. s. N, with the con-
currcnce of the Navy Department in
Washington. will take over the craft.
The next step will be training of the
crew in one or two fifteen or twenty
hour flights, and then. barring uncx
pected difficulties, all will be ready for
the jump off to America.
The ships control car today contained
Commander Maxficld. Brigadier General
:. NJ. Maitland the British air mar =
shal, and Colonel Campbell who super
vised the work of designing the dirigi
Bile: Distributed through the vast in =
terror of the balloon were five other
American officers. seven engineers and
four riggers. in addition to the regular
British crew.
Washington. Aug. 23.-(By A. P.)
Although slight defects in the con-
Struction of TIE ZR-2 have been re-
vealed. Navy Department officials to-
day said they we're confident weather
conditions alone delayed the trial fight
Commander Maxfe,d. who was sent
abroad to direct the bringing of the
dirigible to America. it was learned
yesterday, recently reported that on
July u. while the ZR-2 was flying
from Bedford to Howden 1.-TWO inter-
mediate, transverse frames and one in :
termediate longitudinal frame buckled
just aft of frame seven"
The ship was Immediately slowed
down. the report added. "and an ex :
animation, made to determine the dam
age, which was not serious enough Ia
warrant an immediate landing"
The report said the girders which
failed we're repaired July 25 and ali
intermediate transverse and Longitudinal
Sirders in the bottom part of the four
parallel sections were strengthened by
the addition of extra bracing pieces
Panels were also rivetcu to the bases
OF all intermediate transverse girders in
the four sections, it was SAID
According to the report it was be-
lieved that the failure of the girders was
probably due to their streSsing while
the ship was under construction at Bed
ford, where at times as many as forty
men congrcgated in one fifteen meter
section, straining the ship to n greater
degree than it would ever be strained in
flight.
Naval aeronautical experts here sale
the buckling of the girders was not
aao;laraI ~ hat l,,. IL. ~
might happen to any rigid ship during
an early flight. They anticipate thu
acceptance of the ship as soon as hel
trial flight is made and expect she will
take off for the United States few day.
thereafter unless bad weather prevails,