Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-03
Big Dirigible
Now Building. Is
Similar to Zeppelin

many lives on her trial trip in Eng
land has not thus far caused any
change in plans for the Fri now
building for the navy. The two de-
signs were so dissimilar. it is said by
navy officials that the wrecking of
the IRA carried with it no lessons
so far as now known to he woven
into construction of the Fri as a
safeguard against similar disaster to
that vessel.
The ZR-1. it 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 Lao,
captured intact in France during the
war Notifications to permit in
stallation of American made pro-
polling engines and a few other
changes were necessary, but navy Of
f1cials regard the Fri as practically
a reproduction of the Lao which was
proven by the Germans as a 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 Lao. which was al
most 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 opera ton of
the ZR-1 operation it is planned to
base future improvements or in
creases in size.
|. The ZR-2 on the other hand. repre-
sented the last word in British enci-
neering progress over German
originals and the disaster to the
British built vessel, officers here feel,
only tends to confirm the decision TO
attempt no UNEMPLOYED field of con-
structiOn in turning out American
Zeppelins. but to proceed from one
well established model to the next
improvement slowly and so on step
by step TO what ever the ultima te
lighter than air cruiser of the future
is to be.
Plans for purchase Of the ZR-o in
England came after the war, while
designs for the Fri were we'll in
hand at the Navy Department before
the war ended When hostilities
ceased the British We're left with a
number of giant craft under con-
struction in addition to the R-34
which made the flight to New York
and back. 1t was decided to stop
work on these and salvage all that
hal been done, and the United States
~, - ol,+
the ship most advanced in construc-
ton. British R-38 which was to be-
come the ZR-o. Designation of the
vessels in numerical order. in what
appeared to be the reverse Of the or
der of construction. is accounted for
that fact
The chief reason for purchase of
the British ship, it was explained,
was on the old engineering axiom
that better progress is to he made If
two of any new type of any mechani-
cal device are worked up for test
sinnulta neously than if only one pilot
design is completed. Had all the
eggs been placed in the ZR-2 basket
in this case, it was pointed ont. the
navy would have to begin again at
the grass roots in development of this
arm of the aerial fleets of the fu-
ture
AS ii is. construction Of the ZR I
is proceeding unaffected by the ZR
disaster, although if was said to be
going slowly by reason of reduced
arpropria lions for the navy this wear
Practically all of the duraluminur7
for girders of the ships frame work
has been produced and is now in
process Of fabrication into the lattice
work frame members at the Philad
phia aircraft plant Of the navy: con-
tracts have been let for the eighteen
gas bags which will furnish the lift
ing power and fhe keel of the shir
will be laid within few months al
the Lallerurst (N. ~ hangar built Ia
house both the Fri and ZR-2. The
frame members are being cut and
assembled at Philadelphia to be
Knocked down when complete and
shipped to Iakehurst where they will
be reassemhled and placed in the
shin.
The gas bags are designed for
eltilel nitrogen OF tne new, non ey-
plosive but highly expensive helium
gas discovered during the war. Al
present plans call for the use Of
hydrogen because of the excessive
cost of producing sufficient helium
to I'll the bags TO their full 1000. 900
cubic feet cara city.
The IRIS s45 feet in length and
IS feet in diameter practically dupli-
cate the standard German practice
as shown in the Lao which was pro
duced after the Germans had oper-
ated some 140 air craft Of the Zeppe-
lin characteristics in actual service
In speed. however. the America n
craft IS expected TO exceed the sixty
mile maximum Of her German proto-
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