Evening star., 1922-07-17
BIGGEST A|RSH|PS
TO CARRY RADIO.
Best Possible Equipments to
Be Installed on U. S. and
I German Aircraft.
NAVY MAKING TESTS
Radiophone and Telegraph Cir
cults to Be Combined for
( 2OO-Mile Calls.

The two largest airships in the
world. now building for the Navy.
one at I.akehurst, y. j.. and one in
Friederichshafen. Germany, will have
the latest and best radio equipment
capable of development. Anticipat-
ing their completion, their home port
is being fitted up for their ARRIVAL
with a high powdered radio station.
A new type of radio transmitting
antenna without towers has just
been installed at the naval airshlp
base AT I,akehurst, y. j.. naval radio
station MEL. In an effort to Keep
the big landing field clear for the
two giant rigids ZR-l and AR-3 anu
10 eliminate high towers ana aerialS
the radio engineers or the Navy He
signd a long low aerial. 1t is nearly
500 feet long and fully l20 feet wide,
forming sort of gridiron, mounted
on poles only sixty feet in helSht, IN
stead of between $50 and 2oo 1eet;
Technically il is multiple, ,uneu
antenna with several ground leaos.
Bv erecting the aerial along one side
of the field. clear open space Is
left for maneuvering the shlps.
Recent Transmission Tests
Recent transmission tests with the
new aerial have carried messages on
900 meters to Newport, X. l.. ana NOT
folk, Va, distances approNimatng
goo and ESQ miles. which indicates
excellent daytime service. Daytime
communication with the big alrshlpS
when they are cruising within about
400 miles of the station is promised.
At present vacuum transmit
set with one kilowatt in the antenha
is used and the experts believe thaI
on clear nights in winter conlfhunl
cation can be carried on with ar
craft or ships fully 1000 miles out on
the Atlantic. This will insure picking
up on the German built LR-3, on her
maiden trip TO her home port. before
she is a third of the way over. when
the R-3S made her initial transatlan-
tic cruise she was not heard from
until within about 500 miles OF Ne"
York.
built by the naval aircraft radio iao-
oratory at Anacostia, and installed at
IakehurSt by radio men from the
Philadelphia navy yard.
In addition to the new radio trans
rnitting set Lakehurst will have a
radio compass station which Will en-
able the dirisibles to determine their
positions in the air within a radius
of two hundred miles. and locate the
field when returning from a cruise IN
darkness or in dense fogs. Radio
equipment for the big rigid ships has
derstood that as plenty of room VIII
be available for engine e-driven gener-
ators producing great transmitting
power. very long range set can be
Installed. and il is hoped that both
radio telegraph and telephone com
munication can be carried on up to
800 and 1000 miles respectively.
Army Radio Plans.
Army plans for new radio sets for
their semi-rigid airships call for CEN
trail power stations which would in
clude generators geared to gasoline
engines, after the fashion in which
a magnetic is driven, but never before
attempted. The French tried out belt
driven electrical generators. but with
little success. However. representa-
tives.of the Air Service Engine eering
Department at McCook Field expect
TO develop. a central power plant
that will give sufficient power for
putting u XIV. in the antenna and
also power for lighting. heat and
electrical control work.
The Army Air Service plans to use
the new Signal Corps set 135. COM
bining radiophone and telegraph cir
cults good for distances up to rs
The range will be greater than is
planned for the big Martin Bombers.
however. as better facilities for
erecting aerials are available on air
ships than on planes. one method
considered Is to install the antenna
within the envelope: another is to
suspend 1t below the ship. drawing 1t
up upon landing: while a third con-
templates hanging the wires of the
aerial along the sides and over the
top of the ship. Experiments will
determine which of these methods is
the most efficient.
Naval radio experts are loath to
reveal their definite plans for the
radio equipment of the ZR ships, but
1t is said that they may parallel the
-Army's ideas. although their ships
will be about twice the size of the
largest Army semi-rigids now plan
+ ned. giving them more latitude and
more room for equipment.