The Washington times., 1923-04-01
j. s, WILL USE
DIR|G|BLES To
| CARRY PLANES
Smaller Craft Can Be Launch
ed and Landed in Air BY
Giant Ships, Tests Show
EFFECTIVE IN WARFARE
Provides Great Offensive or
Defensive Weapon in Case
of Another Great Conflict
BY Universal Service.

The long feud between filters
on the merit of dirigibles came to a
halt yesterday with the announce
nent that the great leviathans
of the air are to be used as air
plane carriers.
Even before the navy completes
It's first heavy tonnage airplane
carrier, one of the converted bat
tie cruisers discarded by the arms
conference, the newer act of war
has perfected a ship of equal size
and greater speed that is to
launch and land the more danger
Gus wasps, the pursuit and bomb
ing planes.
MAKING TESTS NOW.
Experiments just completed and
made public yesterday reveal that
the semi-dirigible being tested at
Dayton is, in fact, an airplane car
rier. This ship, however, is a dwarf
ascompared with the one being COM
pieted at Lakehurst, n. j., and one
to be delivered this summer from
Germany. ..stz
1T is only 190 feetlong, while the
two to come will measure over 500
feet. with corresponding lifting
power and cruising radius.
But this 190-foot gas bag, while
flying at amazing attitudes is en-
abled to launch planes and take
them back safely when they return
from an expedition. Experiments
Just conducted have shown that a
system Of hooks with elastic recoils
viii grasp rings made into the
wings OF planes and hold them safe
ze14V s.lexS Ill a.. - -
ayerage-Sized planes.
As the dirigible itself makes sixty
miles an hour without great diff
Guilty, . sufficient take-off speed
for any airplane, it is only neces-
1arY to start the motors on the
planes and release them from the
hooks. They will thus be enabled to
begin an offensive operation likely
TO reduce any city to ashes, or
shower it with gas bombs. or act as
. protection to the mother ship in
case of attack.
This new development in aviation,
experts here declare, makes it GER
tain that In the next war battle
in the air OF proportions OF the.
Jutland engagement in the war
with Germany will take place.
: The French already are making
long strides in this direction and
are paying particular attention to
the landing of planes in this way.
Confidential reports to the War
Department say. that they have ar
ranged a system of drag ropes,
sand bags, and elastics by which
they can land plane in q distance
and manner that cannot be done on
the improvised American plane car
rfer, the Langley. The Langley was
formerly a collier.
FRENCH BUILD SHIPS.
The French also are building
and acquiring from the Germans
q number Of the Zeppelin type of
airships
America, however, will have two
or the great air dreadnaughts in
commission this summer. The first
IN about completed at Lakehurst,
and by the time preliminary tests
are made on this the German Yep.
pelin viii have been delivered.
The Lakehurst ship, which is to
be turned over to the navy, is
scheduled to make a trip around
the world, via the Poles. This new
development viii not interfere with
this plan except that preliminary
experiments will be made, and If
proved. she viii carry, hanging to
her wholesome undersides, a mum.
Der OF infants, the various types Of
planes.
The great Zeppelin, believed now
70 be superior type to the one at
Lakehurst, which was to be a
companion with the American-buiIt
craft on the remarkable Journey
into the frozen North, will be kept
behind and converted into q plane
carrier, 1t was learned. Then
should any mishap befaII her sister
chip she will be sent to the rescue