Evening star., 1923-07-29
BY GEORGE III. DACY.

TN few weeks now all Washing
ton will have the opportunity to
see and inspect the famous ZR-1.
the first rigid airship ever built
in America-a skyland vehicle that
cost 81, 100000 and was two years in
the building. 1t is at the mammoth
Lakehurst, y. j.. hangar of the
United States Navy. During the
early autumn II will be hown to
every large city in the country for
exhibition purposes and in order that
the personnel may be sufficiently
trained for a special flight TO the
north pole that viii be made later.
So enormous in length and beam
that she could not be crowded into
the United States Capitol, the ZR-1
will be queen of the air in America
and largely on her success depends
the future of long distance CONNER
cial aviation in this country.
The possibilities of transcontinen-
tai systems of transportation are al
most entirely dependent on the per-
fection of the rigid type of aircraft
construction and its adoption Tor
such purposes. Hence the trial trips
and marathon endurance tests of the
lZR-l will be epochal in the annals
Of American aviation.
To prevent any repetition of the
appalling disaster which overlook the
ill-fated ZR-2 the monstrous air
ship that Uncle Sam purchased from
the British, and which crashed dur
;al ri N nh--th6
naval authorities have exercised
every precaution known to the world
Of modern mechanics in the construc-
ton of the ZR-1. Every piece OF ma
terial that has been used in building
the huge cloud boat has been pains
takingly tested for strength ana en-
dursnce. Science has been recruited
In a thousand different ways to pro-
duce curious testing machinery and
methods which would duplicate the
service stresses and strains to which
the component parts OF the great
shin would be exposed. When the
IZR-1 initially leaves the Lakehurst
hangar she will be certified craft
that has been more thoroughly IN
spected and scrutinized by the lead
ing experts of the aeronautical IN
dustry than any other mechanlcai
invention that ever left the shop
or factory of Its inception.
-EGINNING the first week in Au-
Is gust, the superb mistress OF our
,nper air will be subjected to compre-
bensiye shed tests designed 20 locate
.nv last and latent errors, defects or
sources of weakness in her eonstruc-
ton. In the spacious hangar at Lake.
hurst, which is SO enormous tha' d
number of games of base bali couiu
he played simultaneously WITHIN ehe
hu,Iding. the ZR-1, manned by her
,u,, crew Of thirty men and ofhcers,
with her engines running at normal
| .need will be exposed to every serV-
| ,ca condition and exigency whose
ba.ards can possibly be simulated In
that limited indoor testing place.
s.y.raI hundred men have been as
seubled and have been trained care
ru,,v in the manipulation OF the
.rv scores of ropes that will anchor
,h. .h,n during these novel tests and
90, .,lov her some freedom of opera
lt,or The ship will be run nose up.
nose down or inclined on her left or
r;rht side and in every possible posi-
tion which she might assume during
an aerial journey.
Berinning about tho FIRST OF Sep
tember, the ZR-i will inaugurate her
Initial flights in the neighborhocd OF
jIakehurst. Gradually the length and
altitude Of these test trips. will be
attended until ultimately the air
ship visits every large city in the
United States.
pursng the fall months-if all goes
weli-a, special polar flight will be
made from Nome. Alaska, to the
north pole to solve many Of the
mysteries Of the Arctic circle, which
still remain to baff1e the exponents
of meteorological and geographical
science. The existence or non-exist-
ence of certain islands and bodies OF
lland in the latitude OF the north pole
that are now suspected may be def
lniteIy determined. Invaluable data
IconcerninE the influence Of the polar
tregions on the climate Of the middle