The Washington times., 1924-03-21
PRED|CTSGREAT
LINERS 0E
THE AIR
Writer Describes DirigibIes to
Be Put Into Commercial
Operations Soon.
BY ERNEST l.. JONES,
FOunder-member AerOnautlcal AsgOcia-
ton, First President AeFOnautcal
Manufacturers Association and
Former Chief Of Information
Section, U. 8. Air Service.
pv C0aTnonO1ItAn

Former Chief Of Information
Section, U. 8. Air Service.
Copyright. 1924, BY Cosmopolitan
News Service)
Aerial navigation in 1850! Aerial
monsters ascending to unknown
heights and dropping down again
when the earth in its daily rotation
has reached the desired point.
Around the world in a day!
Great air lanes crowded with air.
ships and airplanes, helicopters and
whatnot, cloud advertising, balloon
lighthouses at various levels, fliv-
vers of the air scouting with pocket
engines, hooch stations at the air
limit, the earth a great park
closely dotted with golf courses and
landing fields. Well!
Aeronautics has future, and why
not? Objection was made to rail
roads. The great speed of twenty
miles an hour would be too much
for humans to stand. The automo-
bile was a curious and dangerous
monstrosity. They are still here.
Aircraft are also here.
Two Systems.
To begin with, air transportation
may be conducted under two sys-
TENS, lighter .than.air-the airship-
and heavier-than-air-th airplane.
The airship, already a monster
craft, is accepted as the long.haul
vehicle, the transoceanic and trans
continental liner of the air. The
airplane, in the main, is the craft
for the short haul. There is, too,
the possibility Of its use for excep-
tionally fast, high cost, special long
distance service.
Imagine a present.day trans-Atlan-
moving at sixty to eighty miles a
present-day airship like the Shenan-
dOah Of the United States navy or
the ZR-8 that Germany is build.
under treaty conditions, with the
possibility Of its going into the
army.
The airship is. primarily, merely
a gas balloon, elongated and fur
nished with power. Hydrogen OF
helium gas is very light. In round
figures, 1000 cubic meters of gas
lift one ton. Were the Shenandoah.
which carries closes to $4,000 cubic
meters, a commercial ship, it would
have, therefore, a gross lift of
sixty tons. In a small ship like
this-and this is small ship in
the light of today-the weight of
the hull, the engines, all equipment
approximate 40 per cent, so that
there remains thirty-six tons Of use.
full load to be carried at sixty.
eighty miles an hour. Useful load
includes fuel, passengers and
freight.
The shortest route from Chicago
to London is $500 miles, passing
over the southern end Of Labrador.
At eighty miles an hour, present.
day speed. the trip means AIS
hours. Chicago.London in two DAYS,
There are airships and airships.
Some are nonrigid like the "blimps''
OF our army and navy; Italy has
achieved measure of success with
the semi-rigid, like the late Roma.
But when we speak of airships for
passenger carrying and freight trans.
port, we mean those of the rigid
type, made famous by Zeppelin and
Shuette, of which class over 1870
successful craft have been produced
by Germany, which has outstripped
all other nations in airship construc-
ton.
Not Commercial Ship.
The Shenandoah is of the rigid
type. But the Shenandoah Is not in
tended for commercial purposes. a
generally similar ship but Of nearly
twice the gas capacity, of which a
number Is expected to soon be put
into operation by an American com.
pany, may be described. 1t will have
a gross lift of ninety-five tons. 1t
will be 752 feet long, with a maxi.
mum diameter of 96.75 feet and d
maximum height of 116 feet. Ten
engines Of 800 horsepower will give
a speed Of eighty miles an hour
From bow to stern, in the interior
Of the hull, will be a gangway by
which access is had to all parts Of
the craft. Here are housed all cleo
trio and fuel mains. cables for opera.
ton, gas valves. ballast tanks, Steer-
ing apparatus, the fuel, oil and water
ballast tanks. provisions and cargo
To the keel members Of the ship
at the bow Is fastened a long
CbA POoCCI6OI NCShs al TIC
extreme bow, in the space between
the passenger decks and the upward
curving hull, is the navigating
cabin. the brain of the airship.
where all devices Of control are
located.
The power plant is divided int"
five units, located in as many en-.
CINE cars suspended from the hull
aft of the passenger decks. Neither
noise, vibration nor smoke ca
reach the passenger. and at the
same time the best arrangement is
obtained for reduction of head re.
sistance and maximum propeller
efficiency.
Stateroom Accommodations for 100
passengers are arranged athwart.
ship. Cabins are generally used by
two persons, with an upper and
lower berth. They are SO con-
structed, however, that by a folding
wall each passenger may have his
own stateroom, a snug berth by
night. and comfortable seat by day.
Each stateroom, has it's own lavatory
with hot and cold flowing water.
folding table, electric lights and
storage for hand luggage and out.
side clothing.
The corridors are bounded on one