Evening star., 1924-08-28
N73 TEST FLIGHT
PROVES SUCCESS
New DirigibIe Remains in
Air Two Hours-Leaves
Germany September 10.
ny the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
:. FRIEDRICHSH Germany.
August 2S-ZR-3, the dirigible which
Germany built for the United States
and which is soon to cross tn" ocean.
made her baptismal trip yesterday in
a pouring rain. She completed a
1wo-hour flight over Lake Con-
stance. which gave the natives and
Summer tourists a thrill and recollec-
tions of the days during the war.
when the launching Of drigible took
place every month or so.
"The ship behaved Splendidly." said
DR.. Hugo tIckner, director of the
Zeppelin Company, who was in COM
1nand, and everything worked well
excepting one of the ivc motors
which refused 10 function properly.
and as a consequence was shut off
toward the end of the flight
Americans Are Pleased.
Six Americans were aboard, and
were well satisfied. although they
did not sec much of the country be-
low, owing To the rain and mist.
The ship kept Just under clouds.
reaching an altitude Of only LOO
feet. The highest speed attained was
little more than 60 miles per hour.
DIR. Eek kener repeated:
we are we'll satisfied. She met al,
expectations. ana Is the fneSt ship
we ever built"
According to experts who examine d
the troublesome motor after the
flight, the crankshaft was broken. and
the engine must be replaced This.
IT was declared, could be quickly
remedied. and was not likely to delay
the transatlantic fight
Capt. George w. Steele, l.. S. ~ said
Il thoroughly enjoyed myself. despite
the rain. which prevented us from
gaining good view, even when we
were only 500 feet up. This was really
joyrde for all the Americans We
had absolutely nothing to do with the
navigation. as the Germans desired to
try out the ship and see if there were
any kinks anywhere"
Carries 80 Passengers.
The Americans aboard were Capt
Steele, Comdr. Garland Fulton, Lieut..
Comdr. sydney NJ. krausc. Naval
Lieut.. Kari Schmidt. Maj Frank NJ
Kennedy, Army Air Service, and Jack
folton. construction superintendent
OF the aeronautical department of the
Goodrich Rubber Company.
All told, there were 90 persons
aboard, most of them tcchnicianS who
had assisted in building the ship and
took the ride to assist in finding
faults, if any existed, in the great
40-ton machine.
In addition there were the ships'
mascot. canary for the officers and
two black crows.
While the ship was more than two
years in the building, it required less
than 10 minutes for her to take the
air after she slid out into the open
There was no cheering nor hat wav-
ing anywhere among the German
crowds assembled inside the grounds
and on the ridge of hills beyond
The aluminium coated body ap-
peared lighter than the rain clouds
overhead. as the dirigible pointed for
the lake, which she crossed, then
skirted the Swiss border, passed over
the town of Constance. came back to
Friedrichshafen and maneuvered up
and down the lake for an hour.
FINALLY she returned to her hangar
shortly before o'clock.
DR.. Eckener said after the flight
that the IRIS possibly would start
for Lakehurst, \. J.. about September
10, depending upon several other test
flights, which are yet TO be made.
The next flight probably will take
place Friday.
HELIUM SHIPPED IN.