Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
Comfortable social hall OF Graf Zeppelin.

rate gas cells within the structure
Engines are carried in several external
| cars. Corridors run through the inside
of the main hull and contain the crews
| quarters, fuel, etc. The Los Angeles
is the only type Of rigid airship in
America at present. The new German
| ship To come here soon Is of this type,
as will be the two airships the United
| States Navy hopes to build In the near
| future.
| Semi-rigid airships strike a happy
medium according TO the Italian ex
| perts. They are a compromise between
the rigid and non-rigid types and are
I the favorites in Italy. The Norge.
which few over the North Pole in 1926,
and the Inflated Italia were semi
| rigid ships
Looking into the future. prospects
| for development seem brighter for the
rigid airshipS than for either of the two
other types. for. experts tell us. the
~fgid ship Is the only aircraft which is
truly habitable. Ships of five or six
million cubic feet volume may stay in
the air week and so half way around
the world without refueling, whereas
those of smaller types must call at the
fueling bases frequently.
Spacious accommodations can be pro-
vided for passengers in the rigid air
ship which 1t would be impossible to
duplicate in Semi-rigid or non-rigid
craft.
In considering the future of any
new project, machine. or device. the
question of accident hazard naturally
comes to mind as one Of the foremost
factors in its success or failure.
Germany. with the great advantage
over other countries Of slow but steady
HayalnnfaAyNf Of hn FtnfA o{v ~ A.a
ginning with Count Zeppelin'S first of
that type, III 1900. and eliminating
with the new Graf Zepplin of 1928,
the i27th ship of the Zepplin Co. has
had q negligible accident factor in its
progress, In Germany. passenger carry
ing airships of the rigid Zeppelin type
have carried $4,000 passengers without
accident To a single person. In the
other countries, whore the total num-
Der of airshipS produced So far could
be counted on the fingers of two hands,
the records are less enviable. In our
own Army and Navy. the present slow
rate OF progress is no doubt largely due
to the tragic losses of the R-SS, the
Roma and the Shenandoah.
= =
THE causes Of all these disasters have
been traced and their lessons well
studied and learned, however. SO that
the operation of airshipS may progress
in accordance with true wisdom, which.
as Napoleon once remarked, consists In
not making the same mistake twice.
One of the greatest lessons learned SO
FAR was that concerning our dangerous
" shifting air currents in America.
learned from the Shenandoah, which,
though stronger than the successful
German ships of her type. yet failed IN
her supreme test. Studying this. experts
learned that more sudden and violent
changes Of wind may be encountered In
America within the four seasons Than
III years OF continuous service OF many
airships In Europe
Systematic studies of these meteoro-
logical conditions are now bearing fruit
in this country, and profting by the les
sons learned. our Navy Is designing its
new airshipS TO be relatively more than
twice as strong as the earlier types.
The new liner preparing for her
maiden transoeeanle voyage, II Is I'M
derStood, also Is built TO meet the more
rigorous aerologieal conditions OF this
side the Atlantic.