Evening star., 1928-04-01
NAVY PLANS CHEER
A|RSH|P BOOSTERS
Construction of Two Huge
DirigibIes Hailed as Great
Stimulus to Aviation.

When the Senate passes tne navy
hill with Its 100000 clause calling for
initial construction work on two giant
raid airships. each of which is nearly
thrne times as large as the Los Angeles
the cornerstone Of an airShip industry
In the United States viii be laid and the
American people will have been placed
on. record as believing in the value oi
these leviathars of the air as mllltarS
weanons, and as tranSoceanic Vehlcies
With great possibilities.
This is the opinion of little group
Of "airShip people" in washington,
whose faith in rigid airshlps was m nmoe
shaken with the disaster that beteli the
shenandoah. the only rigid airSnlp
ever built in this country, and wno
visia-. giant air liners sailing with me
feet and making regular ScheouIeu
crossings of the ocean with a oeelee
of speed, comfort and pleasure tlat can :
not he obtained on the greyhounos tna'
p,y the Atlantic today.
The rigid-arship interest IN tnis
country. in the main. is centereo IN vac
Navy which by agreement with the
A~r,y ts charged With developing
rrhter-than-air craft. The Army has
xrecialized on non-rigid and seml-
~tri6 shins. Before the Shenandoah was
hn;if ali knowledge of these craft hao
~ ne obtained from abroad. Since the
crash of that first American proouc'
enS since the acquisition of the Ger"
,,,sn.h1ilt Los Angeles. Naval constroc-
finn officers and airship students ana
r,Iots have obtained valuable Encwledse
Which has had its reaction in the neeo
ef the Navy for two 6.5ooooo CUBIC lee'
rigid airships.
Strength Increased.
These enormous sky liners. so lar
nc technical knowledge runs TO-DAY, are
the last word in lighter -than-aH con.
str1,ction. The Shenandoah presented
the more slender shape OF carrier oe-
stens while the new ships VIII follow
somewhat further along the lines OF the
Tos Angeles in increased girth ana VIII
he somewhat bulRier. This VIII give III
creased longitudinal strength.
The Shenandoah was 6so Ieet iohs'
but the new ships, while muen larger
will be only about 100 feet longer anu
Ynay easily be housed in the LaKenurst
hangar. The projected rigids VIII nave
fhe control car built into the keel. as
In the Los Angeles. and will be further
s+reauaIineC TO lessen air resistance. the
Shenandoan's car was suspended os
struts and the heaviest loss OF lie oc-
Cured in this car when 1t was torn
loose from the keel.
further advance will be embodied In
the new airships with respect to the
power cars. which are suspended out
side in the earlier types. Ine new
power cars win be housed in the frame-
uork with only the propellors exposed.
For military purposes, the new al :
shins viii be accorded greater self-de-
fense from attack. Machine guns or
Tight artillery viii be In the nose. In the
control car. atop the framework, above
the control car. in the upper and lower
vertical fms of the tail, on the sides OF
the long body and in the extreme end OF
the vessel.
The protected ships would be driven
hv engines of 4.80o horsepower and
would have a speed Of 90 miles an hour.
They could fy from 5000 TO 5000 miles
with full load without refueling.
Multiple CeIl System.
Other notable advances over the pres
ert existing airsh.ps would be embodied
in the form Of construction with the
view Of making it absolutely storm proof.
II would include such principles OF
proved value as one cover Tor retention
Of the valuable lifting gas and second
independent weatherproof and fireprooi
outer cover. 10 form fair surface. with
@ stress-taking metal framework be-
tween ihe two. This arrangement OF
dividing the functions has the advan-
tage that in case of damage, one struc--
t1iraI part may temporarily take care OF
the functions Of another.
Other principles are the multiple cell
system. which allows the damage or de-
fatson of two gas cells without decreas-
ing strength below limits of safety, and
the interior Of ship, accessible 10 quick
srepstfs. due 70 the double-cover system,
without appreciable loss of lifting gas.
To these important safety factors Of the
past have been added others with the
DEVELOPMENT Of the art Of design. The
most important improvement is the
substitution Of double or triple keel
for the former single keel. giving a
great increase in longitudinal strength.
Then there is new type Of transverse
or ring girders 50 gturdily built that
even the failure of part Of the hun
would rot endangcr the ship. II is this
added ruqgednese that permits the en-
gsne cars 10 be placed inside the ship.
The glrcerg are SO designed TO increase
still further accessibility Of the ship 70
inspection and repair, an important
factor in safety.
Despite the alleged laelpIessness OF a
big rigid ssrgilip from feet Of swift
moving. neayiiy~arrned planes. the air
snip has many military uses, IN the
opinion ot It's supporters. Airships have
been used In but one war, principally
b. Germany. and the average person Is
apt to think Of Zeppelin ships in terms
Of the London raids. The effect Of
these raids was largely discounted al
the time. but IL is generally conceded
ssnce that they had rather substantial
results.
Slowed Up War Work.
They handicapped and delayed the
manufacture and shipment of war ma
terial, since lights were turned of and
trafSc stopped over a considerable area
curing the 24-4S-i9oar period of raid, .
declares the Coodyear-Zeppelin Co. of
Akron. whose design for the airshipa
has been accepted By the Navy. Also
they served 10 hold In England for home
cefesase thousands of soldiers and guns
which otherwise might have turned the
tide ~ battle in France. However, these
raids. while spectacular, made up only
a5oa1t 10 per cent 3Of the actual aetln~
tses of the airghips Their main Use
vas In scouting and reconnaissance
with the feet with an average number
Of IL ~ IS ZepDelins in commission
most Of the time.
The alyshtps maintained patfo
over practically the whole Of the Eortu
fra and the Baltic throughout the war
making ii almost impossible for the
British Navy ~ make sny movement oi
ma goY importance without being Oh
served ard helping keep the German
eo2sg free from attack and invasion
W1ie po9f Visibility at the battle 81