Evening star., 1928-10-21

Of fuel and otherwise. The capacity
of its giant gas bags is 3,500,000 cubic
feet. Great Britain is building two air.
ships which will have a capacity of
100000 cubic feet each. Patriotic Amer
leans need not fear that the United
States is tagging in this development,
for the Navy Department, by authority
of Congress, has awarded contracts for
the construction of two rigid airships
with gas capacity of 6,500,000 cubic
feet Until these have been completed,
the Los Angeles, which originally was a
younger sister of the present Graf
Zeppelin, remains the largest heavier
than-air craft flying the American flag,
its gas containers holding 2,5o0,000
cubic feet.
Whatever may remain to be done
before rigid airships assume regular
schedules in world transportation, there
is no doubt they have an immense
value in stimulating interest in av1a-
ton and are excellent advertising me-
dia. So true is this that nations rated
as first class will be compelled to enter
this field to maintain national pres
tige The two British airShipS under
construction are destined for service
between England and India and Eng
land and Africa. Naturally they will
serve as excellent propaganda 1or the
greatness of the British Empire.
The advance of aviation is remarkable.
It is not yet quite 25 years since the
Wright brothers made their famous
flight in a heavier-than-ai machine at
Kitty Hawk. The United States is pre-
pairing to celebrate that event, for Prest-
dent Coolidge has issued invitations TO
some so nations of the world to attend
an International Civil Aeronautics Con-
ference in December. At that time
there will be three days meeting In
Washington preceded by an aeronautics
exhibition to be held In Chicago and
followed by a pilgrimage to Kitty Hawk
on December II.
There is little doubt that aviation is
coming back to this country as
leader There are more than so COM
panies engaged in the manufacture OF
airplanes in the United States. Their
output is In excess of what can be
absorbed by this country, even on the
tide of increasing interest in aeronautics,
and special attention is being given to
the export market.
X X
Thanks to the round-the-world flight
of the Army aviators, the dramatic solo
fight of Lin0bergh and his subsequent
good will tour, and to the accomplish
ments of other American aviatorS, the
eyes of other nations, particularly those
to the south, have turned toward the
United States as the source of supply
for airplanes. In the first six months
of this year the number of airplanes
exported exceeded the total number for
the IL months of 1927. The export field
is important to any country yearning
G~ws H.. ala d. In VnrN hAAn
helps assure factory capacity.
1t may be that the production of
lighter-than-a machines will be stimu-
lated in this country by the success
of the westward voyage of the Graf
Zeppelin Rear Admiral William A.
Moffatt, chief of the Bureau of Aero
nautics of the Navy, foreSees the time
when experience and improved terminal
facilities will make it possible for rigid
airships to run on practically regular
schedules even in bad weather. His
glimpse of the future of this type of
aviation in the United States was eX-
pressed In these words:
THE Navy, by constructing the two
$500, 000-cubic-foot airships, will make
it practicable for commercial inter-
ests to carry on this new and important
means Of transportation and communi-
cation by building others like them"
No lighter -than-air machines now
operate commercially on regular sched-
ule. The number of lines transporting
passengers and freight with heavier
than-air planes Is large, and growing,
nearly $4,000 miles being covered al
ready. German lines are most numer-
Gus; the American lines cover $4,000
miles. Nearly all the foreign companies
enjoy government subsidiaries, ranging
from so to 95 per cent of their operat-
ing expenses-a factor to be considered
in gauging comparative growth of such
services, for the American lines exist
solely upon private capital.
Copyright, 1920