The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-06
POPULARITY OF
,GRAFZEPPELIN
AID TO AIRSHIP
Lighter.Than.Air Craft Bids
for Air Traffic Monopolized
by Planes
DEVELOPMENT SPEEDED
England and United States
Building Huge Air Liners
for Future Service

Washington, Oct. 6.-(AP)-The
lighter:-than-air craft stands on the
threshold Of making it's boldest bid
for a share Of air traffic now well
monopolized by heavier than-air
machines.
The projected transatlantic flight
Of the Graf Zeppelin, Germany
newest and so far the world
greatest completed dirigible, is seen
Is the opening wedge-provided the
flight is successful. In the mean
time, developments in the industry,
particularly abroad, are going ahead
at high speed. :.
In England the RICO and the R.
1O1, two larger airships, are being
rushed to completion in the hope
that they may be the forerunners Of
a long distance dependable air liner
service that eventually will extend
ITO important ports Of both hemi.
spheres.
In this country, navy plans call
for construction of two of the larg-
est craft Of the kind ever built,
They with the Los Angeles, which
was built by Germany for the United
States and flown here in 1924, will
give this country two rigid scout
cruisers of the air and an expert
mental ship.
War Stopped Building
After the world war, Germany
was prevented by the treaty Of
Versailles from building rigid air.
ships for war purposes, and after
that country had delivered the Los
Angeles to the United States and a
required number of similar ships
to other allied countries, virtually
all development in this type Of craft
ceased. Interest also suffered be-
cause of disaster to the only rigid
airship ever built in this country,
the Shenandoah, in 1926, the myster-
ious loss of the German-built,
French-owned Dixmude in the Med
iterranean sea, and the explosion Of
the British R-38.
Many notable flights were made
during the world war by German
zeppelins and similar craft con-
structed by the Schultz Hanz group.
After the war the British R-33 flew
to this country and back to England
without mishap and several years
later, in 1924, the Los Angeles flew
from Friedrichshaven to the naval
Dir station at Lakehurst, N. j. But
interest diminished to such a point
that the Los Angeles was the only
rigid airship in the world.
KnANarlAA~A ~ khA oAs@,4 @$
the vessels appeared to have suf-
fered, but it was through the ex-
perimental work with the Los An
geles, directed by Rear Admiral w.
A. Moffett, chief of the naval bu-
reau Of aeronautics, Comm. Garland
Fulton. head Of the navy's lighter
than-air-craft division, skipper of
the craft, that this was preserved
to the world.
Lessons Learned
Many lessons were learned from
both the Shenandoah and Los An
geles, and working with the Good
year-Zeppelin company authorities
of Akron, O., the navy has eradi-
Gated many old problems and made
many improvements in the specifi-
cations for the two new airships.
The Graf Zeppelin, with the ex-
ception that it has q capacity Of
$780, 900 cubic feet compared to e.
100000 Of the Los Angeles, more
lifting power, speed, passenger ac-
commodations, and uses special fuel.
is built along the same lines.
Named for Count Zeppelin, the
inventor, it will make two trips to
this country before Christmas, ac-
cording to plans announced in Ger
many by DR.. Hugo Eckener, builder,
after which she is destined for serv-
ice to Spain and South America.