The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-14
BRITAIN GIVES
GIANT OF AIR
FIRST TESTS
Worlds Largest Liner OF
Sky EmbodieS Many
Startling Changes.
LAST WORD IN LUXURY
Hydrogen Used as Lifting
Gas; Frame Made of
Steel Tubing.
By Science Serrice

BY Science SeTCtce
LONDON, Oct. 1.-the worlds
largest airship, the R-101, built for
service on the England-India air
route by British governmental engi-
neerS, now undergoing tests, is a
novel craft in structure, material,
engines and other details. First Of
Britains rigid lighter than-air craft
to take the air since the ships
planned or started in wartime, the
R-101 in her tests and first long
voyages will be watched by aero~
nautical engineers the world over.
Although some fifty feet shorter
than the woodworking German air.
ship, the Graf Zeppelin, the R-l0i
is 100 feet in diameter, just thirty
feet larger in waist measure than
the Graf. It's lifting gas displace-
ment is 100000 cubic feet as COM
pared with the $4,000 cubic feet
of the Graf Zeppelin. The Los An
geles, the German-built airship OF
the United States navy, is just a
million cubic feet capacity smaller
than the Graf Zeppelin.
The R-101 is sister in size to the
other British airship, the R-100,
now nearly ready for flight Where-
as the R-101 is government-built,
the R-100 is the product of the ARR
ship Guarantee Company, a private
firm that is building for the govern
ment. Slightly fatter and some
f1fty-fve feet longer than both the
R-101 and the R-100 are the two
United States navy airships that
shortly will be laid down at Akron,
O., and finished several years hence.
Steel Tubing in Frame
Whereas all other airships built,
even the R-100, rely on an alumni
mum alloy, duralumin, as the mate
rial for the structural members that
form the frame of the airshiA the
R-101 principal frames are maNaaof
stainless steel tubing, looking L &ch
like the frame of an ordinary bicycle.
Aluminium alloy is used for minor
structural members that support gas
bags, walkwayS and cabins.
The whole of the two-deck pas
senger cabins, with dining, sleeping
and recreational accommodations
for 100, is contained within the hull,
to reduce the air resistance that
would be caused by car slung be-
low the great cigar-shaped Struc-
ture. In this construction detail the
R-101 anticipates the new United
States navy airship designs.
Hydrogen is the lifting gas used In
the R-101, since America has q mo-
nopoly on the non-inflammable
helium gas that holds the Los An
geleS aloft. Although hydrogen Is
highly explosive when mixed with
air, and voyagerS on the Graf Yep
pelin were rigidly prohibited from
smoking, the R-101 is equipped with
a smoking room that would be a
credit to an ocean liner.
Special ventilating methods pre-
vent any of the dangerous hydrogen
gas, millions of feet of which are
above the smokers heads, from en-
tering the smoking compartment.
The dining room on the R-101 will
seat fifty guests. There is springy
floor in the lounge or main cabin,
designed especially for dancing.
Luxury for Passengers
About the size Of a tennis court,
the main saloon has a. balcony at
each end, with nonsplihtering glass
observation areas. The sleeping
compartments are declared to be
more luxurious than those of the
ordinary European sleeping car.
For the first time in history O
great airship is propelled by heavy
oil engines, eliminating the highly
in flammable gasoline, considered
quite as dangerous as hydrogen lift
ing gas. Five Beardmore engines,
each developing 600 horsepower,
especially designed for the R-101,
provide the motive power. These
Diesel engines, built for aircraft use,
are self-igniting by the heat Of fuel
compression, and thus sparkplugs
and their troubles are eliminated.
Since heavy oil Is used, carburetors
also are lacking. Waste heat from
the two side engines close to the
cabins and saloons, is utilized in
heating the quarters Of crew and
passengers. Fans drive air over a
radiator serving both engines and
the hot air is circulated in the living