Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERTON.

hams mas IlOC Vic UdCheLOuAlN Va
applied experience which simplify
the conventional airplane. 1t Is
the result of pioneering. That
minor difficulties should arise
during the trials need surprise no
one. Their most serious feature
Is that they result in the consunl-
ing of precious time.
If AL Williams Is able to fly In
the Schneider Americans may rest
content on the assurance they
could have no more worthy rep
resentative. Whatever may be the
result, it will reflect the best ef-
forts of one of the country's most
able, resourceful and courageous
airmen.
The world cruise of the Graf
Zeppelin, which began at Lake
hurst, N. j., August Z, marks the,
beginning of period of dirigible
construction exceeding even the
World War days, when Germany
turned out scores of the great
craft for the military service.
Dirigible engineers OF the
United States, Great Britain,
Spain, France and Germany have
planned and are building new
Ships. Some of them will carry
three times the number of pas
sengerS CARED by the Graf Yep
pelin when it left LakehurSt. AS
a result of their planning, accord
in to Hugh Allen. American repre-
sentative of the Graf Zeppelin Co..
the world in 1881 or 1882 may look
upon the following accomplish
ments as only part of the progress
of the day:
A Zeppelin passenger. 80 min
utes late for the take-off of a
dirigible upon which he has booked
passage, will board an airplane.
fly to a miniature hangar aboard
the dirigible and take his place
among the passengers aboard.
Dirigible of Tomorrow.
The dirigible of tomorrow will
be comparable in comforts and
accommodations to a hotel of so
rooms, with elevator service be-
tween companionways, glass-en-
closed promenades and open-air
sun decks.
The United States now is build
ing two great naval dirigibles
twice the size of the Graf Yep
pelfn, and several alternate types
of commercial dirigibles of the
same size are planned. These
ships all are to be built by the
Goodyear Zeppelin works at
Akron, Ohio, under direction of
DR.. Karl ArnStein, builder of the
Navy dirigible Los Angeles and 69
other German Zeppelins. who came
to America five years ago with a
transfer of patent rights to this
country, bringing group OF ex-
pert engineers with him.
Sixty, eighty or one hundred
passengers can be accommodated
on the projected passenger ships
for American commercial service.
depending upon the distance to
be flown.
These American giants will be
four city blocks in length and
from keel to top will be as high as
a History building. The two Navy
ships of this size are to be COM
pleted at Akron during the next
three years, fabrication of the
commercial ships proceeding prob
ably while they are in the con-
Struction hangar now nearing
completion at the Goodyear plant.
Passengers in the American
dirigibleS will be carried within
the hull Of the ship itself rather
than in a gondola beneath the
hull as In the case of the Graf.
Whereas the Graf Zeppelin has a
single keel, which is used also as
a crew "catwalk" the length Of
the ship, the American dirigibles
will have three such keels, one in
the usual position at the bottom
of the ship and the other two at
As degrees above on each side. An
elevator will connect the COM
panionways.
Externally the American ships,
represented by the two Navy
dirigibles now under construc-
ton. will differ considerably from
the Graf Zeppelin. They will be
of much greater girth and less
slender in proportion to length
and the hull will not be diSfigured
by external cabins or engine gon-
dolas. The motors will be carried
inside the hull, with only the
propellers projecting.
The cleaner design will result
in better speed and it is estimated
that the Navy dirigibles, despite
their tremendous size, will have
a TOP speed of IS miles per hour.
Although the Graf Zeppelin is
the largest craft in the air today
she soon will be eclipsed. The
British R-100. now nearing COM
pletion, will have a lifting gas
capacity of 5.157000 cubic feet as
against the Crafts 3,708,000 cubic
feet. The naval ships now under
construction at Akron will have a
| canacitv of $500. 600 cubic feet.