Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-01
BRITISH D|R|G|BLE
IS MOORED AFTER
79-H0UR JOURNEY
RICO Delayed and Some
what Damaged by Storm
in First Great Test.
EXPERIENCE HELD CHIEF
Benefit FROM FLIGHT
Officers Believe Airship Is Most
Comfortable Means of
Transportation.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
ST. HUBERT AIRPORT, Montreal,
August 1.-The biggest airship the
world has ever known, the British
dirigible R-100, completed its first
transatlantic crossing today, delayed
and somewhat damaged by storm, but
completely triumphant after its first
great trial.
Three days and more ago, at 9:45,
Eastern standard time, on Monday
night, the R-100 lifted from the ground
at Cardington, England, and pointed its
blunt nose across the sea. At 4:36 am.
this morning, almost 70 hours after its
departure, it was secured to the moor
ing mast erected here especially for
its use.
1t would have made far faster
trip but stormy weather encountered
after it had crossed the ocean and was
on the last leg of its flight here ripped
the fabric covering Of one fin. The
hurt was slight and was repaired in
the air. but time was lost while the ship
was hove to over Quebec prevented a
landing before dark last night and so
no attempt was made to moor until
morning.
Oficers interviewed in the mast i'm
mediately after mooring said that the
damage was trivial and would not
necessitate any change in the ships
schedule. which calls for several flights
about Canada during the next 10 days
before it starts back across the sea
for home.
Handled With Ease.
In length the R-100 is between the
American Los Angeles and the German
Graf Zeppelin, but in g1rth and cubic
capacity it is far larger than either.
Yet is was handled in the air during
the mooring operation with as much
apparent ease as tiny blimp, and
when its nose was fast at the top OF
the mast and ropes from sides and rear
were secured to the ground 1t floated
as gently in the morning sun as a
canoe on peaceful water.
I'VE never had bump all the way
across the Atlantic Ocean and every
thing went perfectly until we got to
Father Point" said Sir Dennistoun
Burney, director of aircraft develop
ment and designer of the dirigible, as
the ship was moored.
There we ran into bad bump and
the jar tore the fabric on a stabilizing
fin. But the damage was temporarily
repaired and was negligible"
Sir Dennistoun, Maj. G. H. Scott,
assistant director of airship develop
ment; Squadron Leader r. S. Booth,
captain of the R-100, and Squadron
Leader Johnston, navigating officer,
talked of the flight as soon as the ship
was made fast.
There were still five tons of fuel left
aboard the R-100 when she hooked onto
the mast here.
Comfortable Means Of Travel.
The most valuable thing learned on
the trip, the officers believed, was that
the airship was the most comfortable
means of transportation. The course
over the North Atlantic they regarded
as the most feasible for commercial use
If larger ships are used.
ut was a very good test of the ships
ability" Sir Denristoun said. I'VE ran
into one of your thunderstorms last
night and rose to 1000 feet to get out
of it. The trip was 1854 miles from
mooring mast at Cardington to mooring
mast at st. Hubert.
The chief benefit we derived from
the trip was experience. We need long
flights to gain the experience in han
ding lighter than-air craft There was
not a movement across the Atlantic,
and the ship behaved perfectly. We
lodged to get into favorable winds once
or twice, but the air was calm.
THE most impressive thing about the
trip is this: On Monday night enter
tanned a party at dinner. We left Car
dington at GAS pm, and II we had
been lucky at the latter end of the trip.
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