Evening star., 1934-03-26
ZEPPELIN SAVED
F0REXPER|MENTS
Los Angeles Will Be Used
for Tests, but Will Not
Be Flown.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star,
AKRON, Ohio, March 26-The
staunch old Los Angeles, first Ameri-
can-owned Zeppelin, is not going to
be scrapped.
There is a much kinder and more
sensible fate in store for her than
that, according to high Goodyear
Zeppelin officials.
An announcement was made some
time ago that the historic ship. which
had had an outstanding career ever
since her transoceanic delivery flight
from Germany in October, 1924, had
been condemned by the Navy Depart
ment as no longer air worthy.
DR.. Karl Arnstein, who loved her as
the last ship he had built in the
Fatherland; Harry Vissering, the man
who had persuaded President Harding
to press claims for her as repara-
tions ship, and Comdr. G. E. Rosen-
dahl, who spent many hours aboard
her, in his training in llghter-than-
air, and many other aviation enthu-
siasts, mourned the fact that this
great airship was to he destroyed.
Movement Started.
Meanwhile, however, wheels were
being quietly set in motion in Wash
ington. to prevent the destruction OF
the ship and to make Of her instead,
a valuable asset to lighter-than-a
development.
Members of the Bureau of Aero
nautics, under the leadership Of
Admiral Standley, chief of naval
operations. conferred with scientists
from all over the country, with the
resulting decision that the Los An
geles would be used as testing ship
on which experiments and improve
ments could be tried, and stresses
and strains studied.
Such men as DR.. Robert Millikan
of the California Institute OF Tech
nology, DR.. Theodore Won Karman,
head of the Guggenheim AirShip In
stitute, and many others of like
how to get such scientific knowledge
out Of the old Los Angeles as possible.
Tests at Lakehurst.
Plans have been submitted by these
men, with suggestions OF different
tests which can be made on the ship
and costs of these tests. The tests
will all be made in the hangar at
the Lakehurst Naval Air Station or
mast there.
"She will not again be taken into
the air." authorities state.
when all of the plans have been
submitted to Admiral Standley and
the type of work decided upon, then
the tests will be begun" they said.
If the ship is eventually destroyed
in the carrying out of these tests, she
has at least served a noble purpose
in her old age"
The fact that the U. S. S. Macon
had many Improvements over the U.
S. S. Akron, and that the new Ger
man ship is incorporating features
not used in the Graf Zeppelin, proves
that airship builders realize there is
still much to learn about these great
airlinerS.
And there is no better place to
learn about a ship than aboard the
ship itself. The Los Angeles will be-
come the first lighter-than-air ship
laboratory in the world.
Rear Admiral Ernest j. King, chief
of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy
Department, said that he has sent
out letters to everyone connected with
lighter -than-air building or develop
ment, and to units of the Navy, ask
ing what character of tests might best
be made. The bureau desires to know
what tests will be most useful in the
development of lighter-than-air craft.
The admiral declared the tests may
go forward as long as five years, with
the Los Angeles moored to the high
mast and in the hangar, but she will
not fly free. Experimental and de-
velopment tests will be conducted to
get the most value out of the veteran
airship, which, the admiral declared,
will now finish out her career in use
full fashion, rather than being
scrapped. Secretary Claude A. Swan
son has approved the holding OF tests,
Admiral King said, as has Admiral
Standley.