BRITISH AIRSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 243, 14 October 1929, Page 7

BRITISH AIRSHIP.

PREPARING FOR TEST. RlOl Taken From Hangar, Moored To Mast. A THING OF BEAUTY. (Australian Tress Assn.—United Scrvice.) LONDON, October 13. At daybreak yesterday 400 men took the new airship RlOl from her hangar at Cardington and safely affixed her to the mooring mast. The great dirigible made a perfect emergence. She looked'slate-grey in the early dawn, but was transformed into shimmering silver when the sun rose. The mooring crew pulled her a mile to the mooring mast. A cable was attached and then tons of ballast were dropped. The airship rose to the summit of the mast and swung prettily in the breeze amid the cheers of 5000 spectators. The first to go on board was the j designer of the ElOl, Lieutenant-Colonel Richardson. He was followed by AirMarshal Sir J. F. Higgins. Colonel Richardson sent a message faying he was delighted with the ease w-ith which the dirigible was handled compared with the difficulties of handling the old R3S. Fuel lines were run out and the loadin;,' process was begun in preparation for engine tests in the afternoon. All the fittings will be tested in the next two days, after which there will be short trial flights, then the public christening. Criticisms Answered. Recent criticisms of airship construction and delay in the trials were referred to on Thursday evening in a speech at Hull by the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Thomson. He recalled the wonderful achievement of the German airship Graf Zeppelin, which' one morning was in the centre of Europe and four days six hours later had reached the furthermast point in Asia. If Britain had decided to imitate that achievement tr.o British airships could have been provided years ago. The two new airships now completed, however, were the first passenger dirigibles built for that purpose in these islands. They contained many new ideas, and the idea of safety first had been followed. All previous British airships had been war machines. It was not the strength of the wind that had delayed the launching of the RlOl, but its direction. They' wished to proceed patiently. Airships needed more courage, more faith and more varied knowledge than any other form of transportation.

HER MAIDEN FLIGHT,

(Bdtish Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 13. It is expected that the new British airtihip RlOl, which has been moored to the mooring mast at Cardington since yesterday morning, will make her maiden flight to-morrow.