MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 5

MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

\-v. .__—»___■. ■■ .-,;. ~ '. -,- AN ITALIAN■■TRIAL."' (By Tclcirapb.—Press Aaaociiilloo.-OoDyrlEht.i (Reo. September 17, 10.50 p.m.) ' ; : -.-' -■-', Rome, September' ; l7. - An Italian military. airship mado an ascent at Bracciano, about twenty' miles north-west of Rome. • Tho balloon was two and a half hours aloft, and made its way:'along tho' sea-board towards Civita Veccliia! It then returned to Bracciano at an average speed of 30 kilometres (about 18 miles) an hour. . . . ; GERMAN AUTHORITIES SCEPTICAL. ' ;, •'-.■ London, September 16. correspondent states that the airshjp Gross (semi-rigid) was a succeea at the German military manoeuvres. The Kaiser has now inyited_ Count Zeppelin to bring his airship (rigid type).- ..■•'• ■■■; :.: ', l '.'.-. , Berlin, Septembor 16. Despite the Kaiser's opinion, the German military authorities are sceptical as to the yaluo of Count Zeppelin's airship. '' ,'■ They consider that airships aro still in tho experimentaj stage, though Germany is "ahead of other countries. ' -~.'/ . . . GERMAN AND FRENCH TYPES. ' -Count Zeppelin's balloon bns a rigid aluniiniura frameworlt, and is divided with aluminium partitions into a number of separate small balloons. ' ..-•'■.; Major Parsevol's Gorman military airship is non-rigid. Major Gross's airship 13 semirigid, as the gas-onvolopo is supported' by tubular steel tframes secured to a concave sheot of aluminium in, the interior of the balloon. There aro two propel{ers, oaeji"' driven by: an engine of 7? U -P- ' . :. The French military airship Eepnbliqiio (which was reported yesterday to bo makiiig ilijjhts in connection with tho French orinjmanoeuvres, andvdropping statf messnges) has fixed vertical and horizontal planes to maintain'its balance and two propellers. It carries a crow of four. The highest speed that it . has.attained in calm weathor is 25 miles an , hour... ■ .■•.-■