AIRSHIP R101

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 82, 31 December 1929, Page 9

AIRSHIP R101

STRUCTURAL CHANGE COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE OPERATION British Official Wireless. (Rec. December 30, 5.5 p.m.). Rugby, December 28. A great change is.to be made in the structure of Airship RlOl. This involves cutting the airship in two and inserting another complete bag with a gasbag of about half a million cubic feet capacity. The effect of this change will be to increase the lift of the ship by probably six tons or more, and it will also bring the total length to about 800 feet, making the airship easily the biggest yet built, with a total gas capacity of five and a half million cubic feet. It is emphasised that the operation will be a comparatively simple one. Each main frame and the longitudinal girders of the ship are held together by split joints, and to put in an extra bag all that will be necessary, broadly speaking, will be to uncouple the girders at a point of division, hoist up into position a new ring with its gasbag and set of girders, and then recouple with each end of the new section. Naturally, the extra bag will be placed somewhere about the point of greatest girth, and it is calculated that this will have next to no effect upon the streamline shape nor will it increase the drag to any appreciable extent. ABILITY TO FLY TO INDIA London, December 29. The work of enlarging the gasbag accommodation of the airship RlOl has been commenced, and will occupy three months. It is calculated that the useful load capacity will be increased by ten tons. Any doubts whether the vessel will be capable of going to India are now removed.