THE FUTURE OF AIRSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 121, 15 February 1935, Page 10

THE FUTURE OF AIRSHIPS

It has been seriously questioned whether the airship has a future. Britain’s experience with lighter-than-air dirigibles-has been expensive and disastrous, and it' may be assumed with confidence that there is no future for them in that country. America,- despite considerable opposition, was loath to give up the airship idea after the loss of the Akron, but it is more than probable that the fate which has now overtaken her sister-ship, the Macon, will mark the end of the dirigible in that country. The one factor which sustains the supporters of the airship is the commercial success and freedom from accidents of the German Zeppelins, but even here the point to be noted is that the results apparently have not been sufficiently impressive to encourage the construction of them in greater numbers. The fact is that while development in airship construction and navigation has been halting and disappointing, the development of the aeroplane lias been little short of remarkable. Speed, range, and size have been increased to a point which has made aeroplane transport an established commercial %prcposition. The safety factor has been raised to a point higher than that of motor, rail, or sea transport. With the development of the principle of the autogiro machine, already a demonstrated success, the safety margin will be still further increased. This advance with the heavier-than-air machine has also destroyed the value of the dirigible in warfare. Against aeroplane attacks' it would be helpless. On all counts, therefore, the lighter-than-air craft has been out-classed and out-dated. With each expensive mishap confidence in its future has visibly weakened, and it would not be surprising to hear that with the loss of the Macon the'fate of the airship has been definitely sealed.