AIRSHIP SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 9, 11 July 1922, Page 7

AIRSHIP SCHEME

ADVICE OF AIR COUNCIL

VOTE OF £80,000 PER ANNUM,

(rarrro press association.—coptw<wt.)

(AUSTRALIAN - MEW ZBALASD CABLE ASSOCiATIoi".)

LONDON, 10th July.

The Daily Express , .understands,, that the Air Council is advising the Government to reconsider the decision to scrap tho airships and bases,; It considers that an Empire air service scheme based on the use of six airships, instead of Commander Burney's proposed five, would be capable of producing excellent results. The Council recommends the provision of £80,000 annually for ten years, for military craft, which, -sum, subject to certain modifications, would be allocated to the Burney scheme. Some definite result would then be achieved.:

The airship scheme submitted, to the Air Ministry some weeks.ago by r Commander Burney, in which .Messrs-. Vickers, Ltd., and the Shell Oil group were to interest themselves, was ,<it first turned, down (remarks the aviation journal Flight of 18th May), ( the reason given being that, in the view of the Government, the financial guarantees asked for too large. A modified scheme, was then submitted in which the company, if the scheme be accepted, undertook to refund to the Government certain moneys after a period of years. The latest proposal has now been considered by the ■ Air Council, and the following reply has been made by the Air Ministry :—

The Air Council have had under further consideration your latest proposals for the establishment of a commercial line of airships to India and to Australia, and I am directed to inform you that, in the opinion of the Air Council,' the scheme as now put ■ forward by you constitutes a notable advance upon any other scheme for the utilisation of airships in connection with Imperial communications which has previously been submitted to the Air Council.

They further consider that, with certain additions, given below, the scheme offers a reasonable prospect of being able to operate ships satisfactorily between India and this country, subject to definite recognition of the fact that any undertaking involving the regular use of airships as a means of communication must necessarily be of a highly speculative nature, especially from the commercial point of view. (1) The number of airships to be provided to be increased from five to six.

(2) An'airship base, complete with airship shed, and the necessary plant; to be erected in India.

The Air Council are, at this stage, unable to make any statement regarding the financial aspect of the scheme.

So far as it goes, .continues Flight, this reply from the Air Ministry is satisfactory. There still remains the financial aspect to be • studied by the Air Ministry and the Treasury. ... It seems ,possible that, if the scheme' is turned'- down- on financial grounds by the Air Ministry, the Admiralty may interest itself in it. It is well kndwn that the Admiralty "turned down" airships on financial grounds, and if this scheme could be so worked as to give the Admiralty a certain interest in the undertaking at relatively low cost, some arrangement might be reached w-hereby the Admiralty would . sponsor the scheme, or a somewhat similar one. It is, however, unlikely that the Air Ministry would like the Adssiralty to come forward and take up the "fathering" of the proposed scheme, and this fact may, conceivably, influence the Air Ministry to the extent of causing the suggestions of Commander Burney to be accepted.