LEAD TO THE WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 20

LEAD TO THE WORLD

BRITAIN'S NEW AIRSHIP A FUELLING TRIUMPH (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, October 18. Mr Thomson (Air Minister), speaking before the of Mechanical Engineers last night, said that the experts of the Air Ministry declared that the engines of RlOl had surpassed expectations. Britain had in this experiment given a lead to .the whole world, for RlOl’s engines used fuel with a fire point of 215 deg Fahrenheit, which flows satisfactorily at Ideg Fahrenheit, and which for the same weight gives 25 per cent, more range to an airship and costs one-fifth of the price of petrol. The new British airship RlOl made its second trial flight to-day at a higher speed than on the first flight. The average speed was sixty miles an hour. Leaving the mooring mast at Cardington at 8 o’clock this morning, she sailed over many large towns in the Midlands, including Northampton, Coventry, Birmingham, and Derby. The weather conditions were perfect everywhere, and crowds flocked into the streets and watched the flight with the keenest interest. The airship was back at Cardington just before 2.30 p.m. The Air Minister (Mr Thomson), who was aboard as a passenger, occupied his time dealing with official business. He expressed great enthusiasm over the flight, and declared that it gave him a rare opportunity of dealing with arrears of business undisturbed by the interruptions which he suffered in his office. His only regret was that the fine weather did not put the airship to a more severe test.