GREAT AIR LINER

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1934, Page 7

GREAT AIR LINER

COMFORTS FOR 50 PASSENGERS

SOUTH ATLANTIC CROSSINGS

In a shod as large as a cathodi al the largest craft ever designed" to take the aix‘ was lately being completed. It is the L.Z.129, the giant Zeppelin with which Germany expects to skim tiie cream off tile South Atlantic passenger traffic next year.

The girders of this giant ship had all been bolted info position. Fabric was being sewn on the giant hull by an army of men, and the furnishings of the luxurious passenger quarters inside was being completed. When the L.Z. 129 lias flown, one of her first plans is a trip to England. The Zeppelin will have a length of 81.4 ft. and a width at the broadest part of 135 ft. She will contain not less than 0,709,804 cubic feet of gas. Moreover. this gas will be non-inflammable helium, thus removing the fire risk

which resulted in the destruction of the R.lOl.

The Zeppelin will, it is estimated, he able to travel through the air at a speed of 85 miles an hour, and will he "able to cover twice the distance across the Atlantic non-stop with a full load of passengers and mail. Fifty passengers will he canied in 25 .sleeping cabins. There are 4305 square Ibet of passenger accommodation flooring, and this includes a dining room, a lounge, and reading room, a smoking room, bathrooms, and a long p'oinenade with windows giving a view of the scenery below. The air will be changed and heated regularly by a special airconditioning plant. The new airship is nearly double the size of the Graf Zeppelin, which has covered over a million miles and flown round the world. It crosses the South Atlantic regularly during the summer. Behind the building of the new Zeppelin are German plans for arsin']) domination which an* being kept a closely-guarded secret. It b: stated, however, that the plans fall into fom stages and ara dependent on the satisfactory performance of the E.Z.129. The stages are:— | (4) A regular weekly ali-the-yenr-round service between Europe and South America, in conjunction with the i Graf Zeppelin. (

(2) A regular weekly service between Holland and the East Indies, connecting with Croydon at one end and Australia at the other, using two new airships. I his would be run in con junction with a Dutch comnanv.

(3) A regular weekly service between England, Montreal, and New York, run' in conjunction with a Genian slnppiog company. (4) A regular Pacific service between Hawaii and San Francisco, and, at a

later date, between Tokio and AVashiiifjton, run in cun junction with an American company which lias been formed specially for that purpose.