MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14432, 24 July 1907, Page 7

MILITARY AIRSHIPS.

RUSSIAN BALLOONISTS MISSING. DISASTER FEARED. United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. ST PETERSBURG, July 22. A military balloon, which sscend-sd at Tsarkoe Selo, with four officers on Friday, has been found in tho Baltic. The officers are missing, and it is feared that they have been drowned. A FRENCH VOTE. PARIS, July 22. The Budget Commission has voted £200,000 for airships of the " Patrio " type. (Received July 23, 11.21 p.m.) PARIS, July 23. M. Clemenceau and General Picquart ascended in La Patrie balloon over Paris. A pipe burst while aloft, slightly scalding M. Clemenceau. While repairs were being effected, the balloon remained stationary. M. Clemenceau was impressed with the sense of security and stability, and considers the machine marvellous. TRIUMPH OF " LA PATRIE." The great airship '•' La Patrie," which has been built by the brothers Lobaudy to the plans of M. Julliot, for the French War Office, made its first trip on November 1G (says the " Auto-motor,") when it went out with a crew of six people, including Lieutenant Bois, of the Aeronautical Department of Chalais Meudon, who was in charge of the airship. After several trials close to the ground, to see that the propellers worked properly, the engine of La Patrie was started at 9.20 a.m., and at 9.50 she was let go, and rose gracefully from th.© ground to a height of 120 metres. Ss;e was started off in the direction of Bonnieree, and turned successiuily, in of a coiireiderable wind. She circled round the village of Lavacourt at a speed of fifteen miles an hour, then moved along the hills bordering the Siene, and returned towards Moieson, stopped dead some 200 ft above the shed, and settled down quietly an d\ without hitch to the § round, where she was received by a etachment of soldiers, waiting for her, who took her back into the shed at 11.40 a.m., the airship having been two hours and twenty minutes in the air. The airship is of the same general type as the previous Lebaudy airships, having the guiding aeroplanes in similar positions, the relatively small car, which forms the apex of tile whole construction, being nung beneath them. It is driven by two lateral propellers in the same way as the former airships, actuated in the present instance by a 75 h.p. Panhard motor, xhe construction of the car has been altered to a certain extent, the tension-members being replaced by wire roping, which facilitates packing up and transport by train. The tail of tho gas-vessel has been provided with four iins, two vertical and two horizontal (of stout canvas), like the stern of certain types of submarine boats, and the balanced rudder now forms the extreme end of tho vertical aeroplane, Dy which ite effectiveness is said to be considerably increased. The new motor is very flexible, and can be run satisfactorily at any speed from 200 to 900 revolutions per minute. The capacity of the gasvessel, which is 60 metres m length, has been increased from 3000 to 3200 cubio metres.

M. Juchmes, the Lebaudy pilot, has been enrolled as an officer of the regular army, with tne rank of adjutant, and he is now instructing Lieutenant Bois in' all the mysteries of managing the great airship. OTHER INTERESTING TYPES.

There have been so many attempts to solve the difficulty of aerial navigation that were it not for the success which attended " La Patrio" • trials, one might well be pardoned for doubting if ever it would be overcome. In November of last year, M. Santos Dumont conducted a series of experiments, which threw into the shade his prior achievements, for he maintained an equal and uniform flight for a distance of 240 yards without touching the ground, nearly 20ft above it, and travelling at the comparatively low speed of 25 miles an hour. M. Dumont appeared to have the aeroplane fully under control, and had not the presence of a batch of interested spectators straight in the path he was pursuing considerably shaken his nerve for a moment, there' is every reason to believe that he would have remained considerably longer in the air, and perhapa even have succeeded in turning round and recovering his starting point. Another aeroplane, of which great things was expected, was the German machine, the Kapferer, this being probably one of those with which the German authorities are now experimenting. Behind the main structure, whnfii measures 35ft in length by 6ft in width, are two smaller planes 12ft by 6ft, while in front is the rudder, wliich works vertically. The twobladed propeller is about sft in diameter, and ie placed at the back of the principal bi-plane, the motive power being supplied by a Buchet motor of 24 h.p., which, however, is to be replaced by another of 50 h.p. The apparatus is mounted on two bic;> cle wheels, and weighs altogether, nearly scwt. This was the model, and it appeared to have worked so satisfactorily that on the same principle the larger concern may have been made. Yet another German airship, of which much was expected, was the dirigible airship constructed by Count von Zeppelin, who carried out his experiments over Lake Constance. His dirigible airship is 410 ft in length, and is credited with being able to lift three tons additional to its own weight. It is said to have held itself stationary against a 33 1-3 mile-an-hour wind. The motive power consists of two 85 h.p. motors driving four propellers, two on each side of the shipl . During the trials which were held in the latter part of 1906 the airship at one time*"was aloft for a period of over two hours and reached a height of 1000 ft above the lake. It was under perfect control during the entire period, being steered readily in various directions, describing circles and performing other manoeuvres. Tnese demonstrations were witnessed by a number of experts in aerial'navigation. The immense proportions of the Zeppelin design form its most .notable feature. The craft utilised in 1900 was about 420 ft in length. _ The one which made the last ascent is by lOrt shorter, while its diameter _ has been somewhat increased, giving it a capacity of about 370,000 cubic feet or gas. This is 32,000 f- more than the former type The total weight of the present airship, however, is 22001 b Ires than the original design, being 19,8001 b with ballast and equipment. The theory of the designer in favour of liquid ballast is still adhered to, the water being held in bags which can bo opened by means of valves operated by wires leading from the controlling station. Ihe gas bag is divided into six compartments, supplied with suitable valves, under the control of the engineer. The engines form an excellent illustration of the wonderful progress which has been made in motor invention- The experiments in 1900 were made with

an engine of but 30 h.p. At the present time the two motors employed represent a maximum horse-power or 1/U —more than five times the capacity ol the original motor—yet their total weight, of 8801 b is but 111 b more than the 1900 type. One engine is placed forward and the other aft beneath the bag in order to distribute the weight as equally as possible. The steering apparatus is also in duplicate, but so arranged that one man can control both the forward and rear rudders. A high grade of gasoline is used as fuel, and the reservoirs attached to the airship contain a sufficient supply to permit it to remain aloft a period of several hours. . Wright Bros, the experts of the United States, wlio were on several occasions credited with having overcome most of the difficulties r-ssociated with aerial flight, during 1906 devoted the whole of their energies to developing a lighter and more suitable motor tor use with the aeroplane, and now claim that they havo provided a 28 h.p. motor weighing considerably less than anything yet used in this connection. They already have been credited with numerous successful flights. " Le Matin," a French newspaper, is proposing to organise for 190 S an open event for airships of the navigablo balloon tvpo, to he hold from Paris to London £IO,OOO being already, offered for prizes. Of tins amount, £4OOO is being offered by the "Matin" and £2OOO each by the Marquis D» Dion, M. Charley and M. Clement. " Possibly in September, 1908,'' says the " Auto Motor Journal," " the aeroplane may bo capable of giving as good an account of itself as the navigable balloon; but in any case it does not seem that a run from Paris to London (in the one direction only) will teach much. If it bo carried out successfully in the teeth of an adverse wind, it would, of course, prove that in 1908 the navigable balloon has become much more successful than anybody now anticipates it will he; while,; if the wind bo favourable, the event will simply show nothing at all." The cablegram indicates that the trial flights have been against the wind.