AUSTRALIA'S DIRIGIBLE.

Mataura Ensign, 2 July 1914, Page 7

AUSTRALIA'S DIRIGIBLE.

NEW ZEALANOER'S INVENTION

UNIQUE INSTAKLATJ ON,

What is claimed to bo the first Australian dirigible has just been invented and constructed Uv Air Aiban jGwep.li lloberts, of Raiuhvck, ami is at present lying in a hangar at the Sydney Agricultural Ground.

The airship is Soft by about 20ft, and | is claimed to be able to carry four pis- j sengers.' The balloon portion, which was taken from the hangar -and placed on private exhibition, has an iiiiiatron capacity of about 30,(M!0 cubic feet, and is .made of. silk of the ibcsfc nihility. Soine idea of the strength of the silkj may bo gauged from the fact that although- one end of t'he hangar was| blown out by the recent gale the hallloon did not suffer tho slightest ttomage. The undergear of the vessel will be placed in position in a day or two, and 11 wireless ;»r.]pavatus will bo put aboard. It is probable that Mr Roberts will be accompanied on- his first trio by his .mechanic (Mr Colin Hall) and Captain Penfold, the wo.li-kno-.vn aeronaut. Mr lloberts, who is a native of Now Zealand, is also the inventor of a wireless torpedo "control," and a contrivance for t'he augmentation of the sound of wireless calls. Some time ago he was sent to England by the Conimonwe.alth Government to place his wireless torpedo "control" before the Admiralty. After two trials, his invention was on the point of acceptance when, during a ! third trial, tho "control" was interfered with on the return journey of t'he torpedo by another wireless apparatus. Mr Robtrtri claims, however, tlnrt he has now overcome this difficulty and has invented a "non-interferable" wireless "control."

Speaking concerning the invention for the augmentation of whites; sounds, afriend of Mr Roberts .said: "The idea of tho invention occurred to Mr Roberts immediately after tie Titanic disaster. It will be remembered that the captain of one of the steamers in the Atlantic at the time .stated that the operator did. not hear the Titanic's calls be-' cause he was absent from the dressingroom. .By means of Mr Roberts' invention a wireless call may be heard 100 ft. away from the reoeiviii;>; room, and there is an auxiliary attachment which will set bells ringing in amy part of the ship. Tests have been mi'.de, and ithns been proved that the invention is o 1 ? great commercial value. Mr Roberts intends to equip both the hangar and the airship with the invention, and in due course will give a demonstration of its efficiency. Listeners wi'll be able to bear the calls of the a.irsbip in any part of tho hangar. Another feature of the invention is that it is immune from atmospheric disturbances. Mr Robert:; also proposes to give a dcdivonstratioii of his wireless tor.pedo 'control' in the course of the next couple of -weeks."

It is the intention of Mr Robert's to leave for London about the middle of the month- to place his inventions before the wireless authorities there.