AUSTRALIAN DESIGNS SEADROME

Northern Advocate, 28 November 1936, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN DESIGNS SEADROME

[United Press Association.~By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.l ~ (Received 10 a.m.) •> ■ LONDON, November ,27. . The “Daily Telegraph” reports that a Queensland' engineer, Mr M. Reiser, who worked for years in California constructing dirigibles, has designed a seadrome, the use of which will enable aeroplanes to cross the . Atlantic in three stages.

Leading naval architects and engineers have approved the scheme, which has been forwarded to offiical, circles.

The seadrome will not be anchored, as it is believed,that cables would not stand, the strain,, but]j would be stabilised by stopper buoys floating 150 feet from the surface, - which would contain 70,000,000 gallons of fuel oil. These buoys would support 72 steel pillars carrying a s U-shaped deck,

. Land and Sea Plane^ One leg would be available for land aeroplanes. Another would be submerged ten , feet for seaplanes. Each of the legs would have an area of 2000 to 2500 feet.

The remainder of the deck would be occupied by a, radio tower, a light beacon, a hotel and hangars, over which would be a catapult deck, 117 feet from the surface, which would be more than 60 feet above, the waves in the greatest storm. From it, aeroplanes carrying 50 passengers could be launched.

Naval Base Also.

The interior of the U would be available as a dock for ships or submarines, or as a naval , base.

The seadrome is designed to float head to the wind, in which it would be assisted by 1Z propellers i and two rudders operated by elec- ; tricity generated by wind power.

Mr Heiser advocates two seadromes, which, he says, would cost £7,000,000, between Ireland and' Canada.