AMERICA’S NEW ZEPPELIN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16424, 7 May 1924, Page 10

AMERICA’S NEW ZEPPELIN.

READY FOB ATLANTIC FLIGHT.

FRIED RICH SH A FEN, March 26. Her silvered hull glistening in the sunshine which filtered through the dusty windows of the big Zeppelin hangar here, America’s newest airship, the Z R 3, the running mate of the Slienan doah, is tugging at her moorings, eager to take the air. The work of tilling the silk gasbags enclosed in the aluminium casing of the big hull has been completed, and' Z R 3 is now ready for practice flights. Great secrecy surrounds t<he 'hangar in which the ship was constructed. No intimation lias been given as to whether she will take the air to day or later in the week, or not until aft el April 1. Only with perfect flight coridi tions will she he drawn out ol the ban gar to be given her baptism. The five big twelve-cylinder motors, which develop 2Coo'horsepower in all. have been tuned up to concert pitch and are ready to drive the immense bulk of the ship through the air. Every man of the picked German crew who will take the airship across the Atlantic and deliver it. to the United States naval authhrities at Lakehurst, has been undergoing a course of intensive tmining during the winter months.

The Z It-3 is the newest product of the world’s greatest airship plant. Although built for postal and 1 passenger service only, she contains features, nevertheless, which put her far ahead of the military models turned out previous lo the war. The builders have constructed a craft anil power plant which, they are nm vinced, will not only erti'sa the Atlantic safely, but will give the American Government many year:, of useful set vice. The motors of the Z I! 3 develop 400 horsepower each, with a good reserve lor emergencies, l nusual manoeuvring ability in storm weather is thus assured the craft, (hie possible drawback lo the Atilnnlit: flight is that hydrogen tills (lie envelope rather than non-inflammable helium. The first work of the Z R 3 will tie a,

long series of test flights. The ship will prohahly not cross the .Atlantic before the end of May, for the engineers desire to minimise, to i.'ic smallest possible point the chances of .accident.