MORE TEST FLIGHTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17099, 4 November 1929, Page 7

MORE TEST FLIGHTS

BRITAIN'S NEW AIRSHIP FIRST NIGHT CRUISE RUGBY, Nov. 2. The RlOl airship made another successful trial flight yesterday. She left her mooring mast at Cardington just before 10 o'clock. Sir Samuel Hoave, a former Air Minister, was one of the passengers.

After circling for about 10 minutes over Bedford, the airship made foi Sandringliani, where she dipped gracefully to within 400 ft from the ground. The King and Queen and their granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, were on the terrace, and the crew waved to them. The King raised his hat in 'reply and the little Princess clapped her hands in delight. Thence the airship Hew via Cromer and Norwich to Newmarket Heath, where the racing was in progress. She circled over the racecourse and then proceeded to Cambridge. It had been intended to visit London, but, owing to the fog, the airship returned from Cambridge to Cardington and was back at her mooring mast soon after 3 o'clock.

The highest air speed reached during the flight was approximately 70 miles, per hour. November 15 is mentioned as the date on which the sister airship RIOO is likely to leave llowden, in Yorkshire, on her trial trip. From a brilliantly illuminated searchlight mooring tower, RlOl cast off «■♦ 8 o'clock this evening for her first night cruise. 'She passed over London at 10 o'clock. Drizzling rain rendered her almost invisible. She headed for Portsmouth to cany out Speed and turning trials in the vicinity of the Isle of Wight, returning to Bedford at 6 o''clock on Sunday morning. NEW GERMAN SHIPS FOUR ZEPPELINS PLANNED BERLIN, Nov. 3. Herr Kiep, director of the Hamburg .Nautical Society, announces the forthcoming construction of four Zeppelins of the same length as the Graf but with a larger cubic -capacity. Two are for the America-Hamburg line. America is contributing largely towards the cost.