AIRSHIPS OR AEROPLANES

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1934, Page 9

AIRSHIPS OR AEROPLANES

AVIATION OF THE FUTURE SIR HUBERT WILKINS’ VIEWS. HIS FAITH IN DIRIGIBLES. MR. C. T. P. ULM GIVES OPINIONS. “Dirigibles are undoubtedly the best and safest aircraft for long flights over water,” said Sir Hubert Wilkins in an interview yesterday. Made by so prominent a figure in aviation as Sir Hubert, and only a few hours after the arrival of Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, one of the world’s most prominent pioneers of trans-oceanic flying with heavier than air machines, the statement is indicative of the diversity of opinion which still exists among experts as to the precise lines along which commercial aviation will develop. Sir Hubert, however, made no effort to derogate the claims of aeroplanes to advantage over airships. For flights over land where emergency landing places exist he had no ddfebt that the aeroplane would always enjoy an advantage, except in the matter of transporting especially heavy freights. That the ratio of production costs to efficiency lessened the larger tire aeroplane built, was his opinion. There must, he said, be a definite limit to the size of heavier than air machines, and consequently a limit to the amount of freight they could transport.

ADVANTAGES OF COMFORT. An additional advantage enjoyed by airships was the fact that passengers would be infinitely more comfortable in them for flights occupying more than 16 or 18 hours. He predicted that the only passenger service between England and Australia which would enjoy a really wide popularity would be a .service by airship. In addition to enjoying space a3vantages, passengers in airships enjoyed a quiet sense of security in a dirigible which they could never enjoy in an aeroplane. Referring to the loss of life in airship disasters during recent years, Sir Hubert attributed every accident either’ to lack of experience upon the part of those in control of the craft or to structural and design weaknesses which were well known by the crews before the fatal flights were undertaken. Dirigibles were infinitely harder to manage in the air than aeroplanes, in that intimate know-, ledge of meteorology was required by the pilot before a flight in difficult weather could be safely undertaken. More depended upon the human element, but there was no reason why men could not be trained and airships so perfected in design as to render them a safe, comfortable and reliable means of transport. He visualised the day when there would be a round the world airship service— England-Australia-U.S.A.-England. Commenting on the disproportionate cost of constructing airships, he pointed out that no provision had been made for mass production of parts, as is the case with aeroplanes. Sir Hubert has had . wide experience of both heavier and lighter than air machines. He accompanied Dr. Hugo Eckener on trans-Atlantic flights in the Graf Zeppelin, and has taken an active part in heavier than air aviation since 1912. MR. ULM’S OPINIONS. Regarding the future of flying in the Dominion, Sir Hubert stressed the fact that emergency landing grounds must be provided before the development of internal aii-ways could take its normal course. Personally he advised development along American lines. There should be no difficulty in getting power for the flood lighting of aerodromes, for night landings. Night flying was fast coming into its own.-

Perhaps the first and most desirable step to be encouraged was the formation of an aerial taxi service, by which small groups of passengers could move quickly from one centre to another.

Questioned regarding the advantages and disadvantages of lighter than air machines last .night Mr. Ulm admitted that the relative merits of the two types of aircraft constituted an involved technical problem.. He had not had practical experience of airships, but he tended to the belief that aeroplanes would never successfully be replaced by dirigibles on trans-ocean routes. As a heavier than air man he was inclined to think that the aeroplane would retain its practical advantages indefinitely.

, It was impossible, he said, to say whether or not the size of heavier than air maelunes was limited. The production of new, light metals made it virtually impossible for him to venture an opinion as to what steps the designers of the future would take. As regarded heavy freights—they would go by the most economically operated device.