PROVED MUCH EASIER TO HANDLE THAN THE PILOT ANTICIPATED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18890, 15 October 1929, Page 1

PROVED MUCH EASIER TO HANDLE THAN THE PILOT ANTICIPATED.

AIRSHIP BEHAVED SPLENDIDLY, MAJOR SCOTT DECLARES.

(Received October 15, 11.30 am.) RUGBY, October 11. The new British airship RIGI made a successful trial flight to-da,y. At 11.20 she was released from the mooring. mast at Cardington, the water ballast was let' out, and the airship drifted in the wind, gaining height The engines amidships were started and the leviathan liner move'd i majestically southwards. After she had been travelling for 12 minutes her commander. Major Scott, sent . out • the following wireless message : “Everything going well. . The ship is behaving splendidly." ■ At a height of about 1200 feet the airship circled "over Bedford, affording a magnificent view to , thousands of watchers. ' No attempt was .made 1o attain great speed, and only the . three back, engines \yere running. The airship then made for London.

The airship was moving at only about •10 .miles an hour, and the aeroplanes, appearing like midgets against her bulk, had to dive and climb and turn in order not to outstrip her. General admiration was expressed by spectators at the graceful lines of the air monster. It had the appearance of | a huge silver fish gliding through the ! f.ky. After circling over Lon ’un tor half an hour, the airship, rising higher, turned and in an hour was 'back at Cardington. After RlOl was safely moored. Major Scott, her commander, issued a broadcast statement from the top of the tower of the mooring mast. He described the flight as very satisfactory every thing going off extraordinarily well. He said that the ship handled very well and answered her controls with the greatest of ease. “We did not run at full speed, or anything approaching that,” he said. “We went easy at first and worked up to about 50 ir.iles an hour. We shall have speed trials later. The noise of the engines was- very slight in the passenger car. We had no engine trouble. The first trial has been most satisfactory, and considering that this is the biggest airship that lias, ever been built, it promises well for big airships. The whole handling of this .big ship proved much easier than we had hoped/’ The airship carried a crew of 38 and 14 passengers. Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Iliggins, of the Air Ministry, was .one of the passengers. Luncheon was •served during the flight.—British Official Wireless.