THE ENGLISH AIRSHIP.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 24 August 1908, Page 2

THE ENGLISH AIRSHIP.

Writing on August 80th, 1907, a cor ! respondent of the "Daily Mail" stated: "For two years the work of bu^ld- i ing a militar- airship has been in pro- j grew,...both Colonel Templar and Col-I oner Capper, R. 8., haying been engaged ra/tjßo'task. n TlVe latter is now in rommand.of the aerial section, but Colonel Templar is still consulted, andfrequently'visits the esteblishmpnt. Progress was very slow till recently, when thegreat development of Continental airships gave an impetus to English • dei Eisners, -Sines then the work: lias proceeded rapidly. :. •■ThttU.new'-- airship will probably ba found to approximate to,the-typo of tho Fremh -La Patrie. A ■ sausage-sh apetl balloon, made; of th'o " best material,.-.and..'..heavily, lacquered.' carries a light framework of steel arid bamboo. The envelope is of great lift^ ing power, and! is nearly 80ft in length by 30ffc in diameter. Both planes and fan propellers aro used in th© dlroction .and propulsion.of 'the airship, and the models tried have in a remarkabl3 degreo answered: tlioir helm, a structure similar to that on the Patrie. Some useful suggestions have boon obtained from the German airships, with the; construction of which ..the Aldersliot specialist sta-ff is familiar." - Colonel Capper has a considerablo staff at work ffi his "department^-'-where much experimenting is goinrz on in other ways than on the war ma- hine. Apart from the aeroplane. Colonel Capper has on hand a large number of experiniental war kites. The kites are the invention of Mr Cody, a United States subject, who, with his two sons, has beoii taken into tho service of the British Government.

The new war balloon can carry explosives, and this fact is an important ■advance-on-.anything now existing, ; ; .nd tho advance is all tho more ma; ked owing to the quantity which eouM b"> stored on board. The-power for driving- the is derived from 80 n.jj engines, driven both by electricity :md petrol j tha revolutions of the propellers being at tho rate of over 1000 per minute. So strong is the draught iron! the fans that pieces of paper caught in tho cnr,ront were whirled with lightning speed 'to a distance of 60 yards, and wore almost undiseernable in transit. The car is principally constructed of aluminium, and is" designed to carry seven or eight men, although the crow will generally number four or five only. The lifting power of tho airship will be. about one ton, thus allowing an ample supply of war material to bo carried.

The first ascent was made on September 10th, with Colonel Capper, Captain King, and Mr Cody as mechanician, but was only 'partially successful owing to a. slight break-down in tho engino : hut later trips, one lasting over an hour, Wero mast successfully performed. On October 3rd the'vessel rose again and performed a journey of about oO miles, going straight to London and circling round St. Paul's Cathedral. On tho return trip, however, tho wind iucroasocl so much that it was found impossible to stem it, and the vessel was stcoro-d for tho Crystal Palace, where it dcsconded, and remained tethered in th<-> open for several days. A strong wind caused somo damage to- it, and it had to bo deflated and taken to,inoees.