TEST FLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 235, 4 October 1928, Page 7

TEST FLIGHT.

GERMAN ZEPPELIN.

Success Of Special Interest To

British Experts.

EXPERIENCE BEING GAINED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12 noon.) RUGBY, October 3. Great interest was taken in the flight over the east of England last night of the new Zeppelin type of airship, LZI27, which, in the course of its trials, made a cruise over the North Sea. The saloon and navigation lights of the airship were clearly visible as it passed over Lowestoft and Yarmouth. The success of the cruise is of special interest to British air experts in view of the advanced stage which the two big airships under construction here have now reached. They will' be the largest airships in the world and pilots and navigators have for months past been engaged in studying the problem of handling the vast vessels. During the earlier trial of -the LZI27 on the invitation of the German authorities responsible for building the ship at Lake Constance, two eminent British airmen with wide experience of airships were among its passengers. They were Major Scott and Squadron-Leader Booth.

GERMAN ENTHUSIASM.

ESCORT OF AEBOPLAITEB.

(Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) BERLIN", October 3.

The LZI27, after leaving England, manoeuvred over the North Sea, crossed the German frontier at 2.25 a.m., woke up the people of Hamburg at 6.45 a.m., and reached Berlin at 9 a.m. She was escorted by a squadron of aeroplanes.

There was tremendous enthusiasm in the crowded streets of the capital when a bouquet was dropped from the airship in the grounds of the palace of President Hindenburg. The airship then disappeared toward the east.

I The LZI27 cost about £250,000 to build. | Its dimensions are: Length 763 ft, diameter 97ft, capacity of ship's hull, 105,000 cubic metres. Its speed ranges from 62 to 80 miles per hour, according to the weather conditions, while its lifting power is 129 I tons, and its flying radius 6250 miles, or roughly, the distance between Spain and [South America. The airship carries a crew of 26 men, and has accommodation for 20 passengers, and a? large quantity of mails and cargo.