IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 524, 3 June 1909, Page 5

IN THE AIR

PERILS OF PRACTICAL AERONAUTICS. PARACHUTIST'S ESCAPE. SUSPENDED FOR HOUR AND A HALF. (lit TEWuuArn—mess association—corißtonT.) . • London, Juno 1. ' A parachutist named Bidmead, whilo attempting a descent at Northampton, lost his parachuto, and was carried away, hanging .below, his balloon, in the presence of a thousand :holiday-niakers. NEARLY EXHAUSTED. . ; (Reo., Juno 2,'10.45 p.m.) London, Juno 2. Bidmead clung for 80 minutes to a wooden ring attached .to tho cording of the balloon. He was nearly exhausted when the balloon gradually dropped; and ho alighted safely. PARSEVAL DIRICIBLE. A SPEED.OF. 24 MILES AN HOUR. (Reo. Juno 2, 10.45 p.m.) ' " , ■ Berlin, Juno 2. • Now dirigible 1 balloons oE the semi-rigid and non-rigid types, designed in Germany by Major Parsevalj attained a speed of 24 miles an hour. . • f 1. ■ - GERMANY'S THREE TYPES. !■ DESCRIPTION OF THE PARSEVAL. ■ Tho 'monster' Zeppelin, .built of aluminium, is:of the.type known as rigid construction;.the , Gross is ; semi-rigid 5 and ,tho Pareeval is nonrigid. . Tho (juration of rigidity involves :tho question of portability. It.w.claimed that/the i non-rigid type pan bo paokod awny and. transported whevevor v;anted. The Zeppelin niuet go and'come of its own.power. : Tho non-rigid and semi-rigid types are njucli smaller than the Zeppelin. The speed with which the Persoval is credited in "to-day's cablegram is abottt the same as' that which 'was ascribed to the Zeppelin in yesterday's message (900 miles in 33 nours). .... .. ', ' . , "In the midst of the triumphs of the Zeppelin.' airship (writes a London ' paper), the morits of the I'arseval motor, balloon have been somewhat ignored by. the Gorman militfiry authorities. . This , balloon has, however; been subject to long and continued experiments, and has. been placed ontho establishment of tho Balloon Corps. ■ , - , , ' "Tho' balloon has a' car made of aluminium, with wire stays and steel tubing, and Is hung by steel wires ten 'yards below tho balloon. In the.bow or front part of the :car is the space for the' crow, in the ..centre is tho driving motor, and in tho stem are benzine tankand'cooler. The propeller is: at the sterni and is placed on a bed of steel tubing, and is con* neotod with the motor by cog wheels. The revolving sorew has a diametw of 13ft., nnd is fitted with four' blades o£ flexible steel frames covercd with, strong . ennvns 01' cloth. Tho blades hang limp when tho crew is at rest, but are spread out by centrifugal force 011 revolving. • Thcro is also fail, driven by tho inotor, ; which is: fastened to the'propeller bed. - Its functions are very important to the working of; the ; balloon, for • it continually . drives' a strong' air :current through a pipe to'the-air sacks placed in ' the eads of the long roain balloon,vin. order to keep the gas under,tension and tho ;«hape of the' Imllodn Btrdight and rounded. The length of tho car is 17ft., and Its weight when -empty is 20501b. Tho motor is a racing car motor of 90h.p.,' making ovor 1000 revolutions ft minute when at full speed, and waS made by the Daimler Company. ."Since the evolution of the Zeppelin airship the Parseval ; balloon has been' used for observations - at: manoeuvres ond for instruction of officers >and men at the Balloon Schools. The inventor,. Major Pnrseval, of bavarian Army, is still working on improvements to his balloon, and hopes, to make' it 'an instrument of- war, .that will have to bo seriously reckoned with with. by an enemy." . . • . . ...