AIR=CONQUEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 545, 28 June 1909, Page 5

AIR=CONQUEST.

-■'.'"•> '--.'. • ..'■ *. —— v. A NEW GERMAN NON-RIGID MONSTER. AIRSHIP ARMOUR; V ; ELECTRIC EYE. TO SEE NINE MILES. (By Telegraph.—Prcs3 Association.—Copyright.) ) : ''-' ".:'■■■■:.[: Berlin, Juno 25.-. The new Siemens—Schuckert airship constructed for Germany, is of the non-rigid ~typo, "with 500 horse-power, and will carry fifty-four, 'persons. ;■■ '■"■■■ •'•..' -Tho same .company has .patented .a ■' 180 million;'candle-power searchlight, capable of detecting: a ' torpedo-boat: at; a. distance of from seven to nino miles;/' .■"■..',.'.'-.•'. ; ■ -..The "National Zeituug" reports that Herr .Tschoihorsiii, an engineer, has invented "bul-let-proof airship! armour. ■■■. ~ '• -.-■ '"- '

: A, BRITISH CORPS OF AERONAUTS. . ; ;:. Fusing" amateur talent. ;' •';;' j ■•.:'..;'"..' London, June 2S. : .Mr.,. Haldane,.' Secretary for War,';, is considering, the. formation of a co'rpsiof aero-, nauts, on: condition that owners place their, machines .at tlio .Government's disposal' ; .. ; .';''' "[British, 'aeronauts are "showing a patriotic desire, to'assist the;. War Omc=.; The. Hon. C. b. Rolls s. offer of a Wright aeroplane, ! which lie:had bought for his own use, has"already boeu published. , The British Aerial League hns t offered vto .help the War Office in recruiting aeronautical companies;'and. has submitted a- scheme, estimated .to cost' .£15,000. Tho league proposes: (1) The formation'', of ■special•.-■sections-:of.:. the •Territorial' Army trained to defend English coastal downs', against' attack by- aerial invaders; (2) tho': foundation of- an aeronautical, college .for the' instruction of 1 engineering ..offico-s; and, (3) the.. use by. aeroplanists'. of. War - Department grounds and sheds.] -. : 'V, ■>";-■ : ;.;;.;• .■..,:.':■•;.:■.. ■; -. v. Aiy> Australian 'jm^^^y^'-'-.

Perth, Juno 25. A company is being formed to enable Mr Thompson, a local inventor, to bring his flying machino and airship inventions under tho notico of the War Office.

AIRSHIPS AND THEIR "DESTROYERS."

/■.■W;r..;GERMAN^ ;• .There.-wonld,seem t 0 '],j, „„ \\ m [i ( 0 German efforte, at air-conquest;' ; That Germany is 'not .confining'herself, to dirigible, balloons is shown by in, Saturday's: issue. which 1

statesi. that the army authorities /are - building - 'aeroplanes-Germany having . hitherto" done ■ praoticnlly -..• nothing .in- the.! heavier-thin-air .line. But: in'..gas-filled dirigibles German in-, ;6f?W J»»*'already; evolved a number, of types, ot,-.which:the Zeppelin (rigid construction)/the Gross-, .feemi-riKid),:and the' Parseval (non-;rlßi?,!>nd;portnble);,-,nre known throughout the , .world, while possibly, n similar fnmo awaits,tho new : biemens-Schiickert (iion-rigid). -The position - of :.Germany, with.-regard .to -!these four : typos-is as,-follows:— ..;.'■;;' '■'■■:::■■)■,;':■,.[■;■ ■: ;." : .:: The jZeppelinWi -.v; ; ; :' v .:'';• : fi; ;; vTlje.pld Zeppelin,: which; in .the course of his: , successive .experiments .thounventor. called ibis ■ model/No; 4;- and .wliicli.was: «3ft:ilong, came :to ■ grief., by .-an .explosion.'on August A, ;1908,: -jit; .ioliterdingeji. - 'The iimmediate:succe6sor ; was i •• ? iT^'P '«no'»-h.-(is the, .'Zeppelin'. I, 'with ;,which-Count; Zeppelin did. good performances ,earlier,- in, this -year. y: The ; motor' is of' 80 '•hip.': Next comes the Zeppelin- 11, .whibhfperformed tho recent Tecol-d: (fight, and which is said to hav 9 ,a:mot6r of 105: h.p. Tho'Zeppelin 111 is beingj built'.at Friodriohshafen: ; -It will also ■have a ; motor of. 105;h.p.; and:itagas capacity mil be ,5600 metres;. .' ; :. :^ ; ,; : .'i\' ,"';. ■■■•. ;•' Gross : :>:;'! : ':.;' .Of the sonii-rigid Gross: airships-,(designed -by Major Gross) two are- now in existence • and iis'o. ■rhev are .considered regular militury.prop'erty, ,as.thoy'belong- to:the Government;'.'. Tho Gross and jPnrsoyal,:types-,are strikingly.; similar- to ; tho,French airship: models.'' '.:.''■•. J ::':':.'/ yPa«Bvais' : ./',;'''•;.'' '^nJ-l ''\v'! ' \ -fhe,,Pnrieval, list: (designed :by,,Major. ; Parse-; i va , , '' 1 .i U0 . , V cpmprises,: three airships; „ One ::was isold. to -the: Government, l N6.'.' 2 'remains 'at ! i egel, rwherothV.'soldiers :usa- it- for.-'exporP ;™SSt\> nt ?.''Np.;.B'-ls at Bitterfeld.- No.-Xis ,228ft..1ong,;and 37ft; in diameter..;-The Parse'-' Val. ; aiVship":differs' from' thcvZeppelin' in' the .fact.;,tliat...it is..ofi.-.'tho..non-rigid: type, -and moreover;,it;is only.aboat-half Hho: length of tho':Zeppehn.'lt. is 'Said,'however,-that von Parsoyal is 'disposed to- add- h considerable, .volume .to .the;capacity,of the =now ; models 'It -is' ..claimed' that; tho.iParseviil ,:c.iniAbe -.Mountedor>;dismounted at any. place ;"c'n, route,'! and : tho equipment comprises a- hydrogen ge'noratinir :p1ant.,,:.:;;;:..:-.:,.; ;.:;.:.:-.:--;:,;:.-;., ',■;;■>;.,■..■,'•.•,..■•"; r;^/:''-r':i : ( '■■!■} £Tho"', Cablegram"attributes" to 'this "dirigible balloon ■ the .high 'driving force of'soo h.p.-,- and a"passenger-carrying 'Capacity of- 54..' It'■ was preyiouslyvrepbrted,! .-"The: -Siemens-Sehuckert Company,..,at'.'Nonnendamm,: near..'-Berlin,;::is constructing;. an'.'airship, but: the, important' details: are -withheld from '.the public -it is of' the non-rigid,typo,-'S2Bft.:long, -nearly 43ft. ; m,diameter,'.and'fhe"capacity-Ls given as 1 11,000 cubic: motros. ~ Captain von Krogh,, a wellknown' aeronaut; who., was. first identified with tho :Zoppolin'; oxperimerits :'iihd : 'latorwith'"the Parseval, is.supervising the-'construction of the Siemehs-Sohuekert airship." 1

Armour, andVAttacking Ordnance^^: ; : ; m;; : ; ;',.Jitst as/the Germans have'.invented special Sunfi.'for destroying .airships,'/. 6o : now i they iwould sceui; to' be .aiming it.airship-protection from .projectiles.'./Is the. ,'tace 'between" projec-' tiles/and. armour,!/so:lorig/,carried on at 'sea, td'be.recpmmenccd in. tho air? ~,,;,■.. ■•-.■.Djscribia'g German ''ajrship-destroying''. gu'ris a /.Berlin: correspondent declares:' "Tho/ most marwllons;..ibf them, is .a Krupp-. ]0.5-centi-metro_.(4Jin:) gun -which can hurl a projectile .weighing 39.61b. at\ a''maximum .elevation of isdcg...to a height . 7i/'mile6;', A. Kriipp 7.5centimetre 1 (3in.) 'airship destroyer/; designed : for mounting 'on a ruotor-car;/ can;'throw a R3lb. .shell-at an'angle of 75deg. i\ miles'; -' : :: /A/CU .centimetre (2}in;) field gun ' which' Krupp's have built:for.operations against! airships fire an B,Blb. projectile three miles at an anglo., of' COdeg,' f (l'ho -, Ehrhardt, 2in:'•'. ,'airship destroyer,' .for use aboard nil armoured- motorcar,is •-: capable of.: flinging a 91b., 6hrapn«J shell 'two miles." •■. ','.'■,.:.--..'-.:■ ■;;■.";..".'/ ....-,-- : . How- ths Airship :May Strike' Back! ;; ; ;' : y)yVBut the airship 'is, to .have offensive weapons .too. -At any rate, ,W: read: /"Although Ger,man.experts| profess to think the chief value of military airships is for reconnaissance, tieanny. authorities: are experimenting', with a view■ to using aerial ..cruisers'; as "ofTensivo weapons. . "Three distinct -types .'of: shells/enter Into oorisidoration. The first is. an oxplosive shell for use against buildings, war -materials, anil dockyards. /: The second is a burning, shell for setting fire to buildings, airships, balloons,'or flying-machines. The third is a shell "emitting intolerable odours-for. use- against troops 'in fortifications and -the population 'of towns;'-i" 1 '.'..■...;■■...'•:. ■:.:"/:■„'..:;:'/' . -■;■-.■'■;';.-■■,/

~'lt is declared that the Zeppelin can, with-' out difficulty, carry-.as many.\:explosive shells or ,'aerial torpedoes' ns a.torpedo-boat.. These vary'in sizo fromvttrce to six.;inches, and'are thus no larger than small-calibre land artillery, ammunition..., -'iV:'.;..,-...: .-...-. ■.-...,.. :"For; operations, against.' small- -bodies', of troops or individuals hamLgronados; will be eraploj-od; ■ .. The, burning shells weigh -, only three,to seven ounces.-',;; ~ '•>..! "Difficult to Hit." '-

"Exhaustive trials.have been made both with rifles, .field-guns, and . machino guns for use' against, aerial craft,'.but it is the. general conclusion that airships will bo. exceedingly diifioulfc to lilt. So far no 'practical experiments against airships; have been possible, and the authorities; are. seriously, coiifideviiig the advisability./ .0f.... constructing dummy, airships'.'for."'■.'.'next autumn's ~ imperial -.tnrumeuvros. in order 16.test.thoroughly'the ctipuuitvof ■- the -'Krniip._-.nnil ." Ehrlinrdt 'airship-de-stroyers.'.;;.: •-'::-/ '"■-'"".•! .'■' '.■ "So', far experts .have, found that: dirigibles .can-rise.easily beyond the limits of vertical artillery .five. ' ; ■' '. "At- the Meppcn-Knipp target range,- near Essen, projectiles Tired at. two small anchored, balloons'-'ten < foet ■in diameter- at a range ! .of 1700 yards brought them both down. Tho' bal. : loon:.targots were'2oo feet from. the ground."