GERMAN NAVAL AIRSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1911, 20 November 1913, Page 11

GERMAN NAVAL AIRSHIPS.

—— -~4 — . ADMIRALTY'S OPTIMISM. The current , issue of the'"Marino Etundschau," of Berlin, a naval review niblished by the Intelligence- Bureau if t-lie Admiralty, ■contains sin interest-, ing article by Herr Hetzker, a naval; architect, entitled; ."The Jtyndaments if Naval Aeronautics." The writer shows what important, service can be rendered to tlio conductors,, of naval operations by airships, especially as the latter can with difficulty be prevented by tho enemy from executing _ their task. Bo atates that the rad'hrs of visible horize.iv is nearly'fifteen miles when i the airship is at a hoig;ht_of 164 feet, twenty-oUo miles when it is at a height of 328 feet, thirty miles when at ii height of 656 feet, forty-six miles wlien at a height of 1640 feet, and sixty-flve miles when at a height of a2BO fcet. It was, he says, clear to the naval authorities from the outset that a very large displacement Was necessary, so that only airships of the rigid type could be employed. "LI," the first naval airship, which was recently wrecked hi the North Sea, had ft eapat city of 32,500 cubic metres, whereas the Zeppelins that .had been constructed previously had a capcity of 27,000 „etj'bic metres, and the subsequent naval airships are- to' be still larger. The oonstroctors, however, are keeping a very, careful watch, as there is a ■danger that stability may bo sacrificed to the size, and, moreover, as-the size of airships increases the difficulty of handling them on land ■becomes greater, for at the start and when landing tho airships havo to bo held by men's hands. Hcrr Pietzkor states that the,motors used'in the naval airshrps .which are manufactured in the Maybach motor works at Friedridishafen are constantly being improved, and that while tho highest speed attained by • the "LI" was twenty metres per second, that attained by tho M L2" is twenty-two metres. All' difficulties regarding tlio fitting of a flashlight and. wireless telegraphy apparatus have, tho writer declares, been overcome, and the shed question lias been satisfactorily solved by the adoption of revolving slieds. While airships aro still dependent .on tho vvea'the.r r the Admiralty is satisfied that thoy wiM render excellent service, although for the present this service must he of n supplem.ehto,ry nature. The Admiralty is determined, therefore, to continue experimenting with naval airships, to develop the wireless telegraphy service so that constant communication can bo maintained boteen tlio airships and the. fleet and the mainland, and to devote further attention to tho study of meteorological conditions.