SHIPS OF THE AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1929, Page 7

SHIPS OF THE AIR

(Otago Daily Times.)

There is certainly no lack of enterprise on the part of these responsible for tlifi activities of the German airship Graf Zeppelin. The vessel is being well tested in long flights, in which she may be said to he .playing almost a pioneer role, and is providing the world at large at the same time with an interesting spectacle, eleven months ago Dr Eokener made his first trip across the Atlantic in the Graf Zeppelin, and, in spite of a mechanical mishap and a rather unhappy buffeting, the crossing was effected in 112 hours. The return journey was accomplished in G3J hours. Two successful Mediterranean cruises were undertaken in March and April last, and in May the c mmander, full of confidence, set out upon a second Transatlantic flight which proved, however, more exciting thau successful. • The failure of two out of the five engines at an early stage of the”" voyage compelled the aviators to turn back, and, encountering heavy gales, the Graf Zeppelin drifted in a parlous plight ever French territory, and thanks to Providence and neighbourly assistance was just able fo make a safe landing at Toulon. Nothing discouraged, and the nirsjpp having been repaired, the enterprising German navigator within the last few days completed a second western Transatlantic flight, covering the distance in 95J hours, and, save head winds, encountering no serious obstacles.

That journey has been only the preliminary to the much more spectacular project of .a 'grand tour, a rmind-tlioworld trip, upon which the vessel set forth from Lakehurst, New Jersey, on Wednesday last. The route is from Lakehurst to 'Friedrichshaven, at which the airship lias now arrived, tlience to Tckio, thence across to Los Angeles, and so back to Lakcliurst. It is a highly ambitious programme which, onae fairly .embarked upon, has its hazards. Sir Hubert Wilkins, mho is one of the passengers, speaks of the fight across tlie Siberian wastes as the most dangerous part of the journey, and it may readily be understood that groat dependence is ■being placed upon the reliability. of tlie mechanism of the airship. For the landing of a crippled dirigible ill. an area where/ ho special preparations have been made, or are possible, , is one of the v contingencies against which- lvo remedy has, yet)..been,.,,devised. Twpnty-two passengers are .taking part in this adventure, for so this round-the-world flight of the Graf Zeppelin.', may be termed, and cheerfully paying, so it is said, a nine thousand dollar fare ,for the privilege and the experience. The Graf Zeppelin carries a crew of forty.Thus the complement of' .this huge "craft is less than seventy • persons, and this would seem, to. point to a deficiency in airships in. ithat their carrying capacity is so small in comparison with.that of ships of the seagoing variety. -. n . It has not been suggested- -that the airship will ever possess any really great lifting and carrying capacity commensurate with its cost and dimensions. And, while brave predictions have been made, that reason alone, apart from other factors, may well appear sufficient to dissipate any idea that, at its present stage of development at all events, it, is going to bo a serious rival to the great ocean-liners with their thousands of passengers, to say nothing of the freighters. The tendency on the part of the great shipping companies is to build still more huge, luxurious, and costly vessels for the Transatlantic passage. The stimulus for this will hardly !be brace able in approaching competition from die air. The Transatlantic. airway cannot perhaps even yet be regarded as reasonably safe. The flights of the Graf Zeppelin naturally increase the expectation attaching to performances of the two British State airships, the RilOO and RilOl, upon the construction of which so much time and thought have been expended. These vessels, the building of which has been greatly prolonged because of the care and consideration given to the details, were to be ready •in June of this year, but the authorities are adhering to their policy of thorough preparedness before initiating their trials. The proposal is to fly one vessel to Canada and the other to India.

Colonel V. C. Richmond, designer of R'lol, has visualised non-stop journeys lasting from two and a half to three, days as within the scope - of the airship’s achievements, but in a recent address to tiie Royal Aeronautical Society he deplored any unjustifiable attempt to take, a chance, where experience was scanty, just to achieve a high performance before the time was ripe. It may be considered, perhaps, that Dr Eckener is about to take chances that are rather less than justified by experience.. /The flights of the Graf Zeppelin should be of some value as a guide to the conditions and risks which the great British airships will have to face when their powers are put severely to tlu test.