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Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1930, Page 5

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V -- OFF TO CANADA. ' ; r , ' • ; . . ■ ’ • (t ; _ r \ :... v' ■ f ■. “(Official Wireless.) v "• .r. (Received this dav at 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, July 23. The British airship, RIOO, will probably leave Gardington on her voyage to Canada to-morrow morning. The flight is expected to be completed in three days. A mooring tower at Montreal litis been provided by the Canadian Gbyernment. ; The airship will be welcomed there by the members of the Canadian Government. , \ Squadron-Leader Booth will command thb airship. \ The director of airship development / Wing Commander. Colemore as well as Major Scott, who commanded R 34 on her double Atlantic crossing several years ago,will be.among those aboard the airship. RIOO is riding at the mooring mast at Gardington and may leave on her flight across the Atlantic to-morrow morning, but the exact time of her de- . parture, and the course she, will ,fol-; low will be determined after a careful study of probable weather conditions over, the Atlantic. The flight is being undertaken as part of the Air Ministry’s development pol- / icy for airships, fvith the.object of test- ( ing out; .the reliability and behaviour of airships on long ; distance flights. Data will also be acquired which will be of value in deciding upon a full policy with regard to development of ajr. ships for .. commercial purposes, with particular, reference to speeding up Empire communications. ; When the RIOO was designed she was approximately twice the size of the lar- - ' gest iairship, and she and her sister RlOLare still the largest in the world. The experimental nature of the flight, therefore, is emphasised, for the vessel incorporates many novel features. This will be the second flight ctf a British airship across the Atlantic, the first being ; July 1919, when R 34 made the' first aircraft flight from east to welt. R 34 made a successful retura flight a few days later. , The’ airship;-which is equipped wjth 4. six Rolls '.Boyce'' Condor engines, .each , deyeipping;'6so horsepower, has a gross lift of;-over 156 tons. She is 709 feet long, lias a maximum diameter-of 130 ( fret anti a' maximum height of 133 feet. She attained a speed of 81 miles .pp'r hour during trials. The .aitship. has oh board food ifor o days, .and reserve.;.rations,' one' day’s rations, arid 500 gallons of drinking arid washing water being car- ’ I +brbughout tho journey. Tlie vessel will be in constant wireless communication with land stations. - 1 ' i* 1 LEAVING TUESDAY * •• LONDON, July 28. ' R.IOO 'leaves at 3.30 on Tuesday morning. 'lt is not a question of weather permitting, a» strenuous trials' in every variety’ of weather have satisfled the' designers that the airship is fumble" of overcoming the worst Atntic conditions.