GREAT AIR LINER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3850, 27 September 1928, Page 3

GREAT AIR LINER.

RlOl described. ENGINEERS CONFIDENT. LITTLE RISK OF FIRE. An account of RlOl, the great British Government-built airship, is given in the “Daily Chronicle,” London, from the pen of its air correspondent : “The hull of this giant liner of the skies,” he says, “is longer even than that of its sister-ship, RIOO, iioav under construction for the Air Ministry at HoAvden, Yorks. The. length of the hull of RIOO is 709 ft. Avhile that of the RlOl is 740 ft. “When, last year, I entered the tremendous shed at Cafdington, all that Avas to be seen of RlOl Avas a test section of the hull, then undergoing trials. “It is expected that the airship Avill be finished by the end of this year, and that early in 1929, Avith Major G. 11. Scott in command, the dirigible Avill be making its first trials. “After it has been tested in Home flights, it is to set out on demonstration journeys to India and Australia. “If these are successful, it is intended that several more such giant air ships should be built, and that a Aveekly aerial service should be inaugurated betAveen England and Australia. “An unique feature of RlOl, now clearly evident from an examinatioxi of her structure, is that the main girders instead built, as hitherto, of light-Aveight metal alloys, are constructed throughout of stainless steel. Everything in her design aims at imparting to the structure the utmost amount of strength compatible Avith the lightness Avhich is so essential. The airship is really a miracle of specialised engineering. Nothing like it has ever been produced before. This tremendous structure Aveighs less than 100 tons. “Nevertheless the designers of the RlOl are confident that thc'.r machine Avill have sufficient strength ( to ride out safely the biggest storm.” STRUCTURAL STRENGTH. • “ ‘The most exhaustive tests,’ one of the experts told me, ‘have been made in regard to this Antal question of the structural strength of an airship of such a size as this. Every part has been stressed. Every section has been studied from the point of vieAV of the loads it Avill have to carry. At the same time avc have studied all that data that is available, in the Avorld to-day as to the vertical and horizontal movements of the air in violent storms. One of the factors specially to be studied is that of a rapid vertical movement of the air in an electrical storm. But after going into every problem of this kind Ave are convinced that this airship Avill have an ample margin of strength for every contingency she Avill have to meet.’ “Right inside the hull, with wide outlook Avin'doAVS providing a magnificent panorama of land, sea, and air, will be the passengers’ quarters. These are already taking shape, and I stood yesterday on i lie main deck examining models of the structure as it will appear when completed. As many as 100 passengers are to find luxurious accommodation in this air liner, which Avill, in addition, carry a crew of about 50 men. ROOMY FOR PASSENGERS. “The most striking feature of passengers’ quarters Avill be a big finely-equipped lounge. This Avill be big enough to daqce in, and is to be furnished luxuriously Avith big settees .and other equipment. “But everywhere the question of lightness has to be considered. Those big settees, solid looking though they will be, are to be constructed of featherweight metal, even the cushions Avill be filled Avith a special form of substance to save a few ounces of weight. “ ‘Before Ave began to build this airship nearly 3000 drawings had to be prepared,’ an official told me. “It is claimed that the engineers have practically solved • the fire risk which has been so much dreaded in the operation of previous airships. NON-INFLAMMABLE FUEL. “The RlOl is to be driven by engines of a new type. These will not run on inflammable petrol, but will employ a neAV form of crudeoil which, it is claimed, is noninflammable.

“Yesterday, as a proof of this contention, a container filled with this crude oil was exposed to a naked flame. It refused to ignite, although another container of petrol, when treated in the same way, burst, of course, into flame. “Five big crude oil engines are to form the power plant of the RlOl. Each they will drive the great machine, will develop 650 h.p., and between them which, with her passengers, crew, and fuel, will weigh, approximately 150 tons, at a cruising speed of more than 60 miles an hour.”