FLOATING AERODROME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19996, 13 January 1927, Page 6

FLOATING AERODROME.

FULL OF SECRET DEVICES.

The most interesting ship in the Atlantia Fleet is the Furious, the aircraft carrier. Launched 10 years ago as one of Lord Fisher’s “hush hush” cruisers, she has since undergone many transformations, and has cost altogether something like i)6,000,000 (declares the London Daily News). In her present guise she is a funnelless, mastless, sea-going aerodrome, capable of steaming at 36 miles an hour. She displaces 19.100 tons, is 786 ft in length, and has a breadth of 90ft. An armament of 16 medium and 18 light qu*ck-firing guns is mounted to beat off “mosquito” attack, and her anti-torpedo bulges offer some protection against submarines. Within the roomy hull are hangars for accommodating several dozen aeroplanes; electric lifts for raising them to the flight deck; workshops for executing all manner of repairs; storerooms with thousands of spare parts and accessories; and magazines containing bombs and torpedoes. Ingenious devices for arresting the momentum of a machine as it lands are fitted on the flight deck. The whole ship, indeed, is so crowded with confidential "gadgets” that even naval officers, unless they are serving in her. have some difficulty in getting aboard. The total number of officers on board who are available for aviation work is 93.