SUPER-ZEPPELINS

Shannon News, 30 December 1924, Page 4

SUPER-ZEPPELINS

NEW BRITISH AIRCRAFT CROSS ATLANTIC IN 48 HOURS SERVICE TO .AUSTRALIA.

Contracts for the construction of .an airship twice the size of the ZR3, and capable of crossing the Atlantic from London to New York ih two days, have been placed with Vickers, Ltd., by the British Government The British Zeppelin will be of 5,000,000 cubic feet capacity, 700 feet long, and with accommodation for 150 passengers. It will have a speed of not less than 70 miles an, hour at a 5000-foot level. Sir Trevor Dawso'ti announces That the Vicker s Company is making progress with experiments on an internal combusLion .' engine using powdered coal. . . “We hope to obtain engines that will permit people even to visit Canada for the week-end,’’ said* Su Trevor Dawson. “When we complete the airship we expect to accomplish the westward journey in two days and to make even better time coming home.” , The airship will be built at Howden, where ZR2 was built, and.a second of similar tyjae will also be built. The ZR2 buckled and fell into the River Humber fn flames during the last trial flight before she was to have (sailed across the Atlantic for delivery to the United States. To be Ready in 1927. Approximately the cost to the Government of the airship will be £350,i 000, provided the airship completes | its trials. Three years are allowed for i the airship construction, and under the contract it must be delivered to the Air Ministry by September, 1927. Its length is 695 feet, and its diameter at the point of biggest girth 132 feet, and the contract specifies that the structure and other fixed weights must not exceed 90 tons.’ Budgetting on a range # of 2500 miles, there is available as paying load a weight of 120 passengers, and iten tons of freight or mails. This figure is arrived at after allowing 50 per, cent reserve of fuel a'nd oil. Thirty Uvo-berth,, cabins are. provided along the sides of the vessel, and, in addition, there is a «smoking-room and lounge big enough to dance in, and the usual accommodation for kitchens and quarters,for an air-crew of forty. - Passengers Isolated.

The passenger quarters are to be completely isolated from the rest of ,the ship, not only by gas-tight walls, bilt by air space through which free air rwill be constantly circulating, so that the fire rislc" through passengers’ carelessness. or ignorance is reduced to a minimum. Hydrogen is, of course, to be the lilting medium, but petrol will be eliminated, and the Rickardo kerp-sene-oum-hydrogen fuel system is to be utilised. This system has only been experimented with on small engines, but a full-size power unit of 550 horse-power is nearing completion, and will be tried out shortly. Seven ,of these units are to be used in the aircraft, giving a total horsepower of 3800, at the expenditure of little over half a ton of fuel in an hour.

A cruising __ speed of 70 miles per hour is estimated for, and the reason for basing financial calculations oh a range of 2500. miles is that this distance is approximately that of four stages between England and Australia. It is also hoped to; bring India within four days’ journey of England.