JULES VERNE UP-TO-DATE

Shannon News, 22 March 1927, Page 4

JULES VERNE UP-TO-DATE

ROUND THE WORLD IN* THREE; WEEKS. LONDON, Jan, 27. A non-stop flight round the, world in threo weeks in what Germany is now earnestly planning writes oui London Correspondent. At th< famous Zeppelin, works at Friedrichshafen a monster new ,airship= is now actually being built which will bn tho most perfect and efficient: of it's kind ever constructed, embodying everything that the experience of designing some hundreds of big airships has suggested. With this vessel it Is proposed to attempt a non-stop flight completely around the glove, and by carrying a nuclcous crew only, with an immense load of fuel, the German designers.; expect to accomplish , tho -.24,000 milo voyage of aerial circumnavigation ;in about 22 days. The. airship will, have expert meteorologists on board, who will receive regular weather reports, and prepare their own navigation maps accordingly, with the > object of avoiding bad weather and, making good sailing. I gather that tho latest Z.eppelin will hot/be ready this summer, so that the record-flight is unlikely to take place before next year.

Keen as International competition in the air is sure to become, and more especially in linking up the Old and New Worlds, it seems likely that practical Transatlantic airship flight, or seaplane flight also, may. hang firo more or loss till 1928. The super-Zeppelin will not bo ready for genuino work much earlier than thm and about that time Germany will tackle. not only an American airsorvioe, but also one via Scotland to Canada in Ihree days. One German firm is designing a giant seaplane to carry 150 passengers in real luxury. The projected Canadian service, however, it to be by seaplanes with accommodation for only about a sixth of that number. Our own airships will be sailing Westward Ho, for Canada by 1928, however, and th*3 year we are, I hear, to have several pioneer lorfg-distance flights; by the R.A.F., including within their objective both South Africa and Australia.