Round the World in Twelve Days

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 371, 4 June 1928, Page 14

Round the World in Twelve Days

New German Airship Will a British or a German airship be the first to cross the Atlantic this year? asks an English exchange. Every inhabitant of Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Lake Constance, believes that Germany will gain this honour through LZ 127, the gigantic airship being constructed by the Zeppelin Airship Company. The chief engineer of the works, Dr. Durr, is, says Reuter, undaunted by the fate of the 116 airships which have been built in Germany since 1900. Only two are now in existence. Toward the end of the war airships were being constructed at the Zeppelin works at the rate of one a fortnight. The new giant LZ 127, which will cost £250,000 sterling, has already been months under construction, and it will be June at the earliest before it is likely to take the air for trial flights over Germany. Crew of Twenty-six LZ 127 will be the largest airship, with the exception of Commander Burney’s dirigible, hitherto built. Its speed will range from 62 to 80 miles an hour, according to weather conditions, while its lifting power will be 129 tons, and its flying radius 6,250 miles —roughly, the distance between Spain and South America. The airship will carry a crew of 26 men, and has accommodation for 20 passengers and a large quantity of mail matter, luggage and other cargo. The great novelty in the new airship is its motive power, which will not be petrol, but a heavy hydrogen gas, similar to that used by some cars in Britain during the war. After test flights one or more trips will be made across the Atlantic to the United States. So confident is Dr. Eckener, the constructor, of the capabilities of the LZ 127 that he is prepared to take it round the world in 12 days if suitable landing-places and sheds can be provided.