Flight to Ireland

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 824, 19 November 1929, Page 9

Flight to Ireland

LONGEST CRUISE OF RlOl Airship Behaves Splendidly . SPECTACULAR SIGHT IN' DARKNESS U United I'.A. — lSj / Tcu<jrapn—Cop;</ris/ht l Received il.n a.m. l,OXl)OX. Monday. OX her longest trial flight, the giant airship RIOI last evening -was reported to be over Berwick, and subsequently she made a picturesque sight passing over the hills, en route to Edinburgh, it was a clear, frosty night with a full moon.

From Edinburgh the airship flew to j ‘ ! Glasgow, and on down the Clyde. • £ | Crowds of people rushed out. into the j ' open on hearing the sound of her en- j gines. They saw the lights in the cabin and the navigating lights, also] her shining, silvery hull. The airship continued Hying west- j . ward heading for Belfast, which was . reached at 10 p.m. The RlOl crossed the Irish Sea four 3 times. Returning from Belfast she cruised over the Isle of Man and passed Blackpool, whence she wire- \ less that she had finished her turningtrials. She flew over Dublin and t headed for Liverpool. C From Liverpool the RlOl will take s her course over Manchester, and is expected to pass over the Midland towns early this afternoon. Hitherto, her longest flight was that of November 4, when leaving her mooring-tower at 8 in the morning, she remained afloat until 10 o’clock the* following morning. During her speed tests the RlOl, using four of her five engines, attained a speed of 70 miles an hour on a 14 miles’ stretch, and did sharp turns when going at a rate of 62 miles. She was carrying 97 per cent, of her full load, or about 145 tons. (Received Noon) “The airship behaved splendidly throughout,” said her commander on her arrival at Cardington. She has now finished her acceptance tests.

Tlie idea of the latest voyage, which lasted 1,000 miles, was to subject the vessel to turning tests, by calculating the bends of different rudder angles. Slie passed these adAiirably. The speed throughout averaged GO miles ami hour, and there is still enough fuel aboard for another 36 hours. “The crew was able to take turns at sleeping. Everybody bad good hot meals. Wo encountered difficult weather down the Clyde, but the ship was not affected.’’ He was able to turn in at midnight and hand over the command ta a lieutenant. They gave an Irish mailpacket 15 minutes start and beat her by two hours. The airship flew a perfect course at night-time with directional wireless.