BRITISH ARMY AIRSHIP.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10012, 7 April 1910, Page 7

BRITISH ARMY AIRSHIP.

FLIGHT AT ALDERSHOT.

SUC' TRIAL,

The authorities of the War Bal- > loon Factory at Aide'shot sprang a great surprise on the public on Hat- i urday morning, February 12th, by j launching a new military dirigible balloon,the fourth and biggest of the | series built in the factory. So well ; guarded was the secret of it's con- j struction th-it no one outside the act- . ual shed within which it built j knew of its existenc 1 , s.o that t : eie | was hardly anyone on Fa:nborough| Common when the great of the ■ shed rolled apart iweaiing t' e mon ■ ster balloon ready for flight. i It is about 120 ft long, and shaped i i like a well trade cigar, e::cep : ; that at the tail there juts out on either side large balloonots, which aid in j ste:--dy 1 r.gr and lifting. I'he material , for the envelope, which is of Coiv in- ' ental manufacture, is pure libber specially treated and joined. Tm long, narrow car below is < f light j metal framework, pointed at e ;ich | end, the engines being fitted just forward of the centre, where the e;rea'est lifting capacity is, the navigator's deck being just forward of that. The car is attached by fine steel wires to a rib running entirely round the envelope just below the centre line. The engines are of 100 h.p., and the two pairs of aluminium propellers, one on each side, are driven at a wonderfully high speed. They are fixed to a movable axle, which can be elevated or depressed at will to alter the course of the currents set up. Rising and descending is mainly accomplished by the two pairs of deflecting plants placed at each end of the car, and controlled from the navigator's deck, whilst perfect steering is obtained by the double rudders, one above the other, fixed at the end ot the car. The dirigible out of its dock by engineers, under the direction of Colonel J. hi. Capper, C.8., and he, with Lieutenant WaterJow, j were the occupants of the navigator's bridge, whilst the engineers' deck as occupied by MrMcWade, the expert mechanic engaged at the factory, and Mr S. Green, the maker of the engines. Hardly a score of spectators were present when the dirigible was released for her maiden vovage, but i the sight of the monster in the air quickly drew hundreds of people to the common. Rising gracefully, the dirigible first described various evolutions over the common, with the engines working at half speed, The rudders answered splendidly, and then ascending to more than I,oooft in the air, , Colonel Capper set a wide circular course some fifteen miles in extent, which was covered in little more than half an hour on an even keel, the wind apparently having very little, if any, effect on the speed and steadiness of the dirigible. Arriving once more over the com mon the engines" were stopped and a steady and successful descent was made, the car stopping some six feet from the earth near the factory, and was at once taken charge of by the waiting sappers, who towed it back j into the shed. It was apparent that the lifting capacity of the dirigible was much more than that of the crew of four men carried, quite a quantity of ballast in bags being taken up.