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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 1057.PDF
OCTOBER 23, 1914. gearing. A portion of the structure carrying the pro pellers is usually enclosed in fabric, probably in order to damp out any rolling movement that may be set up, thus performing a function similar, to that of the bilge keels on a ship. At the rear are carried the tail planes, which consist of a series of vertical and horizontal movable surfaces hinged to form rudders and elevators, and of another series of fixed horizontal and vertical surfaces performing the duty -of fins or stabilizing planes. 5. The Army Airship Ersatz P II. Of the other airships belonging to the rigid type the most successful and best known is the Schiitte-Lanz, which resembles the Zeppelin in outward appearance, with the exception that the hull is of streamline form and not as in the case of the Zeppelin straight-sided. Constructionally the Schutte-Lanz differs from the Zeppelin in that the framework is not built of aluminium as in the former, but is constructed throughout of three- ply and multi-ply wood. This form of construction is somewhat heavier than aluminium, and the useful load of the Schiitte-Lanz is therefore comparatively smaller than that of the Zeppelins. Apart from constructional and other divergencies, the disposition of the cars differs from 7. The Army Airship S, L. L Zeppelin practice in that whereas in the former the cars are placed close beneath the keel, they are in the Schiitte-Lanz placed some distance below the hull. In the Schiitte-Lanz II there are four cars, distributed in the following manner : Approximately amidships are mounted two cars side by side, and so far apart as the diameter of the envelope. A short distance behind these two cars, ® ® Further Trials with Langley Aeroplane. AFTER the tests with the Langley monoplane, made by Mr. Glenn Curtiss some months ago, the machine was put aside, as time could not be spared for further experi ments. It was, however, brought out again on September 19th, having in the interval been fitted with a 1/ycHT] but under the centre line of the envelope, is placed a third car, whilst near the nose of the airship is a fourth car, also centrally mounted. Immediately in front of the 4ast-mentioned car is an enclosed cabin providing accommodation for the navigating crew. Each of the four cars contains a 180 h.p. Maybach engine driving a single two-bladed propeller, and the mechanics in charge of the engines are also, of course, accommodated in these cars. The tail planes are of a somewhat simpler type than are those of the Zeppelins, the vertical and horizontal planes being symmetrical and consisting of single planes instead of the superimposed planes of the Zeppelins. Owing to the better stream-line form 6f the hull of the Schiitte-Lanz, these are probably faster, other things being equal, than the Zeppelins. As against this advantage must be counted the greater weight of the wood construction, which renders the ratio of the useful load to the weight of the airship smaller in the case of the S.L. than in the Zeppelins. The most successful representatives of the semi-rigid airship type are those built by the Prussian War Office, 11. The Army Airship Z V. and designed by Major Gross, which are known officially as the " M " class. This type is a combination of the rigid and the non-rigid types, in so far as it has a supple gas bag of stream-line form, with a rigid keel built of steel tubes running along the bottom. From this keel is slung the car accommodating the engine and crew. The third and last of the three airship types is repre sented by the Parseval airship, which is characterised by a supple envelope, from which the car is slung without the intermediary of a rigid keel by means of ropes passing over the envelope. Although in size and speed these little airships cannot compare with the representative of the rigid type, they are nevertheless very useful for certain purposes, and possess the advantage that no great elaborate sheds are required in which to keep them, as they can be easily deflated and again inflated in almost any sheltered spot. (To be continued.) ® ® 90 h.p. Curtiss motor in place of its original engine. Slight modifications had also been made in the setting of the planes, the angle of incidence being reduced to ten degrees, and in the position of the floats. Piloted by Elwood Dougherty, it flew for 1,000 yardsand then, after planing down to the water, for another 800 yards.
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