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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0209.PDF
APRIL 19, 1923 AIRSHIP PROGRESS IN AMERICA ALTHOUGH the U.S. of America, and American aviation in particular, received two very heavy blows in the loss of their British-built rigid airship ZR2, and later in the destruction of the newly acquired Italian semi-rigid airship "Roma," it cannot be said that the development of the lighter-than-air side of American aeronautics has been allowed to suffer in consequence. Not only is the construction of ZRi. the rigid airship designed by the U.S. Navy, making good progress at the Lakehurst and Akron " yards," but contracts for various other smaller types of airships have been, or are being, fulfilled. For instance, the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co., of Akron, Ohio, recently received an order for five non-rigid and one semi-rigid airships from the U.S. Army, whilst, in addition, there were three other non-rigids in hand for the U.S. Navy. In building the semi-rigid airship—its first.—America will have the aid of Umberto Nobile, the distinguished and expects to get back in his own factory by the timeconstruction is under way, so that he can supervise that work. The projected American ship is also called a " mother " airship, since it is intended to be used as an aeroplane carrier. Its great gas bag will have a capacity of 750,000 cubic feet. Hitherto the largest non-rigid ships built in the United States have had a capacity of 180,000 cubic feet of eas though some 203,000 cubic feet helium ships will be built very shortly. With a maximum speed of 70 m.p.h., it will have a flying range of 1,630 miles, and a cruising radius of more than 4,000 miles at 44 m.p.h., and it will be able to pick up and release aeroplanes while flying at full speed. The distinguishing feature of the semi-rigid ship is its metal keel running the length of the 300-ft. gas bag. The two-power cars containing engines and propellers and the navigator's car are to be suspended from this metal keel. m m m Two Goodyear Dirigibles: At the top the new J-l type of non-rigid built for the U.S. Navy, Below, a drawing of the large semi-rigid now under con. strut.ion for the U,S. Army. m m "' Mr.. m Italian engineer and co-inventor of the semi-rigid type of dirigibles. Engineer Nobile, to give him his official title, is Managing Director of . the Italian Government aircraft factory near Rome, and visited America on a three months' leave of absence, to assist in the calculation for building this new semi-rigid airship for the United States Army at the Goodyear aeronautic factory. The semi-rigid type of airship originated in Italy, just as the rigid or Zeppelin type originated in Germany, and Engineer Nobile is the foremost authority on this type of ship in Italy—if not in the world. In engaging him to come to America, the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. wanted to take every possible precaution of safety. Engineer Nobile personally calculated all the stresses that a semi-rigid is subject to during flight or when moored out in the open. Engineer Nobile has just completed the designs for a new semi-rigid ship for the Italian Government, only slightly smaller than the one being built for the American Army, while the huge gas bag will be attached to it at intervals of 10 ft. The envelope will be practically a single bag, and divided by a diaphragm lengthwise through the middle. In cross-section it will bear the shape of an inverted heart, placed over the metal keel. The latter terminates in a cone- shaped structure at each end, for the purpose of maintaining the shape of the envelope. It will be one of the largest semi-rigid ships in the world when it is completed, the only larger American airship being the ZRi, which will be 630 ft. long, and have a series of gas compartments or ballonets, with a total gas capacity of about 1 \ million feet. Both airships are to be completed next autumn, and will enable the American Government to test out the relative usefulness of the two types. The assembling of a new-type " J " non-rigid airship for the United States Navy was completed recently by the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. at Wingfoot Lake Air Station, Akron, Ohio. Of navy design, adapted frcm former navy types, the new ship embodies seveial features now 209' c 2
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