aeroplanes and dirigibles of war-第9节

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undergoes　a　severe　diminution。　　A　full…rigged　airship　such　as　the

Parseval；　for　instance；　may　present　a　picturesque　appearance；　but

it　is　severely　unscientific；　inasmuch　as　if　it　were　possible　to

eliminateor　to　reduce　the　air…resistance　offered　by　the　ropes；

the　speed　efficiency　might　be　raised　by　some　sixty　per　cent　and

that　without　any　augmentation　of　the　propelling　effort。　　As　a

matter　of　fact　Zeppelin　solved　this　vexatious　problem

unconsciously。　　In　his　monster　craft　the　resistance　to　the　air　is

reduced　to　a　remarkable　degree；　which　explains　why　these　vessels；

despite　all　their　other　defects　are　able　to　show　such　a　turn　of

speed。



It　was　this　feature　of　the　Zeppelin　which　induced　Great　Britain

to　build　the　May…fly　and　which　likewise　induced　the　French

Government　to　stimulate　dirigible　design　and　construction　among

native　manufacturers；　at　the　same　time；　however；　insisting　that

such　craft　should　be　equal　at　least　in　speed　to　the　Zeppelins。　

The　response　to　this　invitation　was　the　Spiess；　which　with　its

speed　of　45　miles　per　hour　ranked；　until　1914；　as　one　of　the

fastest　dirigibles　in　the　French　service。



In　the　meantime　a　Spanish　engineer；　Senor　Torres；　had　been

quietly　working　out　a　new　idea。　　He　realised　the　shortcomings　of

the　prevailing　types　of　airships　some　eleven　years　ago；　and

unostentatiously　and　painstakingly　set　out　to　eliminate　them　by

the　perfection　of　a　new　type　of　craft。　　He　perfected　his　idea；

which　was　certainly　novel；　and　then　sought　the　assistance　of　the

Spanish　Government。　　But　his　fatherland　was　not　adapted　to　the

prosecution　of　the　project。　　He　strove　to　induce　the　authorities

to　permit　even　a　small　vessel　to　be　built；　but　in　vain。　　He　then

approached　the　French　Astra　Company。　　His　ambition　was　to　build　a

vessel　as　large　as　the　current　Zeppelin；　merely　to　emphasise　the

value　of　his　improvement　upon　a　sufficiently　large　scale；　and　to

enable　comparative　data　concerning　the　two　designs　to　be

obtained。　　But　the　bogey　of　expense　at　first　proved　insuperable。　

However；　the　French　company；　decided　to　give　the　invention　a

trial；　and　to　this　end　a　small　〃vedette〃　of　about　53；000　cubic

feet　displacement　was　built。



Although　an　unpretentious　little　vessel；　it　certainly　served　to

emphasise　the　importance　of　the　Torres　idea。　　It　was　pitted

against　the　〃Colonel　Renard；〃　the　finest　ship　at　that　time　in　the

French　aerial　service；　which　had　proved　the　fastest　airship　in

commission；　and　which　also　was　a　product　of　the　Astra　Company。　

But　this　fine　craft　was　completely　outclassed　by　the　puny

Astra…Torres。



The　builders　and　the　inventor　were　now　additionally　anxious

to　illustrate　more　emphatically　the　features　of　this　design　and

to　build　a　far　larger　vessel。　　The　opportunity　was　offered　by　the

British　Government；　which　had　been　following　the　experiments　with

the　small　Astra…Torres　in　France。　　An　order　was　given　for　a

vessel　of　282；500　cubic　feet　displacement；　in　this　instance　it

was　ranged　against　another　formidable　rivalthe　Parseval。　　But

the　latter　also　failed　to　hold　its　own　against　the　Spanish

invention；　inasmuch　as　the　Astra…Torres　built　for　the　British

authorities　exceeded　a　speed　of　50　miles　per　hour　in　the　official

tests。　　This　vessel　is　still　doing　valuable　duty；　being　attached

to　the　British　air…service　in　France。



The　achievements　of　the　British　vessel　were　not　lost　upon　the

French　Government；　which　forthwith　placed　an　order　for　a　huge

vessel　of　812；200　cubic　feet　capacity；　equipped　with　motors

developing　1；000　horse…power；　which　it　was　confidently　expected

would　enable　a　speed　of　60　miles　per　hour　to　be　attained。　　Thus

France　would　be　able　to　meet　the　Germans　upon　fairly　level　terms；

inasmuch　as　the　speed　of　the　latest　Zeppelins　does　not　exceed　60

miles　per　hour。　　So　confident　were　the　authorities　that　a　second

order　for　an　even　larger　vessel　was　placed　before　the　first　large

craft　was　completed。



This　latter　vessel　is　larger　than　any　Zeppelin　yet　built；　seeing

that　it　displaces　38　tons；　and　is　fitted　with　motors　developing

1；000　horse…power。　　It　has　recently　been　completed；　and　although

the　results　of　the　trials；　as　well　as　the　dimensions　of　the　craft

have　not　been　published；　it　is　well　known　that　the　speed　has

exceeded　60　miles　per　hour；　so　that　France　now　possesses　the

speediest　dirigible　in　the　world。



The　Torres　invention　has　been　described　as　wonderful；

scientifically　perfect　and　extremely　simple。　　The　vessel　belongs

to　the　non…rigid　class；　but　the　whole　of　the　suspension　system　is

placed　within　the　gas…bag；　so　that　the　air…resistance　offered　by

ropes　is　virtually　eliminated　in　its　entirety；　for　the　simple

reason　that　practically　no　ropes　are　placed　outside　the　envelope。　

The　general　principle　of　design　may　be　gathered　from　the

accompanying　diagram。　　It　is　as　if　three　sausage…shaped　balloons

were　disposed　pyramidallytwo　lying　side　by　side　with　one

super…imposed；　with　the　bags　connected　at　the　points　where　the

circular　sections　come　into　contact。　　Thus　the　external

appearance　of　the　envelope　is　decidedly　unusual；　comprising　three

symmetrical　ridges。　　At　the　points　where　the　three　bags　come　into

contact　cloth　bands　are　stretched　across　the　arcs；　thereby

forming　a　cord。　　The　suspension　system　is　attached　to　the　upper

corners　of　the　inverted　triangle　thus　formed；　and　converges　in

straight　lines　through　the　gas　space。　　The　bracing　terminates　in

collecting　rings　from　which　a　short　vertical　cable　extends

downwards　through　a　special　accordion　sleeve　to　pass　through　the

lower　wall　of　the　envelope。　　These　sleeves　are　of　special　design；

the　idea　being　to　permit　the　gas　to　escape　under　pressure　arising

from　expansion　and　at　the　same　time　to　provide　ample　play　for　the

cable　which　is　necessary　in　a　flexible　airship。



This　cable　emerges　from　the　envelope　only　at　the　point　or　points

where　the　car　or　cars　is　or　are　placed。　　In　the　British　airship

of　this　type　there　is　only　one　car；　but　the　larger　French　vessels

are　equipped　with　two　cars　placed　tandem…wise。　　The　vertical

cable；　after　extending　downwards　a　certain　distance；　is　divided；

one　rope　being　attached　to　one；　and　the　second　to　the　other　side

of　the　car。　　The　two…bladed　propellers　are　disposed　on　either

side　of　the　car；　in　each　of　which　a　500　horse…power　motor　is

placed。



The　Astra…Torres　type　of　dirigible　may　be　said　to　represent　the

latest　expression　in　airship　design　and　construction。　　The

invention　has　given　complete　satisfaction；　and　has　proved

strikingly　successful。　　The　French　Government　has　completed

arrangements　for　the　acquisition　of　larger　and　more　powerful

vessels　of　this　design；　being　now　in　the　position　to　contest

every　step　that　is　made　by　Germany　in　this　field。　　The　type　has

also　been　embraced　by　the　Russian　military　authorities。　　The

Astra…Torres　airship　has　a　rakish　appearance；　and　although　the

lines　of　the　gas…bag　are　admitted　to　increase　frictional

resistance；　this　is　regarded　as　a　minor　defect；　especially　when

the　many　advantages　of　the　invention　are　taken　into

consideration。







CHAPTER　V

GERMANY'S　AERIAL　DREADNOUGHT　FLEET



Although　Germany；　as　compared　with　France；　was　relatively　slow　to

recognise　the　immense　possibilities　of　aircraft；　particularly

dirigibles；　in　the　military　sense；　once　the　Zeppelin　had　received

the　well…wishes　of　the　Emperor　William；　Teuton　activities　were　so

pronounced　as　to　enable　the　leeway　to　be　made　up　within　a　very

short　while。　　While　the　Zeppelin　commanded　the　greatest　attention

owing　to　the　interesting　co…operation　of　the　German　Emperor；　the

other　types　met　with　official　and　royal　recognition　and

encouragement　as　already　mentioned。　　France；　which　had　held　premier

position　in　regard　to　the　aerial　fleet　of　dirigibles　for　so　long；

was　completely　out…classed；　not　only　in　dimensions　but　also　in

speed；　as　well　as　radius　of　action　and　strategical　distribution　of

the　aerial　forces。



The　German　nation　forged　ahead　at　a　great　pace　and　was　able　to

establish　a　distinct　supremacy；　at　least　on　paper。　　In　the　light

of　recent　events　it　is　apparent　that　the　German　military

authorities　realised　that　the　dawn　of　〃The　Day〃　was　approaching

rapidly；　and　that　it　behoved　them　to　be　as　fully　prepared　in　the

air　as　upon　the　land。　　It　was　immaterial　that　the　Zeppelin　was

the　synonym　for　disaster。　　By　standardisation　its　cost　could　be

reduced　while　construction　could　be　expedited。　　Furthermore；　when

the　matter　was　regarded　in　its　broadest　aspect；　the　fact　was

appreciated　that　forty　Zeppelins　could　be　built　at　the　cost　of

one　super…Dreadnought；　so　that　adequate　allowance　could　be　made

for　accidents　now　and　then；　since　a　Zeppelin　catastrophe；　no

matter　how　complete　it　may　be；　is　regarded　by　the　Teuton　as　a

mere　incident　inseparable　from　progressive　development。



At　the　beginning　of　the　year　1914　France　relied　upon　being

strengthened　by　a　round　dozen　new　dirigibles。　　Seven　of　these