(ii.) _Schutte-Lanz_ (German).--The Schutte-Lanz rigid airship is an attempt to secure the advantages of the rigid type without the fragilities of the Zeppelin. The framework, which contains the separate gas compartments, is made of fir wood. The gas-bags are claimed to be very strong. These are filled, excepting two, which remain empty when there is only sea-level pressure; when, however, the gas expands, it flows into the latter. These become full when an altitude of some 2,000 metres is reached. A centrifugal pump is employed for distributing the gas. The volume of this airship is 26,000 cubic metres (918,000 cubic feet). It will be seen, therefore, that this mammoth airship in size surpasses even the largest Zeppelins. II. SEMI-RIGID. (i.) _Lebaudy_ (French).--This airship is a crossbreed between the rigid and non-rigid systems. By this method of construction a considerable amount of support can be imparted to the gas-bag, though it does not dispense with the services of the ballonet, as does the entirely rigid type. To the genius of M. Julliot, Messrs. Lebaudy Brothers’ engineer, we are indebted for the introduction of this excellent type. It no doubt forms an exceedingly serviceable military airship. In the Lebaudy original airship the underside of the balloon consisted of a flat, rigid, oval floor made of steel tubes; to these the stability planes were attached, and the car with its engine and propellers was suspended. This secured a more even distribution of weight over the balloon. The gas-bag was dissymmetrical in form. Though not exactly resembling that excellent pattern, “La France,” it partook of the important quality of having the master diameter near the front. The car was a steel frame, covered with canvas, and in the form of a boat. The screw propellers were placed on either side of the car. In 1909, as the British Government at that time possessed only very small airships, the nation raised a sum of money by subscription to present the Government with one of efficient size. The military authorities compiled a list of somewhat severe tests which, in their opinion, they thought an airship should be able to perform before acceptance. At the request of the Advisory Committee, of which Lord Roberts was chairman, the writer went to France in an honorary capacity to select the type of airship to be adopted. There was at that time only one firm of airship makers in France who were willing to undertake the formidable task of making an airship that would come up to the requirements of the British Government--the brothers Lebaudy, whose engineer and airship designer was M. Julliot. The semi-rigid airship which M. Julliot designed and executed was without doubt a _chef d’œuvre_ of its kind. The rigid tests it had to undergo necessitated a modification of some of the details that were conspicuous in the airships the constructor had previously built.