The cubic capacity of this airship was 6,300 cubic metres. A feature
was the comparatively large size of the ballonet used. To realise how
the Clement-Bayards have grown since this type of airship came to this
country, see table, French Military Airships, page 34.
_Astra-Torres Type._--The Astra-Torres airships may be said to form a
rather special subdivision of the non-rigid class, for, though there
is no rigid metal in its construction, an unbendableness of keel is
assured by panels of cloth so placed horizontally as to be kept rigid
by the pressure of the air in a ballonet. Thus the virtue of rigidity
is attained without the extra weight generally appertaining thereto,
and a greater speed with economy of weight and size. The British naval
authorities possess one of these airships. For dimensions, etc., of the
latest Astra-Torres airships, see table, French Military Airships, page
34.
It will have been seen from the above short descriptions of distinctive
types of airships Germany is the only nation which makes a very marked
feature of retaining the rigid form. It is true France has evolved one
form of rigid, the Spiess, in which the framework is made of wood,
but she undoubtedly has a preference for the semi-rigid and non-rigid
types. The rigid type has not found much favour in Great Britain.
Reckoning from the year 1911, France appears to have nineteen
military dirigibles, and she may have one or two older ones in
repair. Some of these are building; and as in France there are many
eminent aëronautical factories, there are always also a number of
private airships built, or in building, of various sizes and various
types. These firms have enormous private airship hangars, and every
convenience for making, filling, and storing. The number of military
hangars in France is seven, at the following towns: Epinal, Maubeuge,
Belfort, Rheims, Toul, and Verdun, where there are two.
In the spring of 1913 the Italian military dirigible fleet consisted of
two units of Series M--M1 and M2--dirigibles of 12,000 cubic metres,
and three units building of Series M--M3, M4, and M5.
These dirigibles of the M series were found in practice to be the most
successful; they attained a speed of 70 kilometres per hour, and a
height of 2,000 metres; they are all semi-rigid. The Italian Government
is ambitious of rivalling in its aëronautical fleet that of Germany,
and decided in that year, 1913, on a new series--Series G. These
were to be of 24,000 cubic metres, and to travel at a speed of 100
kilometres the hour.
AIRSHIPS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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