Repairs and overhaul of airships 100,000 Total charge $125,000 ---------- Total annual charges on above basis $4,947,500 Say $5,000,000 _Cost Chargeable per Crossing_: Taking the total number of crossings per year as 200 (London-New York)-- Proportion of annual charges per crossing $25,000 Petrol per trip, 30 tons at $125 per ton. 3,750 Oil per trip, 2 tons at $200 per ton 400 Hydrogen used, 750,000 cu. ft. at $2.50 per 1,000 cu. ft. 1,875 Cost of food per trip for crew of 19 and 100 passengers 2,000 -------- Total charge per crossing (London-New York) $33,025 The weight available for passengers and mails on each airship of the type projected would be fifteen tons. This permits the carrying of one hundred and forty passengers and effects, or ten tons of mails and fifty passengers. To cover the working costs and interest, passengers would have to be charged $240 per head and mails $2,025 per ton for the voyage London-New York. This charge for passengers is already less than that for the more expensive berths on transatlantic liners. Without a doubt, with the coming of cheaper fuel, lower insurance rates and larger airships, it will be reduced eventually to the cheapest rate for first-class passages on sea liners. With a fleet of four airships, a service of two trips each way per week is easily possible. For aëroplanes with a total load of forty tons the weight available for passengers and mails is 2.1 tons. If such a craft were to carry the same weekly load as the service of airships--thirty tons each way--it would be necessary to have fourteen machines continually in commission. Allowing for one hundred per cent. spare craft as standby for repairs and overhaul, twenty-eight aëroplanes would be required. The approximate cost of such a service is: _Capital Charges_: 28 aëroplanes at $600,000 each $16,750,000 28 aëroplane sheds at $50,000 each 1,400,000 Land for 4 aërodromes 500,000 Workshops and equipments 100,000 Spare parts, etc. 500,000 Wireless equipment 50,000 ----------- Total capital required $19,300,000 Annual charge at 10% interest $1,930,000