AERONAUTICS: Imperial Airships

The British Government has decided to establish an airship service between London, India and Australia. To start the line, £600,000 will be raised — £200,000 by private subscription and £400,000 by Government loan. Service will be bi-weekly and flights will take three and a half days to Bombay and a week to Australia — less than one-fourth the time now required. The first airship to be built will have a capacity of 4,000,000 cubic feet, a displacement of 150 tons and carry 200 passengers in comfort in addition to goods and mail. Much has been learnt since previous disasters with dirigibles, and six old airships will be used for severe experimental tests over this route. Gasoline will be replaced by a non-inflammable mixture of hydrogen and kerosene. Besides linking up the Empire, the airship service will greatly strengthen Britain’s air forces, the ships reverting to the Government in case of war.