he car and the
cabin. The keel also provided the walking way from end to end of the
ship, and amidships was widened out to form a cabin and wireless
compartment.

The wiring of the transverse frames was radial and performed similar
functions to the spokes of a bicycle wheel. These wires could be
tightened up at the centre at a steel ring through which they were
threaded and secured by nuts.

In addition to the radial wires were the lift wires, which were led to
the two points on the transverse frames which were attached to the
keel; on the inflation of the gasbags, the bags themselves pressed upon
the longitudinal girders on the top of the ship, which pressure was
transferred to the transverse frames and thence by means of the several
lift wires to the keel. In this way all the stresses set up by the gas
were brought finally to the keel in which we have already said lay the
main strength of the ship.

The hull was divided by the transverse frames into seventeen
compartments each containing a single gasbag. The bags were composed
of rubber-proofed fabric lined with gold-beater's skin to reduce
permeability, and when completely full gave a total volume of 890,000
cubic feet. Two types of valve were fitted to each bag, one the
Parseval type of valve with the pressure cone as fitted in No. 1, the
other automatic but also controlled by hand.

To distribute the pressure evenly throughout the upper longitudinal
frames, and also to prevent the gasbags bulging between the girders,
nets were fitted throughout the whole structure of the hull.

The whole exterior of the ship was fitted with an outer cover, to
protect the gasbags and hull framework from weather and to render the
outer surface of the ship symmetrical and reduce "skin friction" and
resistance to the air to a minimum. To enable this cover to be easily
removed it was made in two sections, a port and starboard side for each
gasbag. The covers were laced to the hull framework and the
connections were covered over with sealing strips to render the whole
weathertight.

The system of fins for stabilizing purposes on No. 9 were two--vertical
and horizontal. The vertical fin was composed of two parts, one above
and the other below the centre line of the ship.

They were constructed of a framework of duralumin girders, covered over
with fabric. The fins were attached on one edge to the hull structure
and wire braced from the other edge to various positions on