oast of America to Australia or
Japan, the airship will be peculiarly suitable."

He also remarked that, "it having been conceded that the scope of the
airship is long-distance travel, the only type which need be considered
for this purpose is the rigid. The rigid airship is still in an
embryonic state, but sufficient has already been accomplished in this
country, and more particularly in Germany, to show that with increased
capacity there is no reason why, within a few years' time, airships
should not be built capable of completing the circuit of the globe and
of conveying sufficient passengers and merchandise to render such an
undertaking a paying proposition."

The report of the Civil Aerial Transport Committee also states that,
"airships are the most suitable aircraft for the carrying of passengers
where safety, comfort and reliability are essential."

When we consider the rapid development of the rigid airship since 1914,
it should not be insuperable to construct an airship with the
capabilities suggested by General Sykes. In 1914, the average
endurance of the Zeppelin at cruising speed was under one day and the
maximum full speed about 50 miles per hour. In 1918, the German L 70,
which is of 2,195,000 cubic feet capacity, the endurance at 45 miles
per hour has risen to 7.4 days and the maximum full speed to 77 miles
per hour. The "ceiling" has correspondingly increased from 6,000 feet
to 23,000 feet.

The British R 38 class, at present building, with a capacity of
approximately 2 3/4 million cubic feet has an estimated endurance at 45
miles per hour of 211 hours or 8.8 days, which is 34 hours greater than
the German L 70 class. It is evident that for a ship of this calibre
the crossing of the Atlantic will possess no difficulty, and as an
instance of what has already been accomplished in the way of a
long-distance flight the exploit of a Zeppelin airship based in
Bulgaria during the war is sufficiently remarkable. This airship in
the autumn of 1917 left the station at Jamboli to carry twelve tons of
ammunition for the relief of a force operating in German East Africa.
Having crossed the Mediterranean, she proceeded up the course of the
Nile until she had reached the upper waters of this river. Information
was then received by wireless of the surrender of the force, and that
its commander, Von Lettow, was a fugitive in the bush. She thereupon
set out for home and reached her station in safety, having bee