were mounted at the
stern end of the keel, but these were later replaced by fins on the
stern of the envelope.

This ship was purchased by the naval authorities, and after purchase
was more or less reconstructed, but carried out little flying. At the
outbreak of war she was lying deflated in the shed at Farnborough. As
will be seen later, this was the envelope which was rigged to the
original experimental S.S. airship in the early days of 1915, and is
for this reason, if for no other, particularly interesting.

WILLOWS No. 5

This ship was of similar design, but of greater capacity. The
envelope, which was composed of rubber-proofed fabric, gave a volume of
50,000 cubic feet, and contained two ballonets. A 60 horsepower engine
drove two swivelling propellers at an estimated speed of 38 miles per
hour. She was constructed at Hendon, from where she made several short
trips.

MARSHALL FOX'S AIRSHIP

In the early days of the war an airship was constructed by Mr. Marshall
Fox which is worthy of mention, although it never flew. It was claimed
that this ship was a rigid airship, although from its construction it
could only be looked upon as a non-rigid ship, having a wooden net-work
around its envelope. The hull was composed of wooden transverse frames
forming a polygon of sixteen sides, with radial wiring fitted to each
transverse frame. The longitudinal members were spiral in form and
were built up of three-ply lathes. A keel of similar construction ran
along the under side of the hull which carried the control position and
compartments for two Green engines, one of 40 horse-power, the other of
80 horse-power, together with the petrol, bombs, etc.

In the hull were fitted fourteen gasbags giving a total capacity of
100,000 cubic feet. The propeller drive was obtained by means of a
wire rope. The gross lift of the ship was 4,276 lb., and the weight of
the structure, complete with engines, exceeded this.

It became apparent that the ship could never fly, and work was
suspended. She was afterwards used for carrying out certain
experiments and at a later date was broken up.

Apart from the various airships built under contract for the Government
there do not appear to be any other ships built by private firms which
were completed and actually flew. It is impossible to view this lack
of enterprise with any other feelings than those of regret, and it was
entirely due to this want of foresight that Great B