Green engine driving
swivelling propellers, the gears and shafts of which were made by Rolls
Royce. The engine drove the propeller shafts direct, one from each
end of the crankshaft.

Originally the envelope was fitted with inflated streamline stabilizers
on either side, but at a later date these were replaced by fixed
stabilizing planes. At the same time the Green engine was removed and
two Iris engines of 45 horse-power were installed, each driving a
single propeller. There were two pairs of elevators, each situated in
the framework, one forward, the other aft. In 1912, having been rigged
to a new envelope of 101,000 cubic feet capacity, the ship took part in
the autumn manoeuvres, and considerable use was made of wireless
telegraphy.

In a height reconnaissance the pilot lost his way, and running out of
petrol drifted all night, but was safely landed. When returning to
Farnborough the rudder controls were broken and the ship was ripped.
In this operation the framework was considerably damaged. When repairs
were being carried out the elevators were removed from the car
framework and attached to the stabilizing fins in accordance with the
method in use to-day.

CLEMENT-BAYARD

In 1910 it was arranged by a committee of Members of Parliament that
the Clement-Bayard firm should send over to England a large airship on
approval, with a view to its ultimate purchase by the War Office, and a
shed was erected at Wormwood Scrubs for its accommodation. This ship
arrived safely in October, but was very slow and difficult to control.
The envelope, moreover, was of exceedingly poor quality and consumed so
much gas that it was decided to deflate it. She was taken to pieces and
never rebuilt.

LEBAUDY

About the same time, interest having been aroused in this country by
the success of airships on the Continent, the readers of the Morning
Post subscribed a large sum to purchase an airship for presentation to
the Government. This was a large ship of 350,000 cubic feet capacity
and was of semi-rigid design, a long framework being suspended from the
envelope which supported the weight of the car. It had two engines of
150 horse-power which developed a speed of about 32 miles per hour.
The War Office built a shed at Farnborough to house it, and in
accordance with dimensions given by the firm a clearance of 10 feet
was allowed between the top of the ship and the roof of the shed.
Inconceivable as it may sound, the o