Review of Beviews,:ill/lS. PROGRESS OF THE WORLD. 



853 



THE INGENIOUS " BARON " AIRSHIP. 



Drawn by W. B. Bohinson, from particu- 

 lars supplied by the owners, for the "Illus- 

 trated London News." 



The maiu principle on which Baron's dirigible is designed is that of a central double 

 cantilever skeleton surrounded by sectional gas-containers. The central cantilever, which is 

 stayed in both vertical and horizontal planes, is sufficiently strong to support the full weight 

 of all the gas-containers when deflated, and also to take the horizontal thrust required for a 

 speed of sixty miles per hour. The outer skin would be flexible, thus allowing for a yielding 

 of the central cantilever support, in the case of any sudden unsyrametrical pressure, without 

 damage to the outer skin. The construction affords the means of inspecting all the sectional 

 gas-containers and their connections by means of a longitudinal gangway running the whole 

 length of the airship. It is proposed also that four quadrautrshaped gas-containers of each 

 section should be inter-connected by flexible hose-pipe connections at the centre. The gas-bags 

 are arranged in position round the hub, and are divided across the ship into a large number 

 of sections, each section being sub-divided into four quadrants, the two upper quadrants touching 

 each other on the vertical centre-line of the ship, and touching the two bottom quadrants on the 

 horizontal centre-line; but the two bottom quadrants are of a smaller size, in order to allow 

 a passage about three feet wide between them from one end of the ship to the other immediately 

 below the hub. Each right-hand top quadrant is coupled by a flexible tube to its corresponding 

 left-hand bottom quadrant, and each left-hand top quadrant to the corresponding right-hand bot- 

 tom quadrant, the object of this arrangement being to allow gas expanded by heat on one side of 

 the ship to pass into the opposite cool quadrant, and eo minimise the loss of 

 gas due to varying temperatures. In the type illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the 

 central section contains no gas-bags, but forms the engine-room, crew's quarters, navigating- 

 room, etc. The engine-room is completely insulated in the gas section, and kept under forced 

 draught so as to prevent intrusion of gas. The ship is driven by internal combustion engines 

 driven by two propellera. 



