Popular Science Monthly 



521 



A Zeppelin Acts Like an Aeroplane 



Speed converts a Zeppelin into a kind 

 of aeroplane. Early in his experi- 

 ments. Count von Zeppelin provided his 

 giants with flat steadying planes. They 

 are like the feathers on an arrow — steady- 

 ing devices. Their effect must not be 

 confused with that of the envelope itself. 

 Any surface driven at high speed through 

 the air has a^ lifting effect. That is why 

 aeroplanes stay up at all. \^'hen 

 the speed is ver\' high and when 

 the surface is designed as a 

 Zeppelin's is, the lifting 

 effect is so pronounced 

 that the gas plays 

 almost a negligible 

 part in keeping the 



A Zeppelin can drop bombs on the Texas all day without doing any more damage than 

 blowing away the unarmored superstructure. She is armed with machine guns to ward off 

 attacking aeroplanes and she carries a powerful wireless set for long-range communication 



