14. ASTRA-TORRES I 1911

The general features of the _Astra_ class are: Non-rigid, weights distributed by means of a long girder hung under the gas bags, a long nacelle, and inflated stabilising shapes at the rear end of the balloon. The _Astra-Torres_ type are also non-rigid, but of trefoil section with a short nacelle. The Compagnie Generale Transaerienne was first established in 1909 with _Transaerienne I_, and during the summers 1909, 1910 and 1911, this ship made a total of 273 ascents, carried 2590 passengers, and voyaged 7990 kilometres. The Astra firm has dirigible hangers at Issy, Pau, Meaux, and Reims. Its constructional capacity is sufficient to build six dirigibles at any one time. "ASTRA I-TRANSAERIEN-VILLE DE PAU-VILLE DE LUCERNE" (1909). [Illustration] ~Maximum length,~ 197 feet (60 m.) ~maximum diameter,~ 40 feet (12.20 m.) ~volume,~ 158,000 c. feet (4,475 m cubed.) ~Total lift.~--Just over 7 tons=15,763 lbs. (7,150 kgs.) ~Useful lift,~ lbs. ( kgs.) ~Gas bags.~--Continental rubbered fabric, yellow. ~Motor.~--One 90-100 C. Bayard. ~Speed.~--27 m.p.h. (43 k.p.h.) ~Propellers.~--One. [Illustration: SIDE ELEVATION] COLONEL RENARD. Military (1909). [Illustration] ~Maximum length,~ 213 feet (65 m.) ~maximum diameter,~ 35 feet (10.50 m.) ~volume,~ 145,000 c. feet (4,200 m cubed.) ~Total lift.~--9,921 lbs. (4,500 kgs.)=about 4-1/2 tons. ~Gas bags.~--Yellow coloured rubber proofed Continental fabric. ~Motor.~--One 110 h.p. 4-cylinder Panhard. ~Speed.~--29 m.p.h. ~Propellers.~--1, at the front end of the car. "Integrale." ~Steering.~--Elevators. Remarks.--The two side stabilising shapes are duplicated, as they were in the _Ville de Paris_. A webbing stretched on steel tubes is introduced between the inner edges of the 4 main stabilising shapes to provide extra stabilising surface. [Illustration: COLONEL RENARD. UDS Note.--An elevator aft has since been added.] Improved _Col. Renard's_ are:-- LIEUT. CHAURE. Military (1911). ADJUTANT REAU. Military (1911) TRANSAERIEN II (1911). Particulars of these are as follows:-- --------------------+-----------------------------+----------------------------+----------------------------- | _Lieut. Chaure._ | _Adjutant Reau._ | _Transaerien II._ --------------------+-----------------------------+----------------------------+----------------------------- ~Length~ | 275-1/2 feet (83.8 m.) | 285 feet (86.78 m.) | 250 feet (76.25 m.) ~Diameter~ | 46 feet (14 m.) | 46 feet (14 m.) | 46 feet (14 m.) ~Volume~ | 312,550 c. ft. (8,850 m cubed.) | 314,000 c. ft. (8950 m cubed.) | 318,000 c. ft. (9,000 m cubed.) ~Motors~ | 2 Panhard, each 110 h.p. | 2 Brasier, each 110 h.p. | 2 of 175 h.p. each ~Speed~ (p.h.) | 32 m. (53 km.) | 32 m. (53 km.) | 34 m. (56 km.) --------------------+-----------------------------+----------------------------+----------------------------- Notes.--All have 1 propeller forward of 6 m. diameter, and 2 aft of 3.70 m. The _Lieut. Chaure's_ empeunage is by ballonets; in the other two a cellular system and automatic stabilisation are the special feature. +----------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Appearance practically the same as for _Colonel Renard_. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------+ ECLAIREUR CONTE. Military. (1912) Nominal volume, 6,500 m cubed. [Illustration] ~Length,~ 213 feet (65 m.) ~diameter,~ 46 feet (14 m.) ~volume,~ 234,500 c. feet (6,640 m cubed.) ~Ballonets.~--Volume, 71,770 c. feet (2,032 m cubed) empeunage: cellular. ~Nacelle.~--Length, 115 feet (35 m.) Breadth, 5-1/2 feet (1.60 m.) Height _about_ 6 feet (2-1.50 m.) ~Motor.~--2 Chenu, 80 h.p. Hele-Shaw clutch. ~Speed.~--_About_ 28 m.p.h. (43-45 km.p.h.) ~Propellers.~--2 central aft, each of 4 m. (13 feet) diameter. 650 r.p.m. ~Empeunage.~--Cellular, Stabilisation automatic. Notes.--In this type the usual Astra style, rear of gas bag, is entirely done away with. Surface of each elevator is 18m squared, of the rudder 33m squared. There are 2 petrol reservoirs, each of 180 litre capacity. ~Weights.~ lbs. (kgs.) Crew 838 (380) Details 1367 (620) Tools, etc. 220 (100) "Lest d'altitude" 2205 (1000) " securite 661 (300) ---- ------ Total 5291 (2400) ASTRA-TORRES I. [Illustration] ~Length,~ 157 feet (47.72 m.) ~diameter,~ 33 feet (10 m.) ~volume,~ 68,150 c. feet (1,930 m cubed.) ~Ballonets.~--Volume, 11,300 c. feet (320 m cubed.) ~Nacelle.~--Length, 18 feet (5.50 m.) Breadth, 5 feet (1.50 m.) Height, 6-1/2 feet (2 m.) ~Useful lift.~--1,219 lbs. (553 kgs.) ~Motor.~--1 Chenu, 55 h.p., at 1,380 r.p.m. Clutch, Ruban. ~Speed.~--31 m.p.h. (50 km.) ~Endurance~ _about_ 5 hours. ~Propeller.~--1 in rear of nacelle. Diameter, 14-3/4 feet (4.50 m.) Notes.--The special feature of this type is that it is constructed in three lobes, two below and one above. This particular ship is merely experimental, and is known as a "Vedette." Three models of it are to be obtained, (1) this 55 h.p. of 1,930 m cubed. volume. (2) a 75 h.p. of 2,000 m cubed. nominal volume. (3) a 110 h.p. of from 3,000-3,500 m cubed. volume. This latter is designed to have two propellers instead of one. Larger editions of the type are also projected as follows:-- ~"Scouts:"~ 4500-6300 m cubed. of 200 h.p. (2 motors.) ~"Transaeriens:"~ 7,000-8,000 m cubed. of 400 h.p. (2 motors.) ~"Dreadnoughts:"~ 12,000 m cubed. or so, of 750 h.p. (4 motors.) [Illustration: UDS] =CLEMENT-BAYARD CLASS.= Usines Clement-Bayard, 33, quai Michelet, Levallois-Perret (Seine). These dirigibles closely resemble the _Astra_ class in some main particulars; but (excepting _I_) differ from them in the sharp sterns and absence of stabilisers on stern. The ships of this class are:-- 1 CLEMENT-BAYARD I (Kommissionny) Russian Military 2 " II British Military (wrecked) 3 " 4 " IV (_Adjutant Vincennot_) French Military 5 " V (_Fleurus_) " 6 " VI Private 7 " VII French Military (_building_), To be of 17,000 m cubed. ADJUTANT VINCENNOT. Military. (1911.) (Clement-Bayard IV.) [Illustration] ~Maximum length,~ 251 feet (76.50 m.) ~maximum diameter,~ 43 feet (13.22 m.) ~volume,~ 7,500 m cubed. ~Total lift.~--Nearly 8 tons (8,000 kgs.) ~Useful lift,~ 2-3/4 tons (2717 kgs.) ~Gasbags.~--Continental rubbered fabric. Weight, 380 grammes per m squared. Strength 1,000 kg. per metre. Leakage under 10 litres per m squared per 24 hours. ~Motors.~--2 Clement motors, 4-cylinder, of 130 h.p., each placed on either side of the motor space. ~Speed.~--35 m.p.h. (56 km.) ~Propellers.~--2 Chauviere. Diameter, 19-3/4 feet (6 m.) Placed one on either side of the motors, well above the level. ~Steering.~--Vertical steering by means of a treble horizontal rudder over the rear end of the car. Horizontal steering by means of 2 vertical rudders placed one on each side of the rear horizontal rudder. Remarks.--The feature of this _C.B._ type, which distinguishes it from the Astra ships of about the same size, is the arrangement of the propellers and the use of a 2 speed gear in connection with these. Normally each motor drives its own propeller through two sets of gearing connected by a Cardan shaft. On stopping one motor, the stopped motor is unclutched from its propeller shaft, which is then connected up by chain drive to the opposite shaft. The running motor is then put on to a "low gear," so that it can make the revolutions necessary for obtaining full power, while the propellers run slower than before. The ratio of "low gear" to "high" is 2 to 1, so that a single motor will be running under its best conditions when well throttled down. A sister, _C. Bayard II_ was sold to the British Army, and wrecked or dismantled, 1911. LIST OF WEIGHTS. kgs. Gas bag 1,350 Valves (4) 45 Suspension 195 Girder (complete with fittings) Bow portion (6 m. long.) 128 Engine room (2.5 m.) 1,390 Bridge and passenger space (12 m.) 957 After part (18 m.) 182 Raised tail (4.5 m.) 63 2 Propeller brackets 378 2 Propellers 230 Rudders 150 Water 140 Trail ropes 75 ----- Total 5,283 Lift 8,000 ----- Balance, for ballast fuel, oil, crew 2,717 FLEURUS. Military. (C.B. V.) (1912.) C. BAYARD VI. (Private.) (1913.) These two are slightly smaller sisters of the _Adjutant Vincennot_. =LEBAUDY CLASS.= Ateliers Lebaudy Freres, Moisson, par La Roche-Guyon (Seine-et-Oise). ~DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS:~ The cars are short and suspended from a long keel which is suspended close up to the gas bag, and is mostly covered in with fireproof canvas. The rear end of the keel is expanded into fixed vertical and horizontal fins, and carries a vertical and a horizontal rudder. The rear end of the gas bag is fitted with thin fixed planes (compare with the pear shaped or tubular fins of the "Astra" class). The cars are provided underneath with an extraordinarily strong conical structure, which takes the shock of striking the ground and distributes it over the whole car. Aeroplanes are now fitted, one each side of the keel, well forward. Ships of this class which have been built:-- ~LEBAUDY I~ ~French Military Airship.~ Rebuilt 1909 into _Lebaudy II_. } now