Show Ungainly Looking Blimp Proves 1 Effective Weapon By Dy Ho ard W. W Blakeslee Associated Press Science Editor AKRON Ohio Feb 8 The 8 The biggest biggest big big- gest part Jart of the that submarines submarines submarines sub sub- marines fear most packs inside a wooden case the size of two office desks That part is the entire huge envelope en- en of a blimp the airships airships airships air air- ships being built bunt at Goodyear plants near here for the navy The 10 crewmen who ride and live In to Inthe inthe the airships airship's control car would hardly squeeze inside the packing case which holds the gas bag Here in Akron the Goodyear men quote press dispatches stating stating stating stat stat- ing that Hitler regards these non- non rigid aircraft as the most effective effective effective tive antisubmarine weapon They fly faster than most express trains stand still in the air or drop floating anchors which enable their crews to descend to the surface of the ocean Cant Can't Be De Dodged Nothing afloat in water can dodge them Before the war It was customary for the Goodyear pilots to follow zigzag zig-zag farm tarm fences and winding country roads in p perfecting control over their ships They are assembled in a great hangar quite some distance from Akron Rows of of packing cases all envelopes stand along one side of the great room The other parts are even more inconspicuous One large truck could carry arry a all I par parts for ship and equipment although the truck not stand the weight Assembly begins by lifting an envelope out of a packing case and unrolling it to cover a great section of floor An air hose pumps ordinary air into the envelope envelop until it swells up like a monster silver sliver caterpillar Workmen enter from underneath under underneath under under- neath and fasten to the ceiling of Cf their tent umbrella-shaped umbrella fabrics fabrics fabrics fab fab- whose fabric ribs end in metal rings from which cables will later descend always Inside the bag to carry the car for the crew This job completed the air is pumped out of the envelope until it is again flat on the floor Next like throwing a net over a school of fish a a. peculiar sort of net is thrown over the flattened envelope These are ropes topes with sand bags tied to their ends The bags line lineup lineup lineup up all around the sides of the en en- Now helium is pumped into the envelope and as it billows upward upward upward up up- ward the weight of the sand bags controls the expansion and rise of the great bag As Its back lifts off the floor the top tall tail finis tin fin is set seton seton on the bag As It goes higher there is room for two side rear fins Lastly the under rear fin is fastened In place And before she goes any higher an American flag is fastened at the tall tail Few Rigid Parts Meanwhile at the front end a metal spider web has been fixed to the nose to render It rigid This Is the only rigid part of the ship except the control car In the last step the great envelope envelope envelope en en- rises clear of the floor ItIs It Itis Itis is stopped just high enough for workmen to assemble and fasten under the mid-belly mid the control car that houses crew engines and andall andall andall all equipment That done the ships ship's nose is hitched to a mast mast on on A tractor tows the mast outdoors and the great ship is ready to fly off to war The crews crews crews' of these ships probably probably probably ably have more fun grim as it may be be than In any other air air- ship Th They y are sed inside metal and glass of a safe variety They can lower a walk to step outside to the engine and propeller on either side They can cook and bunk on board They are outfitted outfitted outfitted out out- fitted for many other things Their ad adventures are not being told But unexpected events eventa relieve relieve relieve re re- re- re lieve monotony |