The Mastery of the Air

hout assistance from the gas which inflates its envelope and supplies the lifting power, while the latter, as its name impli

sel relies for its form ENTIRELY upon the pressure of the gas, which keeps the envelope disten

in war. A well-directed shell which pierced the balloon would undoubtedly be disastrous to air-ship and crew. For this reason the non-rigid balloon does not appear to have much future value as a fighting ship. But, as great speed can

e Parseval has been described as "a marvel of modern aeronautical construction", and also as "one of the most pe

painted yellow, so that the chemical properties of the sun's rays may not injure the rubber. There are two smaller interior balloons, or COMPENSATORS, into which can be pumped air by means o

of the ship, into the ballonet in the aft part. Suppose it is desired to incline the bow of the craft upward, then the ventilating fan would

each 172 square feet in area, are provided at each side of the rear end of the balloon. In the past several serious accidents have been caused by the violent pitching of the balloon when caught in a

nious contrivance the car always remains in a horizontal position, however much the balloon may be inc

ric. It is so arranged that when out of action its blades fall lengthwise upon the frame supporting it, but when it is set to work the b

f a large vertical helm, some 80 square feet in area, which is hinge

in cases of emergency these compensators cannot be deflated or inflated sufficiently r

ilitary and naval use. The Astra-Torres belongs to this type of vessel, which can b