At a later date 240 horse-power Fiat engines were installed, and
the engineers' cabin was modified and an auxiliary blower was
fitted to supply air to the ballonets for use if the engines are
not running.
In the N.S. ship as modified the car has been raised to the same
level as the engineers' cabin, and all excrescences on the
envelope were placed inside. This, added to the improvement
effected by the abolition of the transmission shafts, increased
the reliability and speed of the ship, and also caused a
reduction in weight.
The leading dimensions of the ship are as follows: length, 262
feet; width, 56 feet 9 inches; height, 69 feet 3 inches. The
gross lift is 24,300 lb.; the disposable lift, without crew,
petrol, oil, and ballast, 8,500 lb. The normal crew carried when
on patrol is ten, which includes officers.
As in the case of the Coastal, a gun is mounted on the top of the
envelope, which is approached by a similar climbing shaft, and
guns and bombs are carried on the car.
These ships have become notorious for breaking all flying records
for non-rigid airships. Even the first ship of the class,
despite the unsatisfactory power units, so long ago as in the
summer of 1917 completed a flight of 49 hours 22 minutes, which
at the time was the record flight of any British airship.
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