This was during a trial flight
in a purely experimental ship, and the cause which was afterwards
discovered has been completely eliminated.
For airships employed for military purposes this danger, due to
the use of incendiary bullets, rockets and various other
munitions evolved for their destruction, still exists.
Owing to its ceiling, rate of climb and speed, which we take to
be from 70 to 80 miles per hour in the airship of the future, the
airship may be regarded as comparatively safe against attack from
the ordinary type of seaplane. The chief danger to be
apprehended is attack from small scouting seaplanes, possessing
great speed and the power to climb to a great height, or from
aeroplanes launched from the decks of ships. If, however, the
airship is fitted to carry several small scout aeroplanes of high
efficiency in the manner described in the previous chapter, it
will probably be able to defend itself sufficiently to enable it
to climb to a great height and thus make good its escape.
The airship, moreover, will be more or less immune from such
dangers if the non-inflamable gas, known as "C" gas, becomes
sufficiently cheap to be used for inflating airships. In the
past the expense of this gas has rendered its use absolutely
prohibitive, but it is believed that it can be produced in
the United States for such a figure as will make it compare
favourably with hydrogen.
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