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Interesting Facts

Brought Out in a Published Interview with Mr. Knabenshue

"As compared with airplane performance, the dirigible is capable of carrying a heavy pay load in addition to fuel required and crew for long distances. We have had a number of examples of what can be done in this direction.

The English dirigible R-34 crossed the Atlantic, making a round trip with perfect safety.

The American navy dirigible Los Angeles, left Friedrichshafen, Germany, and traveled to Lakehurst, N.J., a distance of approximately 5000 miles, carrying a full crew, and on arrival had a large supply of gasoline still left in the tanks.

During the World War history indicates that German Zeppelins made many long flights carrying tons of munitions and as a result of no weather forecasts encountered many violent storms. A number of these airships were struck by lightning while in flight, without causing any damage whatever.

Officials of the British admiralty announce that the R-100, and her sistership, the R-101, will be operated between England and her colonial possessions, notably British India and Australia.

The Graf Zeppelin primarily was intended for passenger and freight service between Berlin, Hamburg and Buenos Aires. This ship is so constructed that while mooring masts may be used, they are not essential, as the ship can be set down on the ground without damaging the cabins.

Prior to the World War, commercial Zeppelins made 1588 flights, 3167 hours, traveled 172,535 miles and carried 34,228 passengers in safety and comfort.

For transoceanic and transcontinental transportation the dirigible undoubtedly will operate to future greater advantage than the airplane, but for short distances the airplane can be operated more economically than the airship. In view of this undeniable fact I can see that each type of aircraft will have its future field of activity without seriously competing with the other."

Growth and Development

Fast transportation of passengers, mail and express matter is of ever-growing vital importance. Railways and steamship companies have about reached their limit of speed. The rigid type dirigible airship is shortly destined to supply the demand for faster, safer and more comfortable long distance transportation.

People are rapidly becoming airminded. It is now generally conceded that airships have come to stay - that they have a firm economic place in our commercial life and everyone wants to know more about them.

Men, women and children throughout the world are taking a lively, healthy interest in Aeronautics which is rapidly opening up a vast new and intensely interesting safe and profitable field for human endeavor.

We are living in an age where minutes count, speed is demanded. A valuable piece of machinery breaks down, there are no parts available in the local market and it is worth a little extra express charge to have that part delivered from a far distant point in a few hours.

Double night air mail service between Los Angeles and the East has been inaugurated. New airports and new airways are constantly being established.

Aero courses are being taught in our public schools and flying schools turning out expert pilots with government ratings.

Manufacturing of Aeroplanes and dirigible Airships, motors and other Aeronautical equipments is developing rapidly.

The entire practicability of flying has already been thoroughly demonstrated. It is no longer regarded as a "Stunt" affair, but rather a practical commercial necessity.

Air transportation is today being carried on all over the world on a profitable basis. This is really the dawn of a new and better era in travel. 

Speed, luxury and safety are three requisites that travelers today demand and are willing to pay for. The Knabenshue Airship is designed to meet this demand.

Five Years of Flying

In an article entitled "Five Years More of Flying," by Howard Mingos, which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, June 29, 1929, some very interesting and illuminating facts and figures are given showing the air mail growth and potential possibilities.

"About 3,600,000 pounds of first-class mail were flown on the air routes in 1928, a three-fold increase over the preceding year. The daily average of five tons has now jumped to ten. The lines are flying about 7,000,000 pounds of mail a year. That, however, is less than 2 per cent of the total first-class mail, and it does not include the parcel post which runs into hundreds of millions of shipments annually.

"Last year about 16,000 shipments of express were transported by the air lines. Air express is gaining, but so slowly that it does not count in the total of 180,000,000 shipments over the railroads every twelve months.

"After careful surveys the operators have concluded that one letter out of five is potential air mail and one express package out of every twenty should be an express."

REAR-ADMIRAL MOFFETT AT A RECENT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCHEON

Asserting his belief in rigid airships, Rear-Admiral Moffett predicted the eventual development of a great American merchant marine of the air.

"Airships will be especially valuable on the Pacilc coast for military defense but wonderful developments are possible from a commercial standpoint. For example, huge air liners with a capacity of 150 passengers plying between this coast and the Hawaiian islands are certainly a possibility."

Safety Factor

Sir Commodore Maitland, who was probably the greatest allied authority on lighter-than-air transportation, in a paper before the British Royal Society of Arts, states that "the airship is definitely the safest method of air travel" and goes on to include that it is "safe or safer than the steamship."

The airship is inherently safe. There is no more reason why it should fall than a steamer should sink. In fact there is a great similarity between the first class steamer with its water-tight bulkheads and the rigid dirigible airship with its gas cells.

A good example of the reliability of airship navigation since the world war is that of the "Bondensee," [["Bodensee"]] a German ship carrying 34 passengers, which made 60 trips out of 62 scheduled flights in 64 days, under unfavorable terminal and weather conditions.

Testimonials

Mr. Knabenshue was connected with the Wright Company in the years 1910-11. He had charge of the securing of contracts for the exhibition flyers. He was very successful in this. He was not only able to secure contracts where men under him failed, but he also succeeded in making the contracts satisfactory to both parties. I have the highest regard for Mr. Knabenshue's honesty. The business he handled for us was very profitable.

Mr. Knabenshue possesses a good deal of mechanical ability and ingenuity. He has been the most prominent builder and operator of dirigibles in America.
ORVILLE WRIGHT
---
My acquaintance with Mr. Roy Knabenshue has extended over a period of many years and I have the highest regard for him and his ability pertaining to matters of aviation.

He is a pioneer in the design and construction of the dirigible airship in this country, having built and operated the first ship of this type on the Pacific Coast. 

He is better qualified than anyone I know to direct an undertaking in connection with the construction or operation of lighter-than-air craft and his knowledge and experience should be a great asset to any company contemplating such an enterprise.
HARRIS M. HANSHUE,
President and General Manager
Wester Air Express, Inc.

∙∙∙Knabenshue Aircraft Corporation∙∙∙

Transcription Notes:
* "Bodensee" (corrected spelling) Zeppelin LZ 120 Bodensee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_LZ_120_Bodensee Do not indicate column breaks or other page layout features, per transcription guidelines.