Silver Scout

In the cavernous hangar at Lakehurst, N. J., last week the crew of the Navy dirigible Los Angeles busied themselves, proud not only of their ship's new coat of gleaming silver but of a new assignment-- a role in the great game of War. Under the Versailles Treaty the U. S. received the then ZR3 from Germany for non-military uses. For six years the Los Angeles has served the Navy well as a flying laboratory and schoolroom. With two big new dirigibles, one of which will be ready in June, abuilding at Akron expressly for military use, the Navy wanted to have the Los Angeles scout experimentally with the fleet. For this, the express permission of Great Britain, France and Japan was necessary. Last week, permission granted, orders were posted for the Los Angeles to proceed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, thence for Panama, to join the Navy's winter maneuvers.

The Army, too, last week was talking dirigibles. Last fortnight the House passed a $200,000 appropriation for preliminary engineering by Detroit Aircraft Corp. on a proposed metalclad Army ship designed on the principle of the ZMC-2 ("Tin Bubble") built by D. A. C. for the Navy two years ago. It would be larger than the Los Angeles, would cost $4,500,000.

Last week the Navy bought a Pitcairn autogiro ("windmill plane") which, with its ability to descend vertically, rise almost vertically, might take off from and land upon war boats more handily than other planes.

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