difficulties encountered with the planes, and, except in weather
of the calmest description, she may be said to have been
practically uncontrollable.


HUGH BELL'S AIRSHIP

In the same year, 1848, Bell's airship was constructed. The
envelope of this ship was also cylindrical in shape, tapering at
each end to a point, the length of which was 56 feet and the
diameter 21 feet 4 inches. A keel composed of metal tubes was
attached to the underside of the envelope from which the car was
suspended. On either side of the car screw propellers were
fitted to be worked by hand. A rudder was attached behind the
car. It was arranged that trials should be carried out in the
Vauxhall Gardens in London, but these proved fruitless.


BARTON'S AIRSHIP

In the closing years of the nineteenth century appeared the
forerunners of airships as they are to-day, and interest was
aroused in this country by the performances of the ships designed
by Santos-Dumont and Count Zeppelin. From now onwards we find
various British firms turning their attention to the conquest of
the air.

In 1903 Dr. Barton commenced the construction of a large
non-rigid airship. The envelope was 176 feet long with a height
of 43 feet and a capacity of 235,000 cubic feet; it was