to the top stabilizing fin, but as it worked somewhat stiffly it
was later on removed. This ship took part in the manoeuvres of
1912 and carried out several flights. She proved to be
exceedingly fast, being capable of a speed of 44 miles per hour.
In 1913 she was completely re-rigged and exhibited at the Aero
Show, but the re-designed rigging revealed various faults and it
was not until late in the year that she carried out her flight
trials. Two rather interesting experiments were made during
these flights. In one a parachute descent was successfully
accomplished; and in another the equivalent weight of a man was
picked up from the ground without assistance or landing the ship.


ETA

The Eta was somewhat smaller than the Delta, containing only
118,000 cubic feet of hydrogen, and was first inflated in 1913.
The envelope was composed of rubber-proofed fabric and a long
tapering car was suspended, this being in the nature of a
compromise between the short car of the, Delta and the long
framework gear of the Gamma. Her engines were two 80 horse-power
Canton-Unne, each driving one propeller by a chain. This ship
proved to be a good design and completed an eight-hour trial
flight in September. On her fourth trial she succeeded in towing
the disabled naval airship No. 2 a distance of fifteen miles.
Her speed was 42 miles per hour, and she could carry a crew of
five with fuel for ten hours.

On January 1st, 1914, the Army disbanded their Airship Section,
and the airships Beta, Gamma, Delta and Eta were handed over to