Abstract
The use of pressure in the so-called “pressure airships” and the methods used for maintenance of pressure are described. The effects of “gas head” and of excess internal pressures are considered as design factors, showing the advantages derived from a strength standpoint. It is pointed out that, by utilizing the pressure, the low factors of safety used by airship designers for critical loading conditions can be eliminated, and the ultimate design of the pressure rigid airship is discussed. Recognizing the disadvantages of manual control of pressure employed in the present airships, it is emphasized that pressure control can be made perfectly automatic if pressure regulators used in the modern power-plant installations are adopted for airship-pressure control. The proposed pressure-control system for large metalclad airships is described. To utilize the advantages of pressure as a design factor, the materials used in the present rigid airships should be more efficiently disposed around the cross-section, again pointing to ultimate metalclad design.
