AERO CLUB STUDIES BALLOONS

The weekly meetings of the Aeronautical Society were resumed last evening when the society discussed balloons and their uses in the present war. A. H. Andrews '20, who has had experience with the balloon department of the Goodyear aviation plant at Akron, Ohio, spoke upon the construction and operation of military airships and the uses of the aerostatics or balloon type of aircraft.

Balloons fall into three general classes: the ordinary balloon, the kite balloon and the "blimp," or English type of lighter-than-air machine. The simple balloon is now used almost entirely for training purposes, to accustom the airmen in the handling of their craft. The type of balloon termed the "kite" is known more familiarly as the observation balloon. On the western front these airships hover over the armies, remaining in a nearly stationary position for long periods of time. They thus are poised for a fixed view of the enemy activities and can communicate movements of troops and other information to the headquarters below them. They also do much of the map-making. The "blimps" are the dirigible balloons, and perform important duties in tracking down the submarines.

The Aeronautical Society maintains an experimental station at the Jefferson Physical Laboratory to test the ideas which originate among University students. At present the experimenters are working on the strength of fabrics used in dirigible balloons, the distortion occasioned by different pressures, and on a non-chattering pressure valve. Ideas or suggestions for experiments are received at Matthews 31.

The next meeting of the society will deal with the construction of airplanes. E. P. Warner, an instructor at Technology, will speak upon this subject, and at future meetings engineers from the Burgess plant will explain problems of aircraft construction.

An information bureau is maintained at Matthews 31 each day from 5 to 5.30 o'clock. All members of the University can there obtain information about the various branches of the aviation service in both this country and Canada. Magazines on aeronautical subjects are also at hand and a list of books on air problems can be consulted. Any student can join the society at its regular meetings.