Herr Zorn, a German inventor, has turned the worm into an airship, applying all the worm principles to navigation above ground instead of below. The Zorn airship is long and slender, with three parts which may be twisted In any direction, and uncoupled at will for separate maneuvers.
It bears some resemblance to the Zeppelin vessels, with a rigid frame of wood instead of alumni num. It is 390 feet long, and has a diameter of 42 feet. The capacity is 13,600 cubic meters.
The central section always remains in a horizontal position, but the fore and aft sections may be inclined upward or downward, or to the right and left. The fore section, for instance, might be pointed upward and the aft section downward simultaneously, or the fore section might be Inclined to the right, and the aft section to the left simultaneously. So they call it the worm airship.
The different sections can be separated from one another in the air within two minutes, simultaneously or singly. The foresection has a length of 97 feet, the central section 195 feet, and the aft section 98 feet.
Each section supports three cars, two of which carry motors, while the third is reserved for the crew.
Supposing the airship in wartime has made Important observations, the fore section might be detached and sent back to head quarters with Information and photographs, while the remaining two sections continue their aerial reconnoitering. If more valuable information is subsequently procured, the aft section is similarly detached and sent back. If one section sustains serious damage, its crew board the other sections, and the damaged part is cut loose and abandoned.
Each of the smaller sections is divided into four air-tight compartments, while the central section is divided Into 10 air-tight compartments.
After landing the entire frame can be easily taken to pieces, packed and transported. The total cost of the airship is approximately $150,000.