Nor must the nocturnal activities of the Zeppelin be overlooked.
So far as night operations by these vessels are concerned, little
has leaked out, so that the possibilities of the airship in this
direction are still somewhat hypothetical. The fact remains,
however, that it is night movements which perhaps are the most to
be dreaded by the enemy. According to official German sources of
information the latest types of Zeppelins are engined by
"noiseless" motors. There is nothing remarkable in this feature,
since the modern motor-car virtually answers to this description,
although in this instance quietness is obtained for the most part
by recourse to the sleeve-valve engine. Still, the ordinary
Otto-cycle internal combustion engine can be rendered almost
silent by the utilisation of adequate muffling devices, which, in
the Zeppelin, are more possible of incorporation than in the
aeroplane, because the extra weight imposed by this acquisition
is a minor consideration in comparison with the lifting power of
the vessel.
Night operations, however, have not proved eminently successful.
The very darkness which protects the aerial prowler also serves a
similar purpose in connection with its prey.
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