British Airships, Past, Present, and Future

-THE RIGIDS--RIG

pared by Messrs. Vickers Ltd., in conjunction with certain naval officers, for a purely experimental airship which should be as cheap as possible. The ship was

apable of carrying out the

tain a speed of 40 knots for

was to be feasible, to enable her to be independent of her shed

fitted with wir

de for the accommodation of t

f ascending to a height of

ship should be of greater dimensions than any built

e considered, and the one adopted was that recommended by an American professor named Zahm. In this shape, a great proportion of the longitudinal huff framework is parallel sided with curved bow and stern portions, the radius of these curved portions being, in the case of the bow, twice the diamet

regarded as an experiment and its value would be largely negatived if later ships were constructed of a totally different material, aluminium or an alloy was selected. The various alloys then in existence showed little advantage over the pure metal, so pure aluminium was specified and ordered. This metal was expected to have a strength of ten tons per square inch, but that which arrived was found to be very unreliable

which was over twice as strong as the nominal strength of aluminium, and in practice was really five times stronger. The specific gravity of the new metal varied from 2.75 to 2.86, as opp

occurred. To support these girders in a thwartship direction a series of transverse frames were placed at 12 feet 6 inches centres throughout the length of the ship, and formed, when viewed cross-sectionally, a universal polygon of twelve sides. For bracing purposes mesh wiring stiffened each bay longitudinally, so formed by the junction

form a space for a cabin and the wireless compartment. The fins and rudders, which were adopted, were based entirely on submarine experience, and the Zeppelin method was ignored. The fins were fitted at the stern of the ship only, and comprised port and starboard horizontal fins, which followed approximately the shape of the hull, and an upper a

the original intention was to use gold-beater's skin, but this was abandoned owing to shortage of material. These bags were fitted with the Parseval type of valve, which is situated at the top, contrary to the current Zep

in the open, as in wet weather the material would get saturated and water-logged. Various experiments were carried out with cotton, silk and ramie, and, as a result, silk treated with Ioco was finally sele

he plies were sewn together with copper wire. The gondolas were designed to have sufficient strength to withstand the strain of alighting on the water. They were suspended from the hull by wooden struts streamline in shape, and fitted with internal steel-wire ropes; additional wire suspensions

gh the medium of bevel gearing, while the after engine drove a single large propeller aft through 4 gear box to reduce the propeller revolutions to half that of the engine. The estimated speed of

s warped out of the shed and hauled to the post where she was secured without incident. The ship rode at the mooring post in a steady wind, which at one time increased to 36 miles per hour, until the afternoon of May 25th, and sustained no damage whatever. Various engine trials were carried out, but no attempt was ma

re the removal of the keel and cabin entirely, and the removal of the water-trimming services. Other minor alterations were made which gave the ship,

en out and tested at the mooring post. Unfortunately, while being hauled across the doc

The failure of this ship was a most regrettable incident, and increased the prejudice against the rigid airshi

AIRSHI

discontinued. This decision coincided with the disbanding of the Naval Air Service, and for a time rigid airships in this country were consigned to the limbo of forgetfulness. After the Naval Air Service had been reconstituted, the success which attended the Zeppelin airships in Germany could no lon

, 1914, work on the ship was suspended in the following February, and was not recommenced until July of the same year. From that date onwards construction

ormity with existing Zeppelin construction," with the foll

f at least 45 miles per hour a

t of five tons was to be av

of rising to a height of

e design, rendered the lift somewhat disappointing. The hull structure was of the "Zahm" shape as in No. 1, a considerable portion being parallel sided, while in transverse section it formed a 17-sided polygon. In length it was 526 feet with a maximum diameter of 53 feet. The hull framework was composed of triangular duralumin girders, both in the longitudinal and transverse frames, while the bracing was carried out by means of high tensile steel wires and dur

ns to the spokes of a bicycle wheel. These wires could be tightened up at th

ags, the bags themselves pressed upon the longitudinal girders on the top of the ship, which pressure was transferred to the transverse frames and thence by means of the se

fabric lined with gold-beater's skin to reduce permeability, and when completely full gave a total volume of 890,000 cubic feet. Two types of valv

al frames, and also to prevent the gasbags bulging between the gi

ymmetrical and reduce "skin friction" and resistance to the air to a minimum. To enable this cover to be easily removed it was made in two sections, a port and sta

vertical and horizontal. The vertical fin was composed of two p

on the hull. The horizontal fins were of similar design and attached in a like manner to the hull. Triplane rudders and biplane elevators of the box type were fitted in accordance with the German p

of transverse girders spaced in accordance with the main loads. From each of these transverse girders vertical standards with a connecting piece on top were taken and the whole exterior was covered with duralumin plating. The cars were suspended in the following manner. Two steel tubes fitting into a junction piece at

ntrols, and all the steering and elevating arrangements. Engine-room telegraphs, voice pipes and telephones were fitted up for communication from one part of the

ift after the initial flight trials had been carried out, it was decided to remove the two engines from the after car and replace them with a single engine of 250 horse-power; secondly, to remove the swive

xes and transmission shafts, the whole system being somewhat complicated, and w

arge two-bladed propeller

tanks situated in the keel and the oil was ca

of the ship, and the plant comprised a main transmitter, an auxiliary tra

r 29.5 inches and temperature 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The contract requirements had been dropped to 3.1 tons, which showed that the ship was short b

was held in March, 1917, when it was found that these had had the satisfactory result of increasing the disposable lift to 3.

d out, which showed that the speed

he performances of the s

ee

miles

= 2/3 3

g = 1/3

ura

hours =

26 " =

g 50 "

y the Admiralty in Mar. 1917, and left Barrow,

to be the crews of future rigid airships. Many of these received their initial training in her, and there were few officers or men in the airship service who were not filled with regret when orders were issued that she was to be broken up. The general feeling was that she should have

RSHIP No

uld be restarted, the Admiralty determined that a programme of

. Progress on these ships, although slow, was more rapid than had been the case with No. 9,

ambitious, laid down the f

d of at least 55 miles per hour

s to be available for dis

an average rate of not less than 1,000 f

g from nearl

hip and design, proved on the whole somewhat disappointing, and it became more evident every day that we had a

at was known as the 23 X class; four in all of the 23 class were built, of which two--Nos. 23 and 26--were built by Messrs. Vickers, Ltd.

n No. 9 and No. 23, especially in the hull, but it will be of i

gasbags from seventeen to eighteen. This gave a total volume of 997,500 cubic feet compared with 890,000 c

the radius of the bow portion being twice the diameter of the paral

nd transverse frames dividing the hull into compartments, with tubes completely encircling the section between each main tr

nts and shearing forces, but in No. 23 it was primarily intended to support the distributed weights of water ballast, petrol tanks, etc., between the main transverse frames. Unlike No. 9, the ke

box rudders and elevators in No. 9, single balanced rudders and elevators are attached to the fins; they have their bearing on the outboard side on the external girders o

he Zeppelin type entirely automatic and a top valve entirely hand controlled. The side valve is set to blow off at a pressure of from 3 to 5 millimetres. The outer cover was fitted in the same manner as in No. 9. Two cars or gondolas, one forward, the other aft, each carry one engine provided with swivelling propellers and gears. They are enclosed with sides and a fireproof roof, and are divided into two compartments, one the navigating co

following order. Single engines are fitted in both the forward and after cars, each driving two swivelling four-bladed propellers. In the centr

type Rolls Royce which will develop over 30

uxiliary water tank carried in the keel. It was found on the flight trials that the cooling was insufficient, and external radiators were fitted, the int

nd transverse frames of the car respectively. The drive from the engine is transmitted through a universal joint to a short longitudinal shaft, running on ball be

er gear box is supported by steel tube outriggers attached by brackets to the framework of the car. The petrol is carried in a series of tanks situated beneath the k

llers are used th

ted beneath the keel walking way, and a certain am

telephones, with a lighting set for the illumination of the cars and keel, w

y 2 tons owing to the machinery weights being 2 tons in excess of the estimate. Since then these weights had been increased by another half-ton, making a total of 2 1/2 tons over the original estimate. It was evident that with so small a margin

was fitted in place of the original after car. This wing car is of streamline shape with a rounded bow and tapered stern. The lower portion is plated with duralumin sheets and the upper part is covered with canvas attached to light wooden battens to give the necessary shape. This effected a very considerable reduction in weight. The original 250 horse-power Rolls Royce engine was installed, now driving a single large two-

s of these ships as we did i

ee

miles

=2/3

g =1/3

ura

ours = 1,

26 " =

g 50 "

rships of every description that the man in the street hailed a small non-rigid as "the British Zeppelin" or admired the appearance of R 23 as "the Silver Queen." The authorities no doubt knew their own business in fostering this ignorance, although for many reasons it was unfortunate that public interest was not

ation. It must be confessed that their merits do not warrant these extravagant assertions. The fact remains, however, that R 23 and her sister ship R 26 have each carried out patrols of upwards of 40 hours duration and that, similarly to No. 9, they have proved of the greatest value for training airship crews an

RSHIP 23

t of ships the design of which was becoming obsolete, and accordingly within ten months of placing the order for this class a decision was reached that the last four ships were to be altered to a modified design known as the 23 X class. As was the case with the ships

ter Zeppelin principles were adopted. This secured a very considerable reduction in struct

ertical bending moments and shearing forces, and that in No. 23 this principle was somewhat different, in that the keel in this

d be concentrated and suspended from the radial wiring of the transverse frames and t

ged. The loss of space owing to the introduction of the internal corridor is compensated by a modification of the shape of the bow, which was redesigned with a deeper curve. The hull structure was also strengthened by utilizing a stronger type of gi

ers, which are specially shaped for the purpose. The corridor is formed of a ligh

gasbags are the same, except for the alteration due to the internal corrid

e hull owing to the absence of the external keel. The substitution of the wing car of the 33 class for the original after gondola, carried out in the modifications undergon

conditions is 7 1/2 tons, which shows considerab

re, the performance

ee

1/2 mile

l 53

ing 4

ura

hours =

23 1/2 "

nd are the most successful of those that appeared and were employed during the war. Escort of convoys and extended a

ure without the keel has proved amply strong, and no mishap

RSHIP No

built in this country. In this case the experiment was tried of constructing it in

mmissioned in this country, and as a whole the workmanship exhibited in her construction was exquisite. Unfortunately, under the conditions to which it was subjected, the hull structur

a diameter of 66 feet, and the cap

ice with rigid airships that, if for any reason one gasbag becomes much less inflated than those adjacent to it, there is considerable pressure having the effect of forcing the radial wires of the transverse frames towards the empty bag. The tension resulting in these wires may produce very serious co

air, and in number were five, each housing a single 250 horse-power Rolls Royce engine driving a single fixed propeller. Here we see another decided departure from our previous methods of rigid airship construction, in that for the first time swivelling propeller

s circumstances exposed to certain disadvantageous c

RSHIP No

pted to return to Germany. Owing to lack of buoyancy she was forced to land at Little Wigborough, in Essex, where the crew, having set fire to the ship, gave themselves up. Although practically the entire fabric of the ship was destro

which was of an old type, and from which little useful information was obtained; and also the Army airship L.Z. 85, which was destroyed at S

f the latest design, familiarly called the super-Zeppelin, and had

ased on pre-war designs of Zeppelin airships, it can be readily understood that this latest capture revolutionized all previous ideas, and to a g

m interrogation of the captured crew, approval was obtained, in November of the same year, for t

mpleted, both from ships of a more modern design, which were subsequently brought down, and also from other sources. Acting on this information, various improvements were embodied in R 33 a

we in this country were building two ships on two slips, Germany had constructed no

formation which must necessarily remain secret for the present. Various descriptions have, however, been given in the daily and weekly Press, but i

which follow will at any rate give sonic idea of the magnitude of the ship and show that it marks a decided

n of hostilities, as their capabilities would appear to be sufficient to warrant the expecta

onstructed of duralumin, in which a great proportion of the total length was parallel-sided. The Germans adopted this new shape from the Schutte-Lanz design and have not departed from this practice. This co

cally the entire length. This forms the main corridor of the ship, and is fitted with a footway down the centre for its entire length. It contains water ba

hich the petrol and water ballast tanks are supported. These t

oom for a crew of twenty-five. Hammocks can be

ctice, monoplane rudders and elevators are

ximately two million cubic feet of gas. The gross lift works out at approximately 59 1/2

nts and the various controls. Adjoining this is the wireless cabin, which is also fitted for wireless telephony. Immediate

accommodate the engine with sufficient room for mechanics to attend to them. Further a

type and horse-power, namely, 250 horse-power Sunbeam. R 33 was constructed by Messrs. Armst

ties were encountered both with the engines and also with the elevator and rudder controls, it was

and though at times progress was practically nil owing to the extreme force of the wind, the station was reached in safety and the ship landed without any contretemps. This trial run having been accomplished

efficiency. Accordingly it was considered that the ship possessed the necessary qualifications for a transatlantic flight. It was, moreover, the opinion of the leading off

ined to risk such a valuable ship on what appeared to be an adventure of doubtful outcome, eventually all opposition was overco

e Admiralty and was accepted. On the evening of the same day she left for her station, East Fortune, on the Firth of Forth. This short passage from the Clyde to the Forth was not devoid of incident, as soon after leaving the ground a low-lying fog enveloped the whole country and it was found impossib

his period she went for an extended cruise over Denmark, along the north coast of Germany and over the Baltic. This flight was accomplished in 56 hours, during which extremely bad weather conditions were experienced at times. On its conclusion captain and crew

t over to America to make all the necessary arrangements, and the American au

was no alternative but to moor her out in the open, replenish supplie

he route followed was a somewhat northerly one, the north coast of Ireland being skirted and a more or less direct course was k

or assistance, and destroyers were dispatched immediately to the scene. Later messages were received indicating that the position was very acute, as head winds were being encountered and petrol was running short. The airship, however, struggled on, and though at one time the possibility of landing at Montauk, at the northern end of Long Island, was considered, she managed after a night of considerable anxiety to reach Mineola and land there in safety on July 6th at

good view of the airship, but an approaching storm was reported and the preparations were advanced for her immediate

riod an air speed of 83 miles per hour was attained. On the morning of July 11th the foremost of the two engines in the after car broke down and was found to be beyond repair. The remainder of the voyage was accomplished without further incident. On July 12th at noon, a signal was sent telling R 34 to proceed to the airship station at Pulham in Norfolk as th

irship enthusiast had always declared that the crossing of the Atlantic presented no insuperable difficulty, and when the moment arrived the sceptics found that he was correct. We may therefore assume that this flight is a very important landmark in the history of aeri