British Airships, Past, Present, and FutureWhale, George
History
British Airships, Past, Present, and Future
Whale, George
Aircraft; Airships -- Britain -- History
Two aluminium cars, each about 20 feet long, were rigidly attached to
the framework of the hull. Each car was furnished with a 16
horse-power Daimler engine, driving two four-bladed screw propellers of
aluminium sheeting. These propellers were situated on the side of the
hull at the centre of resistance. The transmission was supplied by
steel tubes with universal cross joints through the medium of bevel
gears. Reversible driving arrangements were installed in the cars in
order that the ship could be driven backwards and forwards. Electric
bells, telegraphs, and speaking tubes were also fitted, and it can be
seen that for general arrangements this airship was a long way ahead of
any built at that date.
The first flight was made on July 2nd, 1900. The ship attained a speed
of 17 per hour, and the numerous technical details stood the tests
well. The stability was considered sufficient, and the height of
flight could be altered by the horizontal rudder. The landing on the
water was accomplished without difficulty, and could be regarded as
free from danger. The faults requiring remedy were, firstly, the upper
cross stays, which buckled in flight owing to insufficient strength for
the length of the hull; secondly, the gasbags were not sufficiently
gastight and, thirdly, the power of the engines were not sufficient for
such a heavy ship.
This airship was broken up in 1902.
In 1905 the second ship of the series was completed. She was of nearly
the same size as the previous ship, but the workmanship was much
superior. Increased engine-power was also supplied, as in this
instance two 85 horse-power Mercedes engines were fitted. This ship was
destroyed by a storm while landing during the next year.
The third ship, which was completed in 1906, was the first Zeppelin
airship acquired by the Government, and lasted for a considerable time,
being rebuilt twice, first in 1908 and again in 1911. She was slightly
larger than the previous two.
The building was continued, and up to the outbreak of war no fewer than
twenty-five had been completed. It is impossible, in the space at our
disposal, to trace the career of all of them. Several came to an
untimely end, but as the years went by each succeeding ship proved more
efficient, and the first ship which was delivered to the Navy performed
the notable flight of thirty-one hours.
To revert, for a moment, once more to the earlier ships--the fourth was
wrecked and burned at Echterdingen in the same year in which she was
completed. The fifth, which was the second military airship, was fitted
with two 110 horse-power engines and also came to a tragic end, being
destroyed by wind at Weilberg in 1910, and the following ship was burnt
at Baden in the same year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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