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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1120.PDF
The first Vickers Rigid to be put into Service, the " R. 9." and were provided with double water-tight bottoms to enable them to float on the sea. Inflated buffer bags were also pro vided under each of the cars to act as shock absorbers when landing on the ground. Machinery Installation.—The forward machinery car was fitted with two 180 h.p. each " Wolseley-Maybach " engines, driving through clutches, bevel gears, and vertical shafts to overhead swivelling propeller gear, supported from the keel girder. This swivelling propeller gear was of a special design, covered by Vickers' patents, which enabled the propeller torques to be balanced so as to enable the A-bladed pro pellers to be swivelled easily by hand gear when the engines were driving at full power. The arms of the swivelling gear were so mounted as to enable them to be rotated completely round whilst driving at full power, so enabling the thrust to be changed from ahead to astern, up or down, or in any intermediate direction immediately, by the control of the pilot. The engine fitted in the aft car was a 240 b.h.p. " Maybach," driving a two-bladed propeller mounted at the aft end of the car through a reduction gear-box. Cabin.—A cabin was provided at the middle of the keel girder giving ample room for the wireless cabin and for sleep ing and messing quarters for the crew. Gasbags.—In the gasbags of this ship the novel system of lining rubber-proofed cotton fabric with an inside layer of gold-beaters' skins was tried for the first time, and was found to be a great success, giving the gasbags a much greater gas tightness than has hitherto been attained. Outer Cover.—The outer cover was doped fabric, laced tightly in place, and on the upper part of the ship was covered with aluminium dust to serve as an insulator to prevent super heating of the gas by the sun's rays. Mooring Gear.—This airship was provided with mooring gear to enable her to be moored from the ground or at sea by means of a sea anchor. Electric Lighting.—Electric lighting supplied by current from an engine-driven dynamo was provided. Telephones.—Telephones were fitted between all important stations on the ship. Performance Since Delivery.—This airship has given satis faction on her acceptance trials and subsequently in service, which is particularly satisfactory in view of the fact that she is the first rigid airship designed and built in Great Britain. Since delivery she has been employed primarily in training crews for the later ships which have been built, and in this connection swivelling propellers have been found to be especially valuable in obviating bad landings. She has also carried out long patrols over the North Sea, and has been seen over London from time to time. Latterly she has been utilised for carrying out valuable experiments in connection with systems of mooring airships out both on sea and land. The forward gondola of the " R. 9." 1122
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