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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0209.PDF
APRIL 9, 1925 MANY CONGRATULATIONS, AIRSHIP THE short message of Sir Geoffrey Salmond to R.33 on the occasion of her " launch " from the airship shed at Cardington on Thursday, April 2, forms a fitting heading for the following brief notes dealing with the first steps in the resumption of practical airship work by Great Britain. Reference was made in FLIGHT last week to the re-conditioning of R.33 for research purposes, and the flight from Cardington to Pulham was the first beginning of what, it is hoped, will be It had originally been intended that R.33 should leave hershed at Cardington on the morning of April 1, but weather conditions prevented this from being carried out. Those incharge of operations very wisely refused to take any risks, and, in view of the fact that the ship had to be brought outtail first, this was undoubtedly a wise precaution. It must be. realised that with the wind blowing across the doors ofa shed the operation of walking an airship out into the open A " close-up " of the nose of the R.33 and the top of the mooring mast. a strong policy of airship development. In itself there was, of course, nothing very startling in the fact that a rigid airship made a flight of a couple of hours or so, but as marking the revival of airship activity the flight was significant, nor should it be forgotten that, short as was this flight, it was con- siderably more meritorious than would appear on the surface. To begin with, those few airship pilots and engineers that remain to us after the cruel loss of R.38 had not had an opportunity of doing any flying for over three years, while as regards man-handling on the ground the personnel was entirely unskilled. That, in spite of these handicaps, the R.33 has been safely brought out of her shed at Cardington, has flown to Pulham and has there been safely moored to the mast is sufficient cause for congratulation, and we think for that reason all FLIGHT readers will join us in seconding Sir Geoffrey Salmond's message, placed at the head of these notes. is a somewhat difficult one, and that even a fairly light gust may very easily cause the airship to be blown against the doors or frames, with possibly considerable damage to the airship's structure. On the morning of April 2 there was practically a flat calm, and a, part ' of men and girls numbering close upon 300 succeeded in walking the ship out of the shed. Once in the open the engines were started, but the ship was permitted to float away on the slight breeze and to rise to about 300 ft. before the clutches were let in and the airship commenced to gather speed. It was about a quarter to si:; when the order was given to man the handling lines, and at two minutes past six the airship had cleared the doors and was once more in its element. In the control car, as the ship was walked out, was Flight- Lieutenant Irwin, who was captain of the airship, and with him was Flight-Lieutenant Johnstone as navigator. The only passengers carried were Group-Captain Fellowes, Director SAFELY MOORED: R.33 at her mooring mast at the Pulham Airship Station. 209 r>
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