R33-class airship
| Company type | Military / Civilian airships |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Rigid airships (R.33, R.34) |
The R.33 class represented a series of British rigid airships constructed for the Royal Naval Air Service amid the First World War. However, their completion occurred only after the war had ended, by which time the RNAS had merged into the Royal Air Force. The first of the class, R.33, maintained a decade-long operational service and endured one of the most dramatic and courageous episodes in airship history when it was violently detached from its mooring mast during a storm. Locally, it earned the nickname "Pulham Pig," a term also applied to the blimps stationed there, and this legacy is commemorated on the village sign of Pulham St Mary. The other vessel in this series, R.34, made history by completing the inaugural east-to-west transatlantic flight in July 1919 and subsequently achieved the first round-trip crossing. It was retired two years later after sustaining damage in adverse weather conditions. The crew affectionately called her "Tiny".[1]
Design and development
Significantly larger than its predecessor, the R31 class, the R.33 design process commenced in 1916, coinciding with the downing of the German Zeppelin LZ 76 (L 33) on British soil. Despite attempts by its crew to destroy it by fire, the airship was recovered largely intact with operational engines. Over a period of five months, extensive analysis was conducted to uncover German technological details.[2]
The original blueprint was modified to incorporate features from this captured German model, leading to an order for two units: one (R.33) built by Armstrong-Whitworth at Barlow, North Yorkshire, and another (R.34) constructed by William Beardmore and Company in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, Scotland.[1] Assembly started in 1918. The R.33 class featured a semi-streamlined shape at both ends with a straight-sided central section. Positioned well forward on the craft was the control car, while an engine was housed aft in a separate compartment designed to isolate vibrations that could interfere with delicate radio direction finding and communication devices. The narrow gap between these sections was faired over, giving the appearance of a unified gondola.[3] Propulsion came from five 275 hp (205 kW) Sunbeam Maori engines: one located at the rear of the control car, two installed amidships within paired power cars each driving a pusher propeller through reversing gearboxes to aid manoeuvring during mooring operations, and two more mounted together in a central aft car powering a single pusher propeller.[4]
R.33
The R.33 took to the skies for the first time on 6 March 1919,[5] after which it was stationed at RAF Pulham in Norfolk. From its maiden flight until 14 October, the airship completed 23 sorties accumulating a total of 337 hours in flight. Among these flights was a promotional tour supporting "Victory Bonds," which notably featured a brass band performing from the upper machine gun turret.[5]
In 1920, the R.33 underwent "demilitarisation" and transitioned to civilian operations under the registration G-FAAG. Its civilian role primarily involved testing innovative mast mooring techniques at the mast installed at Pulham. On one occasion, it successfully withstood winds reaching 80 mph (130 km/h) while secured. Another notable trial involved ascending with an unmanned Sopwith Camel aboard, which was then launched over the Yorkshire Moors. Following refurbishment, R.33 was relocated to Croydon Airport, where it was moored using a mobile mast. In June 1921, it assisted the Metropolitan Police by monitoring traffic during The Derby,[6] and in July participated in the Hendon Air Pageant before being moved to Cardington, Bedfordshire, where it remained inactive for three years.
On 31 May 1921, due to budgetary constraints, the British government halted all airship development programs.[7] While military airships were dismantled, R.33 was preserved as a civilian asset and placed in storage. After nearly four years of inactivity, it was refurbished and brought out of its hangar at Cardington in 1925.
At approximately 09:50 on 16 April 1925, a gale force wind tore R.33 from its mast at Pulham while carrying a reduced crew of twenty personnel. The airship’s nose partially collapsed and one of its forward gas cells deflated, causing a bowward dip. The crew managed to start the engines and gain altitude while covering the damaged bow section with a makeshift shield; however, R.33 was carried out over the North Sea. A Royal Navy ship was dispatched from nearby Lowestoft in anticipation of a possible sea landing. Meanwhile, local lifeboats attempted rescue but were forced to retreat due to adverse weather.[8]
About five hours after breaking free from the mast, control of R.33 was regained though it continued drifting toward mainland Europe. Approaching the Dutch coastline, permission was granted for landing at De Kooy, where approximately 300 personnel were prepared for its arrival.[8] Late that night, R.33 maintained its position hovering off the Dutch coast until early morning at five o’clock. Subsequently, it began a slow return journey, reaching the Suffolk shoreline eight hours later and arriving back at Pulham by 13:50 hrs, where it was secured alongside the R.36.
In recognition of their bravery during this incident, Lieutenant Ralph Booth—the first officer in command—received the Air Force Cross. Flight-Sergeant "Sky" Hunt, serving as coxswain, was awarded the Air Force Medal, while four additional crew members earned the British Empire Medal. The remaining crew were honored with engraved watches.[9]
After repairs were completed in October 1925, R.33 resumed operations conducting experimental trials designed to support construction data for the R101 airship project. Following these tests in mid-October, it undertook trials involving the launch of a parasite fighter aircraft—a DH 53 Hummingbird. Despite some close calls during early attempts, a successful launch and retrieval were accomplished by December that year. In 1926, R.33 launched two Gloster Grebe fighters weighing approximately one ton each; one of these was piloted by Flying Officer Campbell MacKenzie-Richards.[10] Subsequently retired from active service, R.33 remained stored at Pulham until scrapped in 1928 after significant metal fatigue was detected in its structure. The forward segment of its control car is preserved and displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum London located at Hendon.
R.34
The R.34 embarked on her maiden voyage on 14 March 1919 and reached her operational base at RAF East Fortune near Edinburgh on 29 May, following a 21-hour journey from Inchinnan. The airship had departed the previous evening but encountered dense fog that complicated navigation, forcing it to spend the night over the North Sea. On the morning of arrival, fog prevented mooring, and after flying as far south as Yorkshire, R.34 returned to East Fortune, docking around 3 p.m.[11] Between 17 and 20 June, she undertook her first endurance flight lasting 56 hours over the Baltic Sea.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Subsequently, plans were made to attempt the inaugural return Atlantic crossing with Major George Scott in command.[12] Since R.34 was not originally designed for passenger transport, additional sleeping quarters were improvised by suspending hammocks along the keel walkway. A metal plate was affixed to an engine exhaust pipe to facilitate hot meal preparation.
Among the crew were Brigadier-General Edward Maitland and Zachary Lansdowne, representing the US Navy.[13] William Ballantyne, initially planned to remain behind to reduce weight, secretly joined the flight along with the crew’s mascot—a small tabby kitten named "Wopsie." They appeared at 2 p.m. on the first day, missing the opportunity to disembark.[14]
On 2 July 1919, R.34 departed from East Fortune, Scotland, and after a continuous flight lasting 108 hours, arrived at Mineola, Long Island, United States, on 6 July with only a few gallons of fuel remaining.[15] This marked the first time any aircraft transported passengers across the Atlantic Ocean.[16] Due to unfamiliarity with handling large rigid airships among the landing team, Major E. M. Pritchard parachuted down becoming the first individual to reach American soil by air from Europe. This achievement represented the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic from east to west and occurred several weeks after British aviators Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown completed the initial transatlantic aeroplane flight in a modified First World War Vickers Vimy. The return trip to RNAS Pulham took place between 10 and 13 July and lasted 75 hours. Following a refit at East Fortune, R.34 proceeded to Howden, East Yorkshire, where crew training was conducted.
On 27 January 1921, R.34 commenced what was intended as a routine exercise flight. However, deteriorating weather over the North Sea and failure to receive a radio recall signal led to navigational mistakes that caused the airship to collide with a hillside on the North Yorkshire Moors during nighttime, resulting in the loss of two propellers. Utilizing her remaining two engines, she returned to sea and by daylight followed the course of the Humber Estuary back to Howden.[17] Due to strong winds preventing entry into the shed, she was secured outdoors overnight.[18] By morning, additional damage rendered R.34 beyond repair,[19] leading to her being scrapped.[20]
Operators
- Royal Navy (until 1918)
- Royal Air Force (beginning 1918)
Specifications
See also
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Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "R34: the Record Breaker". The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ "R 33: Civil Registration G-F A A G". Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ↑ Higham 1961, p.181
- ↑ Some Notes on the Transatlantic Voyage of R.33 Flight 3 July 1919, pp. 888–91
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "R.33: Early Life". Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ Template:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Higham 1961, p. 198
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 R.33's Night Out Flight 23 April 1925, pp. 246–249
- ↑ R.33 Awards Flight 21 May 1925. p. 307
- ↑ The Times (22 October 1926).
- ↑ Template:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ Scott was killed in the R101 crash
- ↑ "R.34 crew list". The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ↑ "R.34: The Atlantic Flight". The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ↑ The Transatlantic Voyage of R.34 Flight 10 July 1919, pp. 906–910
- ↑ Hitchens, Frank (2023). Pioneer Aviators: ...and the Planes They Flew. Andrews UK Limited. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-83791-189-9.
- ↑ Template:Cite newspaper The Times
- ↑ "Famous Airship R-34 Has Narrow Escape" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. LXX, no. 23, 016. 29 January 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ↑ "R-34, Dirigible That Crossed Atlantic, Left Only a Scrap Heap by Heavy Wind" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. LXX, no. 23, 017. 30 January 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ↑ "R 34: Final Life". The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ THE TELEGRAPH: America Airship: the first transatlantic crossing by Jasper Copping, October 13, 2010
Bibliography
- Abbott, Patrick. Airship the Story of R.34 and the First East-West Crossing of the Atlantic By Air. Encore Editions, 1977. ISBN 978-0684152349.
- Elliott, Bryn (January–February 1999). "On the Beat: The First 60 Years of Britain's Air Police". Air Enthusiast (79): 68–75. ISSN 0143-5450.
- Griehl, Manfred and Dressel, Joachim. Zeppelin! The German Airship Story. London, Arms and Armour Press, 1990. ISBN 1-85409-045-3.
- Higham, Robin. The British Rigid Airship 1908–1931. Henley-on-Thames: Foulis, 1961.
- Maitland, E.M. The Log of HMA R34 – Journey to America and Back. Centenary Edition, Pennoyer Centre, 2019. ISBN 978-1-9161642-0-8.
- Mowthorpe, Ces. Battlebags: British Airships of the First World War. 1995. ISBN 0-905778-13-8.
- Rosie, George. Flight of the Titan: The Story of the R34. Birlinn Ltd, 2010. ISBN 978-1-84158-863-6.
- Venty, Arthur Frederick and Eugene M. Kolesnik. Airship Saga: The History of Airships Seen Through the Eyes of the Men Who Designed, Built, and Flew Them. Poole, Dorset, UK: Blandford Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0-7137-1001-4.
- Venty, Arthur Frederick and Eugene M. Kolesnik. Jane's Pocket Book of Airships. New York: Collier Books, 1976. ISBN 0-356-04656-7.