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The '''R31''' was a British [[airship]] that first flew in July 1918. |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} |
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{{Infobox aircraft |
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|name=R31 class |
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|image=British airships, past, present & future p172.jpg |
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|caption= |
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|type=Fleet defence airship |
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|national_origin=United Kingdom |
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|manufacturer=[[Short Brothers]] |
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|designer= |
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|first_flight=July 1918 |
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|introduction= |
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|retired= |
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|status= |
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|primary_user=[[Royal Navy]] |
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|more_users= |
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|produced= |
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|number_built=2 |
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|variants= |
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}} |
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The '''''R31'' class''' of British [[rigid airship]]s was constructed in the closing months of World War I, and comprised two aircraft, His Majesty's Airship ''R31'' and ''R32''. They were designed by the [[Royal Corps of Naval Constructors]] – with assistance from a Herr Müller who had defected to Britain, and previously worked for the [[Schütte-Lanz]] airship company – and built by [[Short Brothers]] at the [[Cardington, Bedfordshire|Cardington]] airship sheds. The airship frame was made from spruce plywood laminated into girder sections, weatherproofed with varnish, and also fireproofed. These enclosed 21 gas bags.<ref name="a31">[[#a31|Airship Heritage Trust R31]]</ref> ''R31'' was the largest British airship to fly before the end of the war, and the class remains the largest mobile wooden structures ever built.<ref name="payne">{{cite web |last=Payne |first=Alan |title=The Mystery of Airship R31 |publisher=Naval Historical Society of Australia |url=http://www.navyhistory.org.au/the-mystery-of-airship-r31/ |access-date=2008-06-25}}</ref> |
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==History== |
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As the airships were intended for fleet protection operations, they were to be fitted with defensive machine guns on top of the envelope, at the stern and in the gondolas. A [[12-pounder gun]] was to be fitted in a special position centrally below the airship for use against [[U-boat]]s. In the event, this armament was only fitted to ''R31'', as ''R32'' was only completed after the [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|armistice with Germany]].<ref name="a32">[[#a32|Airship Heritage Trust R32]]</ref> It had also been intended to fit a bomb load of two {{convert|520|lb|kg|abbr=on}} bombs and four {{convert|230|lb|kg|abbr=on}} bombs. With the end of hostilities, these were never installed on either airship. |
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The R31 and her sister ship the [[R32 (airship)|R32]] were designed by the [[Royal Corps of Naval Constructors]] with assistance from a Herr Muller who had defected to Britain and previously worked for the [[Schutte-Lanz]] airship company and built by [[Short Brothers]] at the [[Cardington, Bedfordshire|Cardington]] airship sheds. The airship frame was made from spruce plywood laminated into girder sections and weatherproofed with varnish and also fireproofed. These enclosed 21 gas bags. |
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==Operational history== |
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As the airship was intended for fleet protection operations it was fitted with defensive machine guns on top of the envelope, at the stern and in the gondolas. A 12 pound cannon was fitted in a special position centrally below the airship for use against U boats. It had also been intended to fit a bomb load of two 520 pound bombs and four 230 pound bombs but with the end of hostilities these were never installed. |
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===''R31''=== |
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The R31 made her first trial flight of 2 hours in July 1918 under the command of Squadron Leader W.C.Hinks. A top speed of 70mph was achieved well above the expected 50-55mph and faster than any other airship then in service. She was originally powered by six 275 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle engines but in view of the performance and to reduce fuel consumption one was removed reducing the maximum speed to a still satisfactory 65 mph. |
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''R31'' made its first trial flight, lasting two hours, in July 1918, under the command of [[Squadron Leader]] W.C. Hinks. A top speed of {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} was achieved, well above the expected {{convert|50|–|55|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, and faster than any other airship then in service. It was originally powered by six {{convert|275|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] engines, but in view of the performance and to reduce fuel consumption, one was removed, reducing the maximum speed to a still satisfactory {{convert|65|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}; similarly, the ''R32'' was built with six engines, and later converted to a five-engine configuration.<ref name="a32"/> |
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The airship was finally commissioned on |
The R31 airship was finally commissioned on 6 November 1918, just before the armistice with Germany, after having spent four hours in the air. It set off, again under the command of Squadron Leader Hincks, for the airship base at [[East Fortune]] in Scotland. On the journey, she encountered bad weather, and it was feared that some of the [[plywood]] girders were failing, so she diverted to the airship base at [[RNAS Howden|Howden]] in the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] for examination and repair. The sheds had not been repaired since the [[R23X class airship|''R27'']] had caught fire three months earlier, and the roof leaked badly. This caused the glue holding the plywood together to deteriorate; as a result the airship became unairworthy, and was beyond repair. In February 1919, it was dismantled. The covering was removed and returned to Cardington, while the frames were sold for £200; these were broken up and sold for firewood, but due to the fireproofing treatment they had received, they would not burn. |
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== |
===''R32''=== |
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[[File:Het Engelse luchtschip R 32 boven Amsterdam, waar hij in 1919 een bezoek brengt aan de ELTA, een, SFA003000989.jpg|thumb|R32 above [[Amsterdam]]]] |
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*Length: 615 ft |
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After being formally accepted by the [[Royal Navy]], ''R32'' made its first trial flight on 3 September 1919, and then on 6 September went to [[RNAS Pulham]], Norfolk. On 10 September, in formation with the [[R33 class airship|''R33'']], she made a flight over the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France and back to Pulham. In October 1919, the ''R32'' with the rest of the airship fleet was formally handed over to the [[Royal Air Force]]. The airship was used by the [[National Physical Laboratory, UK|National Physical Laboratory]] for structural testing. On 20 March 1920, it was flown to Howden to be refurbished and used for crew training by the American party, who had come to accept the [[R38 (ZR-2)]]. When the metal-framed [[R80 (airship)|R80]] became available, the use of the by now obsolete wooden-framed ''R32'' stopped, and, to save money, it was decommissioned and used to assess the effect of a gas-bag bursting. Once the covering had been removed, and the engines taken away, cell No.18 was overpressurised until the expansion caused the bracing and structure to fail. The frame was subsequently dismantled. |
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*Diameter: 65 ft 6 in |
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*Speed: 70 mph (later 65 mph) |
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*Engines: 6 (later 5)x [[Rolls-Royce]] Eagles of 275 hp each |
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*Volume: 1,547,000 cubic feet |
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*Disposable lift 16.5 tons |
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==Operators== |
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;{{navy|United Kingdom}} |
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<!-- ==Units using this aircraft/Operators (choose)== --> |
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== Specifications (with five engines) == |
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{{aircraft specs |
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|ref={{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} |
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|prime units?=imp |
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|crew= |
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[[Category:Airships]] |
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|capacity= |
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|length m=187.5 |
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|length ft=615 |
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|length note=<ref name="a31"/><ref name="payne"/> |
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|length in= |
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|span m= |
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|span ft= |
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|span in= |
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|swept m=<!-- swing-wings --> |
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|swept ft=<!-- swing-wings --> |
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|swept in=<!-- swing-wings --> |
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|rot number=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|rot dia m=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|rot dia ft=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|rot dia in=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|dia m=<!-- airships etc -->19.97 |
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|dia ft=<!-- airships etc -->65 |
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|dia in=<!-- airships etc -->6 |
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|dia note=<ref name="a31"/> |
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|width m=<!-- if applicable --> |
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|width ft=<!-- if applicable --> |
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|width in=<!-- if applicable --> |
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|height m= |
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|height ft= |
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|height in= |
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|wing area sqm= |
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|wing area sqft= |
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|swept area sqm=<!-- swing-wings --> |
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|swept area sqft=<!-- swing-wings --> |
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|rot area sqm=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|rot area sqft=<!-- helicopters --> |
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|volume m3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->43,976 |
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|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->1,547,000 |
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|volume note=<ref name="a31"/> |
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|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes --> |
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|empty weight kg= |
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|empty weight lb= |
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|gross weight kg= |
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|gross weight lb= |
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|lift kg=<!-- lighter-than-air -->16800 |
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|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->36960 |
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|eng1 number=5 |
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|eng1 type=piston engine |
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|eng1 name=[[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] |
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|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->205 |
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|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->275 |
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|eng1 note=<ref name="a31"/><ref name="payne"/> |
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|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |
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|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines --> |
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|eng1 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners --> |
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|eng1 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners --> |
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|max speed kmh=104 |
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|max speed mph=65 |
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|max speed note=<ref name="payne"/><ref>With six engines R31's maximum speed was 70 mph [[#a31|(AHTR31)]].</ref> |
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|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft --> |
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|cruise speed kmh=<!-- if max speed unknown --> |
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|cruise speed mph=<!-- if max speed unknown --> |
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|range km= |
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|range miles= |
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|endurance h=<!-- if range unknown --> |
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|endurance min=<!-- if range unknown --> |
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|ceiling m= |
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|ceiling ft= |
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|glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes --> |
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|climb rate ms= |
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|climb rate ftmin= |
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|sink rate ms=<!-- sailplanes --> |
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|sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes --> |
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|armament1= |
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|armament2= |
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|armament3= |
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|armament4= |
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|armament5= |
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|armament6= |
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}} |
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<!-- ==See also== --> |
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{{aircontent |
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<!-- include as many lines are appropriate. additional lines/entries with carriage return. --> |
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|see also= |
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|related=<!-- related developments --> |
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|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft --> |
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|lists=<!-- related lists --> |
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}} |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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{{Commons category}} |
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{{refbegin}} |
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*{{cite web |last=Airship Heritage Trust |title=Airshipsonline : Airships : R31 |url=http://www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/r31/index.html |access-date=2008-08-24|ref=a31}} |
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*{{cite web |last=Airship Heritage Trust |title=Airshipsonline : Airships : R32 |url=http://www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/r32/index.html |access-date=2008-08-24|ref=a32}} |
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*{{cite book|title=British Airships 1905–30 |last=Castle |first= Ian |publisher=Osprey Publishing |series=New Vanguard |year=2009 }} |
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*Higham, Robin. ''The British Rigid Airship 1908–1931''. Henley-on-Thames: Foulis, 1961. |
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*Mowthorpe, Ces. ''Battlebags: British Airships of the First World War'', 1995 {{ISBN|0-905778-13-8}}{{refend}} |
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{{Short Brothers aircraft}} |
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{{Admiralty airships}} |
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[[Category:1910s British patrol aircraft]] |
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[[Category:Airships of the United Kingdom]] |
[[Category:Airships of the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1918]] |
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[[Category:Short Brothers aircraft]] |
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Latest revision as of 05:01, 7 November 2024
| R31 class | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fleet defence airship |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Short Brothers |
| Primary user | Royal Navy |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | July 1918 |
The R31 class of British rigid airships was constructed in the closing months of World War I, and comprised two aircraft, His Majesty's Airship R31 and R32. They were designed by the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors – with assistance from a Herr Müller who had defected to Britain, and previously worked for the Schütte-Lanz airship company – and built by Short Brothers at the Cardington airship sheds. The airship frame was made from spruce plywood laminated into girder sections, weatherproofed with varnish, and also fireproofed. These enclosed 21 gas bags.[1] R31 was the largest British airship to fly before the end of the war, and the class remains the largest mobile wooden structures ever built.[2]
As the airships were intended for fleet protection operations, they were to be fitted with defensive machine guns on top of the envelope, at the stern and in the gondolas. A 12-pounder gun was to be fitted in a special position centrally below the airship for use against U-boats. In the event, this armament was only fitted to R31, as R32 was only completed after the armistice with Germany.[3] It had also been intended to fit a bomb load of two 520 lb (240 kg) bombs and four 230 lb (100 kg) bombs. With the end of hostilities, these were never installed on either airship.
Operational history
[edit]R31
[edit]R31 made its first trial flight, lasting two hours, in July 1918, under the command of Squadron Leader W.C. Hinks. A top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) was achieved, well above the expected 50–55 mph (80–89 km/h), and faster than any other airship then in service. It was originally powered by six 275 hp (205 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle engines, but in view of the performance and to reduce fuel consumption, one was removed, reducing the maximum speed to a still satisfactory 65 mph (105 km/h); similarly, the R32 was built with six engines, and later converted to a five-engine configuration.[3]
The R31 airship was finally commissioned on 6 November 1918, just before the armistice with Germany, after having spent four hours in the air. It set off, again under the command of Squadron Leader Hincks, for the airship base at East Fortune in Scotland. On the journey, she encountered bad weather, and it was feared that some of the plywood girders were failing, so she diverted to the airship base at Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire for examination and repair. The sheds had not been repaired since the R27 had caught fire three months earlier, and the roof leaked badly. This caused the glue holding the plywood together to deteriorate; as a result the airship became unairworthy, and was beyond repair. In February 1919, it was dismantled. The covering was removed and returned to Cardington, while the frames were sold for £200; these were broken up and sold for firewood, but due to the fireproofing treatment they had received, they would not burn.
R32
[edit]
After being formally accepted by the Royal Navy, R32 made its first trial flight on 3 September 1919, and then on 6 September went to RNAS Pulham, Norfolk. On 10 September, in formation with the R33, she made a flight over the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France and back to Pulham. In October 1919, the R32 with the rest of the airship fleet was formally handed over to the Royal Air Force. The airship was used by the National Physical Laboratory for structural testing. On 20 March 1920, it was flown to Howden to be refurbished and used for crew training by the American party, who had come to accept the R38 (ZR-2). When the metal-framed R80 became available, the use of the by now obsolete wooden-framed R32 stopped, and, to save money, it was decommissioned and used to assess the effect of a gas-bag bursting. Once the covering had been removed, and the engines taken away, cell No.18 was overpressurised until the expansion caused the bracing and structure to fail. The frame was subsequently dismantled.
Operators
[edit]
Specifications (with five engines)
[edit]Data from [citation needed]
General characteristics
- Length: 615 ft 0 in (187.5 m) [1][2]
- Diameter: 65 ft 6 in (19.97 m) [1]
- Volume: 1,547,000 cu ft (43,976 m3) [1]
- Useful lift: 36,960 lb (16,800 kg)
- Powerplant: 5 × Rolls-Royce Eagle piston engine, 275 hp (205 kW) each [1][2]
Performance
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]
- Airship Heritage Trust. "Airshipsonline : Airships : R31". Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- Airship Heritage Trust. "Airshipsonline : Airships : R32". Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- Castle, Ian (2009). British Airships 1905–30. New Vanguard. Osprey Publishing.
- Higham, Robin. The British Rigid Airship 1908–1931. Henley-on-Thames: Foulis, 1961.
- Mowthorpe, Ces. Battlebags: British Airships of the First World War, 1995 ISBN 0-905778-13-8