Military, Naval and Civil Airships Since 1783 by Daniel G. Ridley-Kitts

Author:Daniel G. Ridley-Kitts
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780752490373
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2012-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

The building schedule for No. 23 was a much extended period, covering as it did some twenty months, with the airship not making its first flight until September 1917, almost a year later than the proposed completion date. This delay can be explained by the fact that although the greater part of the hull structure, such as girder work, main transverse frames, gas bags and most of the outer cover, were complete by the end of 1916, much trouble was experienced with every other aspect of fitting out the ship, including the electrical, ballast, control and petrol installations, which were necessary to complete the ship. The work was further hampered by the non-delivery of essential materials, strikes and two periods when work ceased completely for two weeks on each occasion for ‘Works Holidays’.

The later ships No. 24, No. 25, and R26 were all completed within a nine-month building period, benefiting from the experience gained in constructing of No. 23.

As in No. 9 the main transverse frames were of a wire-braced triangular section without kingpost bracing, set at 30ft intervals with two light steel intermediate frames between. The deep-V keel section was rigidly attached to the underside of the hull and also made mainly from steel tube section for additional strength. The main petrol tanks were fitted athwart ships and dispersed along the keel above the walkway, while each of the engine cars had a 20 gallon gravity feed service tank fitted in the keel above.

Upon completion, and following lift and trim trials, it was found that No. 23 had substandard conditions: the disposable lift was only 5.7 tons as against the 8 tons envisaged in the original design. In order to meet the Admiralty requirements similar measures to those taken with R9 were employed, involving the removal of much of the naval equipment, including the heavy swivelling propeller gear, and the substitution of lighter gas bags.

Additionally, the existing stern car and engine were replaced by the wing car from the downed Zeppelin L33 containing a single Maybach 245hp MBVa engine, which drove a single 16ft diameter propeller. The combined engine arrangement giving a top speed of 53mph. Following these changes the disposable lift was increased to 6.2 tons which was deemed acceptable to the Admiralty inspectors.

Of the remaining ships of this class No. 24 and No. 25 were both completed in October 1917, with R26 following in March 1918. No. 25 and R26 were also modified in the same way as No. 23, by having the stern power car removed and the substitution of a wing car from a downed Zeppelin installed in its place.

As L33 had only two wing cars it must be assumed that these replacements came from the salvaged parts of the L32, which had been shot down in October 1916 at Great Burstead, Essex. Although presumably, as this airship crashed from a great height in flames, unlike the L33’s relatively gentle denouement, some considerable rebuilding of the engines and cars must have been necessary.

In October 1915

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