GUESTS ON BOARD R100 SLEPT THROUGH STORM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1053, 18 August 1930, Page 9

GUESTS ON BOARD RIOO SLEPT THROUGH STORM

SHIPS BUFFETED BELOW DIRIGIBLE PLEASES EXPERTS United l*. A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed, 10.35 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. The British airship RIOO completed her return flight from Montreal yesterday. She was sighted at Cardington at -10.40 a.m., was made rast to her mooring ropes at 11.30 a.m., and finally moored at 12.2 p.m. A tired-looking officer appeared at the opening of the hatchway which was swung down from the airship and reduced romance to prose by announcing that all was ready for the customs officers.

The officers of the RIOO and the expert observers who made the round trip express the opinion that the Canadian flight demonstrated the comfort, speed and commercial utility of a ‘ transatlantic airship service. A tumbler lull of water placed op the airship table at Montreal was not spilt on the trip to Cardington, though the airship was twice buffeted by storms and passed through very heaw rain. SAW SHIPS TOSSING Large liners were seen tossing and pitching in mountainous seas below, while the airship remained as steady as when moored. The passengers slept all night long oblivious of the great storm on the sea below. The homeward flight of 3,200 mileß was made in 3,425 minutes. When the airship was refuelling after its arrival at Cardington, two petrol tanks slipped down from their holders and tore holes iu the underpart of the airship’s envelope. The damage is being repaired. On the arrival of the RIOO the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Thomson, delivered a speech of welcome, after which Major G. H. Scott, who said he was “perishing for a smoke,” took a ready-filled pipe from his pocket and lit up immediately he reached the ground. WELCOME HOME A British Official Wireless message says the airship sighted the south-west coast of Ireland at 2.45 Greenwich mean time, and proceeded due east to Lundy Island. She passed up the Bristol Channel, being off Newport at 5.30. and thence shaped her course to Cardington. The conditions of the wind and light interfered to some extent with the mooring operations, but,the airship was safely moored at 11 oVlock. Lord Thomson, after congratulating Wing-Commander Colmore on having accomplished this first stage iu the development stage of British airships, added: “I wish to convey through you my heartiest congratulations to Squad ron-Leader Booth for his excellent handling of the airship, and to all the officers and crew for the magnificent work they have done in circumstances' which have provided a searching test, not only of their efficiency hut also of the sound construction of the RIOU. AMPLE FUEL LEFT “I wish also to express my high appreciation of the work of all who have been responsible for the design and construction of the RICK) and to pay a special tritsute to the officers and staff in charge ,of tire ground organisation, which has worked perfectly throughout the flight/’ The log shows that the airship started on the yoyage with 1.585 gallons of fuel and at the finish she had 3,200 gallons. Thus for the voyage of 57 hours she used two-thirds of her fuel.

The apparent inference Is that with all her fuel her maximum duration would have been about 87 hours. This, however, is not a correct interpretation of the figures, for .she could have carried a far greater quaentity of fuel and somewhat less water ballast. The fuel can be used as ballast in au emergency, although in this particular case the amount of water ballast carried on the RIOO afforded a big safety margin. The voyage was much assisted by frequent wireless communicatfem with shipping en route. This marks it great advance in recent years, for when the R 34 crossed the Atlantic comjtaratively few ships had wireless.