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Old 18th Aug 2012, 22:32
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Milo Minderbinder
 
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From Airshipsonline : Airships : R34

"The firm of William Beardmore and Company Ltd. of Inchinnan near Glasgow began work on R34 on 9 December 1917 and she was completed just over a year later. Preparations to H.M.A.R34 were completed in December 1918 and her lift and trim trials were carried out successfully on the 20th of that month. By the time R34 was ready for her test flights, the war was over and she was too late to see active service. On 30th December 1918, while bad weather delayed the trial flight, the Admiralty agreed to lend their airships to the Air Ministry for long-distance trials. R34 was specifically mentioned but because of the persistently bad weather it was not until the following March that she left her hangar at lnchinnan, near Glasgow, where the Beardmore Company had their works. "

HMA of course means "His Majesty's Airship" i.e. Navy owned
Reading elsewhere indicates that at least one of the crew on the atlantic crossing was American

As for the parachuting landing crew supervisor - according to British Airship R-34 | R34 Arrival in America he was Major E.M. Pritchard

R34 airship makes first trans-Atlantic return | In-depth | The Engineer
has a couple of anecdotes about the engines - and also about the first ever airborne stowaway

Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 24th Aug 2012 at 22:38.
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