View Full Version : Airship at Cardington
DamienB
17th Mar 2004, 22:06
Driving to Bedford today saw a white shape floating on the horizon - given the lack of burning buildings and people fleeing in terror assumed it wasn't Martians and thought a drive round to Cardington might be in order.
Good job I did - nice to see a real life airship bumbling around those massive airship sheds!
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pp2/at100.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pp2/at101.jpg
Thanks DB,
Now that's a warming, welcome and unexpected sight.
A good thing to show some life from those amazing sheds. And good too to remind us that gas in aviation doen't need to get shoved out the back end at high speed to aviate ~ there's a more stylish way of doing it.
Any news who what why? I presume it's an (the?) Airship 500.
Book it for S'worth Airbedane!
Cheers
DamienB
17th Mar 2004, 22:29
It's an ATG AT10 apparently - has been test flying for around two years but still not signed off by the CAA yet as far as I know.
Judging from what I saw today they've got the taking off, flying a circuit and landing bits practiced sufficiently!
astir 8
18th Mar 2004, 07:20
They can fly circuits with that thing inside the sheds I should think - you need to be close to realise how huge they are.
What a sight the R100/R101 must have been!
DeepC
18th Mar 2004, 08:52
Living in Tempsford and formerly Shefford I have seen the airships flying over very rarely in the last few years. When I was growing up I saw them almost daily and sort of assumed that everyone had daily overflights of Skyship 500 type airships.
DeepC
DamienB
18th Mar 2004, 10:10
Another two to illustrate astir 8's point!
In the first one the airship is a little in the distance so it isn't actually as small as it appears in that shot - if it were right next to the doors and resting on the ground the top of the airship would be around level with the slotted horizontal girders (just a bit higher than the raised entry barrier on the extreme left).
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pp2/at102.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pp2/at103.jpg
So how's it different to a Skyship? At a glance, and relying on my memory, it looks very similar. But then so do most modern jets, modern cars, TV stars... bah...
DubTrub
18th Mar 2004, 11:45
I notice that Damian's photo still shows one hangar unpainted (un-restored?).
The first was done some years ago, any news on getting the other one done? 'twould be a pity for it to rust away.
DT
DeepC
18th Mar 2004, 12:13
The cost of restoring the first one was massively expensive. The paint cost several million pounds. One of the two is being used to film the new Batman film.
DeepC
wet wet wet
18th Mar 2004, 12:18
ATG (run by Roger Munk who was behind the Skyships) has been in residence at Cardington for several years now. The airship that you saw was G-OATG an AT-10. ATG also have some wonderful plans for cargo airships and for unmanned stratospheric communications platforms. Have a look at their web site: /http://www.atg-airship.com/ (http://)
Paint.
As listed buildings of national historic importance (or whatever the phrase is) the owners are obliged to keep them in good repair. Arent they?
Secondly, is anyone aware of Cardington's use in photo shoots?
The modern beat combo 'Propellerheads' have used the sheds as backdrops for the sleeve notes for 'Decksanddrumsandricknroll'. Any other offers?
Cheers
DamienB
18th Mar 2004, 13:07
Pretty sure that the first Austin Powers movie had a scene inside on the sheds - where he's getting his Shaguar.
Aerial view early last August (thanks to Hairyplane for the really big stepladder):
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pp2/sheds.jpg