R33

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm working on a project on the flight test programme that was the R101, which is incredibly well documented - and to a lesser extent the R100, which isn't as well documented, but there's still a fair bit out there.

But one of the things that has interested me a lot, as a flight tester, is that the R33 - one of the two airships of that class - flew quite extensive flight trials to gather knowledge towards the eventual design and construction of the R100 and R101. About the R33 and its test programmes, I can find very little.

Does anybody know where there are any good sources of wisdom about the R33 - particularly if anybody knows where they might be I'd really like to read any flight test plans / reports / debriefs if they're preserved in an archive somewhere?

G

[IFPS man]

Pretty sure we have details at Brooklands about this. I'll check tomorrow (Ooops, "b*m Steer" - t'was about the R34 airship. Sorry)...
Im

[clunckdriver]

Read "Slide Rule" by Neville Shute, if what you are after isnt there, after reading you will know where to find , if not send me a PM.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Read "Slide Rule" by Neville Shute, if what you are after isnt there, after reading you will know where to find , if not send me a PM.

I've read that book several times, and just re-checked it. NS still had nothing to do with the R33. He was on the R100, knew a fair bit about the R101, and picked up a bit about the R38 which he mentioned. But sorry, no R33.

G

[Genghis the Engineer]

Pretty sure we have details at Brooklands about this. I'll check tomorrow (Ooops, "b*m Steer" - t'was about the R34 airship. Sorry)...
Im

Thanks a lot for trying.

R33 and R34 were more or less identical airframes, but got used quite differently and the R34 never flew the extensive research programme of the R33.

G

[thing]

Bit OT but does anyone know why Cardington has a 6K danger area?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Yes.

There's a Met Office research unit there which fly tethered balloons at random times and very short notice.

G

[thing]

Thank you sir.

[Allan Lupton]

Peter Masefield did a lot of research before writing his 1982 book about R101 "To Ride the Storm". I talked to him about our family tale that uncle Christopher Bullock was supposed to be on R101 (but wasn't) and that conversation led us in all sorts of directions about earlier airships. His notes would be worth a look and perhaps his son, Charles Masefield, has inherited them, or at least knows who has.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm working through Sir Peter's book at the moment, and it's incredibly comprehensive, but does unsurprisingly concentrate upon the R101.

Are you able to pass me a contact that I might be able to use to contact his son?

G

[500 above]

Hi Genghis - long time no speak!

As an ex Airship pilot, I may be able to put you in contact with a few helium heads that should be in the know. There is a good fbook page, if you are on that. PM me and I'll give you a link.