britishnavy

The subject is incorrect. The aircraft shown is classified as an airship not a balloon.

I contacted several experts in airship history. The consensus of opinion is that the aircraft depicted is first British attempt to build a rigid airship. It was called the "Mayfly", official designation HMA-1. The airship never flew on its own although it may have lifted off once while on a tether and did float within the confines of its hangar. It suffered a catastrophic structural failure while on the ground on Sept 24, 1911. References - Hartcup, Guy, "The Achievement of the Airship", David & Charles Inc, 1974, ISBN 7153 6551 7, pp 85-7 www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation history/coming of age/HMA 1 Mayfly.htm NY Times MYSTERIOUS BRITISH AIRSHIP LAUNCHED; Construction of Naval Dirigible Surrounded with Extraordinary Secrecy. May 23, 1911, Tuesday Page 2, 475 words

dannachbar: We've updated the source record to summarize your subject note and correct the subject heading . With appreciation for your gathering of several sources to confirm the identification and dates!

Could you imagine if we used airships for travel today? How cool would that be!

Following in the footsteps of Count Zeppelin and the success of his early rigid airships, in 1908 the British Government agreed a sum of £35,000 which "should be allocated to the Admiralty for the building of a dirigible balloon". This order to build the first British rigid airship was a direct attempt to compete with the German airship programme.. Statistics: Length 512ft Diameter 46ft Speed 42mph (anticipated) Engines 2 x 180hp Volume 663, 518cft Designs were already being submitted and on 7th May, 1909 the award was given to the Vickers company. The original contract had been for a ship to be constructed for £35,000, however Vickers advised that they could construct the ship for £28,000 without goldbeaters skin gasbags and varnished skin outer cover. The Admiralty would be required to provide contractors for this work. Vickers also asked if they could put up a constructional shed, free of cost to the Crown, so that they may have a ten year monopoly on airship construction as they did with the submarine boat agreement they had with the Crown. On May 7th the contract was awarded, but the 10 year monopoly clause was refused. By 1910 the British Government had committed themselves to a similar path of air-weapon development to that taken by Germany. It was originally planned that the ship be used for scouting capabilities. The project to build the first ship had begun, and designated "HMA No. 1" or more commonly known as "The Mayfly". The design team was working on something that could match the current Zeppelins of the time. These could fly 100 miles, carry a crew of 26, and get to 5,400 feet with an endurance of twelve and a half hours. www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/hma1/index.html

" ... A Sydney Morning Herald journalist, Charles Bean joined the ship in August 1908 as special correspondent to report the visit of sixteen American warships — the Great White Fleet. At the time Powerful was flagship of the Royal Navy squadron on the Australian Station. Bean wrote a book, With the Flagship in the South (London, 1909), based on his reports, with photographs, drawings and a water-colour frontispiece by the author, and had it published at his own expense. ... " From - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Powerful_(1895)

Charles Bean's book 'With the Flagship' is available to read online - archive.org/details/withflagshipinso00beaniala

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertpool/2685811375/] There was also a Ladies' Guild of the same organisation. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertpool/3485606611/]

Beautiful badges!

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Thanks. They are from Robert Pool's collection. Check out his site, he's got tons of interesting stuff all relating to Glasgow....enought to fill a museum & archive!! Stuart.

Interesting related piece on the Ask about Ireland website, The Waterford News - 28th of July 1916 This building is number 9 Henrietta Street, Waterford Street View

Paul O'Farrell Can't thank you enough for this one, Paul! It had been annoying me that we didn't know where it was. Found a lovely snippet on Waterford in the Seaman's Handbook for Shore Leave from 1919:

Sailors' Homes, etc. British and Foreign Sailors' Society, David Beatty, Sailors' Rest, 9 Henrietta Street (No board or lodging, but Recreation Rooms, Bath Rooms, Coffee Bar, free Literature. Sailors are sent to Ossory Hotel, Gladstone St., two shillings nightly, free Library and amusements); Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, Adelphi Terrace (Board and lodging).