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R 101 Airship Collection

Completed in 1929, the R101 was one of a pair of British Airships that were built by the Royal Airship Works and designed by Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent C.Richmond.

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The R101 was part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. At the time it was the largest Airship ever built in the world, until seven years later when the German Hindenburg was built. The fateful event of R101 crashing at Allonne in France happened on route to Karachi in India on 5th October 1930. The crash resulted in 48 killed of the 54 people on-board ending British Airship development. The Airship hangers at Cardington became a storage station.

14 items

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R101 Airship

R101 Airship
2nd October 1929: An R101 Airship in its hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire. (Photo by Puttnam /Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: Airship

Airship
17th October 1929: The tail-end section of the giant airship R101, riding on the mooring mast at Cardigan, Bedford. The R101 was part of a British government programme to develop civil airships

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: Airship R 101

Airship R 101
1929: R101, a British airship, which was built in 1929 and was 221 metres (724 feet) long. The airship had dining, sleeping and recreational facilities for 100 passengers

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Airship

R 101 Airship
circa 1929: A broadside view of the Airship R101, at its mooring mast at Cardington, Bedford. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Dining Room

R 101 Dining Room
Members of the Dominion Legislative Conference dine on board the luxurious R101 airship. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 In Hangar

R 101 In Hangar
1929: The nose of the rigid airship R101 airship seen through hangar doors. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: Airship R 101

Airship R 101
1929: Airship R101 at Cardington. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: Airship Construction

Airship Construction
1927: Airship R101 under construction. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Engine

R 101 Engine
1929: Inspecting the engines which hang below an airship, in this case the rigid airship R101. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Airship

R 101 Airship
September 1928: The giant rigid British airship the R101 under construction at Cardington, Bedfordshire. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Airship

R 101 Airship
August 1928: The giant rigid British airship the R101 under construction at Cardington, Bedfordshire. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R101

R101
4th October 1930: R101 at its moorings in Cardington, Bedfordshire prior to its departure for India. It crashed en-route. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: Airship R101 Disaster Wreckage

Airship R101 Disaster Wreckage
7th October 1930: Wreckage of the airship R101 which crashed and burst into flames in a forest near Beauvais on its maiden voyage to India. Only six of the 54 people on board survived. (Photo by S)

Background imageR 101 Airship Collection: R 101 Moored

R 101 Moored
October 1929: Airship R101 moored to a control tower at Cardington. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)


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