VOL 71 No4 - Navy League of Australia

ENGINES
The airship was powered by two Wolseley engines, each of which
developed 180 horse-power. They were eight cylinder, water cooled
vertical engines designed to deliver maximum power at 1 ,000 rpm. As
originally designed the forward engine drove two propellers through
bevel gearing at 500 rpm. In an attempt to lighten and re-balance the
ship in August 1911, the two gondolas' positions were exchanged.
'AVIONICS'
The 'wireless telegraphy' installation was specially prepared for R1
after a number of experiments. It was powered by an alternator driven
by the after engine delivering three kilowatts, 350 cycles, 200 volts
and was expected to have a range of about 600 nautical miles. The
transmitter spark was 'quenched' to reduce the risk of igniting hydrogen
and light metal screens surrounded the equipment to eliminate the
risk completely. The receiver was a modified Marconi with a 'pericon'
detector using a 1 ,000 ft five-stranded copper wire aerial suspended
below the ship in flight.
FIRST 'FLOAT'
At last, on Monday 22 May 1911 inflation was complete and the airship
was lowered onto the water in its shed ready for basin trials. Boats
were secured either side of the gondolas and padding was fixed to
the shed doors which were only inches wider than the airship itself.
An elaborate plan had been prepared for extracting it and she was
walked aft by 300 sailors and marines pulling on ropes carefully until
the nose was clear and then towed to the centre of Cavendish Dock
where she was attached to a mooring pontoon secured there. At first a
wind baffle was attached to the mast but this caused the airship to yaw
violently and so it was removed, curing the problem. The nose mooring
arrangement, subsequently used by all airships, proved successful.
Designed to withstand a 'pull ' of up to four tons, the recorded 'pull ' in a
17 knot breeze was only 5301bs. While she rode out at the mast, a crew
of nine remained on board and carried out a range of acceptance trials
although engine runs were cut short by problems with the radiators.
On 23 May she rode out a gale of wind estimated at up to 45 knots
successfully and searchlights were played on the ship from HERMIONE
during the two nights she was out to make sure that all was well with
her. She floated but was too heavy to lift and, because the gas bags
leaked at the rate of about 1% per day, replacement hydrogen had to
be brought out to her in cylinders carried in a naval cutter. Getting
her back into the shed on 25 May turned out to be more difficult than
extracting her because of a slight cross-wind. The whole evolution took
1 00 minutes and resulted in one side being rubbed against the door of
the shed and two sailors falling into the dock. She looked beautiful with
her silver grey and yellow hull and had cost £41 ,000 to date. Despite
her nickname, R1 was hailed as a success by the press.
Back in the shed, the airship 'floated ' at a height of three feet without
crew, tools, wireless set, hawsers, petrol or ballast Captain Sueter had
refused to accept her and drastic alterations had to be undertaken if
she was to fly. The ship was slung from the roof once more and the
outer skin was peeled off and the gas bags deflated and removed. Then
the water-trimming device was taken out together with the keel , cabin
and any equipment intended for non-flying use. The heavier gondola
was moved from aft to forward and the control car was lightened and
moved aft. By July R1 was still unable to lift itself and the Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics was asked for advice. They recommended
the insertion of an extra bay with 40 ,000 cubic feet of gas, a solution
that was to be applied to R1 01 by a later generation to cure a similar
problem. The Admiralty declined such a drastic solution immediately
because the shed would have to be rebuilt to take the lengthened ship
and it was hoped that the weight reduction programme would at least
allow a limited trials programme before the end of 1911 . After three
years work, the Navy wanted results.
Another inflation and weighing on 17 August showed that she was still
too heavy and a further 1, 1951bs of equipment was removed after she
was again deflated. The forward propeller was reduced to 1 0 feet so
that it could be driven directly from the engine without a gearbox and
holes were drilled in the engine control levers to lighten them . Tool
boxes were replaced by fabric bags and the crew made and installed
a canvas water-ballast trimming system. On 22 September 1911 she
was inflated for what proved to be the last time, using 1, 762 cylinders of
The stern lifted as it was blown away from the dock wall.