The British dirigible R-34 left East Fortune, near Edinburgh, Scotland, at 2 A.M., July 2, 1919 and proceeded via Newfoundland to Mineóla, New York, arriving at Roosevelt Field at 9 A.M., Sunday, July 6. To show that this was not merely good fortune, a return trip even more successful was made, leaving New York at 11.58 on the night of July 9th.
After a brief trip over the city of New York the nose of the Zeppelin was turned to Great Britain and after a voyage of 75 hours, 3 minutes, a successful landing was made at Polham, England, arriving at 9.16 A.M. on July 12th, a distance of 3200 miles. In other words, the R-34 flew practically 7000 miles in 183 hours and 15 minutes. The journey from Scotland to America was accomplished in sprite of fog and heavy squalls and thunder storms and against constant head winds. The speed was thus reduced, so that it was uncertain whether the 5000 gallons supply of gasoline would be sufficient to keep the engines turning until Long Island was reached. Accordingly radio messages were sent for United States destroyers to stand by on the journey down from the Bay of Fundy, but assistance was not required, and a successful landing was made at the Mineóla flying field. The return voyage was without incident, and general satisfaction was expressed at the outcome of the trip.
Top Speed: 62 m.p.h.
Manufacturer: William Beardmore and Company
Year: 1919
Engine: 5 Sunbeam Maori 12 cylinder 275 h.p.
Length: 643 feet
Gross lift: 59 tons
The British naval dirigible R-34 in 1919 was the largest dirigible afloat, measuring 643 feet from nose to stern, and requiring a hangar 300 yards long. The envelope was built of sheet duraluminum towers 91 feet in height, and the beam was 71 feet. From the envelope are suspended 4 cars, one forward for the captain and pilot, 2 wing cars amidship, and an after car in which are the two engines attached to the same shaft that drive the largest of the four propellers. The propellers of the forward and wing cars measure 17 feet 6 inches from tip to tip, while that on the after car measures 19 feet 6 inches, and was one of the largest ever made. Five Sunbeam Maori engines of 275 horse power each were used to drive these propellers. The R-34 attained a speed of from 40 to 60 knots an hour, and is capable of reaching an altitude of 15.000 feet, though her best height was 4000 feet. When fully inflated the airship had a capacity of 2,000,000 cubic feet of hydrogen, carried 13 tons of water for ballast, arranged in bags along the keel to keep the airship upright. The lifting power was furnished by 19 separate gas bags inside the rigid envelope. These bags were so partitioned that there was plenty of opportunity for the crew to pass freely throughout the interior of the envelope. There were 81 tanks, which were filled with 5670 gallons of gasoline when the R-34 left England.
The Zeppelin was lit throughout by electricity, with telephone and bell connection between the cars, and was rigged with various types of equipment, just as an ocean liner. The radio of the airship was controlled from the captain’s car forward and had a range of 800 miles for sending and receiving.
The R-34 had a large beam capacity and carried a crew of 31 men. The officers on the trip to America were Maj. O. H. Scott, commanding officer and pilot; Maj. 0. H. Cooke, B.S.O., navigator; Capt. G. S. Greenland, first officer: Lieut. J. D. Shotter, engineer officer: Lieut. ?. F. Luck, third officer; while Brigadier-General Maitland and Major Pritchard represented the British Air Ministry and Lieut. -Com. Z. Lansdowne, O.B.E., the United States Naval Air Service. Lieutenant Guy Harris was meteorological officer and Second Lient. R. D. Durrant was radio officer. The crew of the 11-34 consisted of 12 engineers and 7 recruits, beside 2 radio men.
On 27 January 1921 she left on what should have been a routine exercise. Over the North Sea the weather worsened and a recall signal sent by radio was not received. Following a navigational error the craft hit the North York Moors in the dark and lost two propellors. She went back out to sea using the two remaining engines and in daylight followed the Humber estuary back to Howden. Strong winds made it impossible to get her back into the shed and she was tied down outside for the night. By the morning further damage had occurred and the R34 was written off.