RIGID AIRSHIP No. 9
Rigid Airship No. 1 having met with such a calamitous end, the
authorities became rather dubious as to the wisdom of continuing
such costly experiments. Most unfortunately, as the future
showed and as was the opinion of many at the time, rigid
construction in the following year 1912 was ordered to be
discontinued. This decision coincided with the disbanding of the
Naval Air Service, and for a time rigid airships in this country
were consigned to the limbo of forgetfulness. After the Naval
Air Service had been reconstituted, the success which attended
the Zeppelin airships in Germany could no longer be overlooked,
and it was decided to make another attempt to build a rigid
airship in conformity with existing Zeppelin construction. The
first proposals were put forward in 1913, and, finally, after
eleven months delay, the contract was signed. This airship, it
has been seen, was designated No. 9.
No. 9 experienced numerous vicissitudes, during the process of
design and later when construction was in progress. The contract
having been signed in March, 1914, work on the ship was suspended
in the following February, and was not recommenced until July of
the same year. From that date onwards construction was carried
forward; but so many alterations were made that it was fully
eighteen months before the ship was completed and finally
accepted by the Admiralty.
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