R-100
His Majesty’s Airship R100 was a privately designed and built British rigid airship made as part of a two-ship competition to develop a commercial airship service for use on British Empire routes as part of the Imperial Airship Scheme. The other airship, the R101, was built by the British Air Ministry, but both airships were funded by the Government.
R100 was built by the Airship Guarantee Company, a specially created subsidiary of the armaments firm Vickers-Armstrongs, led by Commander Dennis Burney. The design team was headed by Barnes Wallis, later famous for his invention of the bouncing bomb. The design team also included Nevil Shute Norway as the senior stress engineer (see Slide Rule).[Note 1]
R100 first flew in December 1929. It made a series of trial flights and a successful return crossing of the Atlantic in July–August 1930, but following the crash of R101 in October 1930 the Imperial Airship Scheme was terminated and R100 was broken up for scrap.
Crew
Coming Soon
Real People
Coco Chanel
William Stephenson
Vera Atkins
British Empire Games
Norman Brooks Two silver
Bill Trippett Gold
John Besford Bronz
Stanley Bell Silver
Regionald Flint Bronze
Freddie Milton Silver
Arthur Watts Silver
Whiteside Silver
Joyce Cooper Four gold
Phyllis Harding Bronze and Gold
Cecelia Wolstenholme Gold
Margery Hinton Silver
Doreen Cooper Gold
Olive Jones Gold
Norman Brooks Two silver
Glossary
|
Slide rule |
A mechanical analog calculator used primarily for multiplication, division, exponents, roots, logarithms, and trigonometry It consists of slidable logarithmic scales that allow users to perform calculations by aligning numbers and reading results through physical movement. |
|
Lloyd’s Register |
is a maritime classification society that establishes and enforces technical standards for ship design, construction, and maintenance. For shipbuilding, its Rules and Regulations serve as the benchmark for ensuring structural integrity, safety, and regulatory compliance. |
|
Cheshire |
Builder: Fairfield Shipyard, Glasgow (launched 1927) 10,560 GRT, 15.5 knots, twin diesel engines. She belonged to Bibby Line, which ran passenger and cargo services between Rangoon in Burma (now Yangon in Myanmar) and various ports in Great Britain, via the Suez Canal and Gibraltar.[1] The Admiralty requisitioned her in 1939 and had her converted into an armed merchant cruiser (AMC). She was converted into a troopship in 1943, and returned to civilian service in 1948. |
|
Fairfield shipyards |
The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan, Glasgow, was a major player in global shipbuilding during the early 20th century. By 1930, the yard faced significant challenges but remained active in naval and commercial projects. |
|
Princess Elizabeth |
The Princess Elizabeth exemplified Fairfield’s niche in mid-sized vessels, contrasting with John Brown’s record-breaking liners. While no service specifics are detailed in the results, it likely operated Canadian coastal routes or short international voyages. |
|
Graduate Naval architecture Dorothy Rowntree |
Rowntree’s 1926 graduation marked a milestone, as naval architecture remained male-dominated. |
PART
II: ALPHABETICAL INDEX
A
Aft – The rear section of an airship
or vessel. (Chapter 17) Cross-reference: Stern, Nose
Altimeter – An instrument that measures
altitude or height above a fixed reference point, typically sea level,
essential for airship navigation. (Chapter 17) Cross-reference: Inclinometer
B
Barometric
pressure – The
pressure exerted by the atmosphere at a given location, measured with a
barometer. Sudden changes in barometric pressure often indicate approaching
weather systems, critical for airship navigation. (Chapter 12) Cross-reference:
Inclinometer
Blimey (exclamation) – An expression of
surprise, shock, or amazement. (Chapter 4) Cross-reference: Smashin’
Bonnie – Beautiful, attractive, or
handsome; can refer to people, places, or things. (Chapter 6) Cross-reference:
Scottish dialect terms
Breastplate
of Tutankhamun – A
ceremonial piece of ancient Egyptian royal regalia from King Tutankhamun’s
tomb, rumored in the story to contain mathematical formulas and designs
thousands of years ahead of modern science. (Chapter 5) Cross-reference:
Mystical and occult terms
C
Cairngorms – A mountain range in the eastern
Highlands of Scotland, featuring high granite summits and known for their
ancient Caledonian pine forests. In the story, they serve as both a physical
retreat and symbolic landscape of transformation for Mackenzie. (Chapter 5) Cross-reference:
Scottish terminology
Cardington
Airfield – A Royal
Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, home to the massive airship
construction sheds where the R-100 was built and maintained. The site contained
two enormous hangars specifically designed for airship construction. (Chapter
2) Cross-reference: R-100 project
Chief
Coxswain – The
senior non-commissioned officer responsible for steering the airship and
executing the navigator’s and captain’s directional commands. (Chapter 3) Cross-reference:
First Officer, Control car
Clach
Mhic Ghòrdain
(pronounced: /klax vɪk ɣɔːrdɪn/) – “The Gordon Stone,” a granite
outcrop in the story that supposedly brings clarity to troubled minds. (Chapter
5) Cross-reference: Cairngorms
Conical
tail section – The
tapering rear portion of the airship’s structure that houses control surfaces
and contributes to aerodynamic stability. (Chapter 3) Cross-reference: Outer
cover integrity, R-100 project
Control
car – The command
center of an airship, typically suspended below the main envelope, housing the
flight controls, navigation instruments, and helm positions for the officers
and crew. (Chapter 3) Cross-reference: Flying stations, Watch-keeping
stations
Crutching
of gas bags – A
maintenance procedure performed during ascent where support structures
(crutches) are properly positioned to support the gas bags as they expand with
altitude, preventing uneven strain. (Chapter 11) Cross-reference: Gasbags
D
Dead
drop – A method of
covert communication where an agent leaves material at a predetermined location
for another operative to retrieve, minimizing direct contact. (Chapter 17) Cross-reference:
Espionage terminology
Decryption – The process of converting
encrypted information back into its original, readable form, often requiring
specialized knowledge or equipment. (Chapter 19) Cross-reference: Microfilm,
SIS
E
Engine
distribution panel
– A control system that manages the electrical power supply to various airship
systems, including engines, lights, and communications equipment. (Chapter 12) Cross-reference:
Technical terminology
Engine
Order Telegraph –
A communications device used to transmit engine commands from the control car
to the engine rooms, ensuring synchronized operations during critical
maneuvers. (Chapter 3) Cross-reference: Speaking tube
F
First
Officer – The
second-in-command of an airship, who assists the captain in navigation and
operation of the vessel and assumes command in the captain’s absence. (Chapter
12) Cross-reference: Chief Coxswain
Flying
stations –
Designated positions for crew members during critical flight operations, such
as takeoff, landing, or emergency situations. (Chapter 4) Cross-reference:
Watch-keeping stations
G
Gasbags – Large containment cells within a
rigid airship that hold the lifting gas (usually hydrogen or helium). Multiple
gas bags provide compartmentalization for safety and buoyancy control. (Chapter
8) Cross-reference: Crutching of gas bags
Geodetic
framework design –
An innovative structural approach developed by Barnes Wallis for airship
construction, using a pattern of load-bearing intersecting members to create a
lightweight but strong airframe. (Chapter 2) Cross-reference: Spider-joint
design
Guid
Folk: In Scottish
Highland tradition, the guid folk (good folk) were supernatural beings believed
to inhabit the underground realms, hills, and wild places of Scotland. This
respectful name was deliberately used instead of “fairies” as the
creatures were thought to be listening and would take offense at disrespectful
terms. They were considered powerful, temperamental entities capable of
bringing both fortune and misfortune—curdling milk, sickening cattle, causing
storms, or even stealing away humans who offended them.
Haar (pronounced: /hɑːr/) – A cold sea
fog specific to the east coast of Scotland, especially prevalent between April
and September. Forms when warm, moist air passes over the North Sea, causing
moisture to condense into fog that is then blown inland. (Chapter 1) Cross-reference:
Scottish terminology
I
Inclinometer – A navigation instrument used to
measure the angle of tilt, slope, elevation, or depression of an object with
respect to gravity, essential for monitoring an airship’s attitude. (Chapter 3)
Cross-reference: Altimeter, Barometric pressure