British Army Dirigible No 1

Dirigible No 1
Role	Semi-rigid airship
Manufacturer	Royal Engineers
Designer	Col. John Capper and Samuel Cody
First flight	10 September 1907
Number built	1

British Army Dirigible No 1, christened Nulli Secundus (Latin: "Second to none") was a Semi-rigid airship that became Britain's first military aircraft when she flew on 10 September 1907. The early design work was carried out by Colonel James Templer, and it was completed by Colonel John Capper of the Royal Engineers and Samuel Cody, the latter being mainly responsible for developing the steering gear and engine.^[1] She was built at the balloon factory at Farnborough, and powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Antoinette engine she made her first public appearance on 5th October when she flew from Farnborough to London. Crewed by Capper and Cody, she completed a tour over the city, and after circling St Paul's Cathedral they attempted to return to Farnborough, but 18 mph (29 km/h) headwinds forced her to land at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham. Taking off at 11:00 pm,^[2] the flight lasted for 3 hours and 25 minutes and covered 50 miles (80 km) overland.^[1]

On 10 October, still moored at Crystal Palace to avoid damage in high winds, she was buffeted so severely that some of the guy ropes tore free. Hydrogen was released through escape valves and a slit was made in the envelope to speed up the process.^[2] Deflated and partially dismantled, the remains were taken back to Farnborough where they were used in the manufacture of Nulli Secundus II.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Length: 120 ft 0 in (36.59 m)
• Diameter: 26 ft 0 in (7.93 m)
• Volume: 55,000 ft³ (1,557 m³)
• Powerplant: 1 × Antoinette, 50 hp (37 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 40 mph (64 km/h)

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Airships The Museum of Army Flying. Retrieved: 23 February 2009.
2. ^ ^{a b} A celebration of British balloon power Times Online. Retrieved: 23 February 2009.

Bibliography

• Squier, George Owen (1908). "The Present Status of Military Aeronautics. I. Aerostation. Successful Military Dirigible Balloons. England. Military Dirigible No. 1". Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: 125–127. http://books.google.com/?id=gtQWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA125. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 213.