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National and a Private enterprise.

In July Barnes had his new post confirmed but George Scott one of the team working on the R101 at Cardington. He explained to Barnes: “We have given your ship the number R100, as it will be no more than a rehash of the German methods and therefore the last of an out dated construction. “Our Ship the R101 will be entirely novel and new design embodying the latest and most up to date materials & engineering methods, we regard it as the first of an entirely new series, and have therefore given it the number R101.”

In the last months of 1924 Barnes Wallis designed his complete Airship. Working from first principles, guided only by theory, experiment and calculation. All stresses loads and reactions remained constantly in balance. All Horizontal and vertical forces equated to zero. This was the geodetic construction. This same method of construction was used in the Wellington Bombers of the 2nd world war.

By mid 1925 the antagonism between supporters of R100 and those of R101 was open talk co-operation between them was nil. The rivalry between the two groups was genuine but it served as an excuse for secretiveness, arrogance and pride. There was much bitterness they were behaving like jealous schoolboys.

In the 1929 General elections Labour became the largest party in the house of commons R101 was falling behind and was in bad straight Both ships were costing considerably more than their sponsors had hoped.

Performance figures were below original specifications. But the moods that Wallis had made had been successful and R100 was almost ready for flight-testing and she had 54 tons disposable weight available while R101 could only muster 34 Tons. At this time the German Graf Zeppelin was ridding the skies in triumph.

It was clear she was not coming up to specification Lord Thomson of Cardington knew the only solution for these ailments in the R101 would be drastic surgery. R101 required to be sliced in two and an addition section added after which the whole would be stitched together again. A real patch work came out of it and it was again clear additional stress would be involved , yet it appears few calculations or modifications had been thought of or brought in! During the summer shed tests on the diesel engines fitted to the R101 proved they could not be run at full power without devastating vibration. The following the September Trim trials were conducted at Colmore and it became clear from the results that operation of R101 on the Indian route was proving to be impossible.

R101 at last made her first trial flights. On 12th October 1929 she left her shed in Cardington. On the 14th October she flew around Bedford and then flew on to London. On the 18th October Lord Thomson was taken on board and they flew, a longer flight in exceptionally calm weather after which he reported to the press that the flight had been a great success and he said he hoped to fly on the R101 to India Christmas. 1930

During mid November a short demonstration flight was flown for a group of MP’s. The troubles for the R101 were beginning to show As the airship was released from the Mast the craft lurched so violently the members of parliament were tipped from their seats, crockery was smashed as the tables tipped! Doubts were beginning to grow, people were beginning to notice.R100 made her first flight in early December and behaved perfectly, everything that Barnes Wallis had expected happened. The Airship

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