Abstract
A DIRECT trans-Atlantic passage has been accomplished by the rigid airship R34, which left East Fortune at 1.42 a.m. on July 2 and arrived at Long Island, New York, at 2 p.m. G.M.T. on July 6. The total distance flown was approximately 3100 nautical miles, giving an average speed of 33 land miles per hour. This low figure is accounted for by the adverse winds which were encountered, and also by the fact that the commander, Major Scott, was sacrificing speed for safety. Some difficulty was experienced at first on account of the low altitude necessitated by the great weight of fuel cartied. Atmospheric disturbances were great at the mouth of the Clyde, near high hills. The weather was cloudy during the whole crossing, and only occasional glimpses of the sea were obtained to estimate the drift of the airship. Near Newfoundland the weather was very bad, and two electric storms were encountered, during which the wind varied rapidly from 10 to 50 miles an hour, and the airship was so tossed about that the crew gave her up for lost. It was after this trying period that Major Scott wirelessed for help, saying that his petrol was running short. Two destroyers were at once sent to render assistance, but Major Scott decided to attempt the completion of the journey under the airship's own power. His decision proved a wise one, and the great airship safely reached her mooring-ground in Long Island, but with only sufficient petrol remaining for a further ninety minutes' flight. The voyage was a very trying one for all concerned, and none of the crew had more than a few hours' sleep during the crossing.
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The Trans-Atlantic Flight of the R 34 . Nature 103, 369–370 (1919). https://doi.org/10.1038/103369b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/103369b0