efficiency at a
mooring post which had been prepared in the middle of the dock. She
was launched on May 22nd in a flat calm and was warped out of the shed
and hauled to the post where she was secured without incident. The
ship rode at the mooring post in a steady wind, which at one time
increased to 36 miles per hour, until the afternoon of May 25th, and
sustained no damage whatever. Various engine trials were carried out,
but no attempt was made to fly, as owing to various reasons the ship
was short of lift. Valuable information was, however, gained in
handling the ship, and much was learnt of her behaviour at the mast.
More trouble was experienced in getting her back into the shed, but she
was eventually housed without sustaining any damage of importance.

Owing to the lack of disposable lift, the bags were deflated and
various modifications were carried out to lighten the ship, of which
the principal were the removal of the keel and cabin entirely, and the
removal of the water-trimming services. Other minor alterations were
made which gave the ship, on completion, a disposable lift of 3.21
tons. The transverse frames between the gasbags were strengthened,
and a number of broken wires were replaced.

On September 22nd the ship was again completed, and on the 24th she was
again to be taken out and tested at the mooring post. Unfortunately,
while being hauled across the dock, the framework of the ship
collapsed, and she was got back into the shed the same day.

Examination showed that it was hopeless to attempt to reconstruct her,
and she was broken up at a later date. The failure of this ship was a
most regrettable incident, and increased the prejudice against the
rigid airship to such an extent that for some time the Navy refused to
entertain any idea of attempting a second experiment.

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 long