News

New image of NS4

New image of NS4

A new acquisition to the image library is this magic lantern slide of N.S.4 – probably taken during the winter of 1917/18. Seen here ready for action, N.S.4 was one of the commands of N.S.11’s Captain W. K. F. G. Warneford.

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Pulham WWI airship photos rediscovered

Pulham WWI airship photos rediscovered

From BBC News website About 60 rare images of World War I airships operating from RNAS Pulham in Norfolk have been rediscovered by the family of the photographer. They were taken on the base by Royal naval Air Service’s photographer George Hamilton Wakefield from 1916 onwards. The images have been given to Pulham’s Pennoyer Centre which holds an archive of material about the air station. Sheila King, chairwoman of the centre, said: “We get offered a lot of pictures but as these started coming through we realised they were quite amazing. Mrs Owen is the great niece of George...

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The new NS11 site

The new NS11 site

Welcome to the new-look NS11 site – completely revamped and using WordPress as a foundation for what will be a better performing and more dynamic experience overall. Going live in December 2011 and rolling out over the next few months will be new features and sections on the NS-class as a whole, the airship’s construction and technology, an expanded photo library and more special features.

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Wheelwright-design NS3

Wheelwright-design NS3

The artist Gary M James has kindly provided this revealing image of the control car of NS3 during its modification by Flight Commander J. S. Wheelwright and station engineering officer Lieutenant Commander A. S. Abell at East Fortune, Scotland. Their scheme to improve the initial design configuration of the NS-Class was to combine the control and engine cars into one long enclosed car which allowed the control car section to be slung closer to the envelope. NS4 was similarly modified, with the remaining airships using a two-car ‘Kingsnorth’ design. It is also known that due to...

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Major overhaul of the site

Major overhaul of the site

The new and improved NS11.org site is under construction using WordPress as a foundation for what will be a better performing and more dynamic experience overall. The new site will go live late 2011. Rolling out over the next few months will be new features and sections on the NS-class as a whole, the airship’s engines, an expanded photo library and more special reports. The WordPress platform will also give you the opportunity to comment and provide feedback.  

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Warneford memorial in Earlestown

Warneford memorial in Earlestown

Earlier this week I paid a flying visit to the memorial drinking fountain erected in memory of the commander and crew of NS11. This is situated in the grounds of the Viaduct Sports & Social Club in Earlestown, Lancashire. As you can see from the images below, it is in a poor state of repair. While it is easy to say that “something must be done” it will take much effort and money to put it right. The bronze plaque was removed years ago, for safe-keeping or otherwise, and the remaining fabric of the memorial is cracked, crumbling and probably beyond economic repair. Shrubs are...

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War Illustrated

War Illustrated

A recent acquisition is the cover of the last ever edition of The War Illustrated, published on 8 February 1919. The entire cover is taken up with a photograph taken onboard an NS-class airship “on duty above the waters”. It shows two of the crew relaxing at the rear of the car (it seems from other photographs this is the favoured perch when not ‘on duty’) while an engineer tends the port engine. The image can be found in the NS-Class Gallery.  

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The Faces of NS11

The Faces of NS11

One objective of this site is to put faces to the names of the crew. While this often seems an impossible task we are now a third of the way there with the help of Becky Saunders and a fantastic photograph Percy Waghorn, her great uncle and a coxwain of NS11 when she was lost. To view the picture and for more information on Percy visit The Crew section.  

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90th Anniversary of R34 Crossing

90th Anniversary of R34 Crossing

On 2 July 1919, the airship R34 departed from East Fortune airship station for New York – the first east-west crossing of the Atlantic by air and, subsequently, the first ever return flight across the Atlantic. It was to be on this journey that R34 took NS11’s world endurance record. Interesting article on the BBC News site. Link  

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