This Day in the yesteryear: BRITISH AIRSHIP CRASHES NEAR BEAUVAIS (1930)

British Airship Crashes near Beauvais (1930)

In 1920s Britain, airships were envisioned as a way to make the most remote parts of the British Empire accessible. Two starkly different teams of engineers were employed to create two crafts for passenger travel, one conservative and one more experimental. However, British use of airships effectively ended when the ambitious R101 crashed in France during its maiden overseas voyage, killing 48 people—12 more than the infamous Hindenburg disaster. What was R101’s destination?More… Discuss

 

This Day in History: THE HINDENBURG DISASTER (1937)

The Hindenburg Disaster (1937)

Launched in 1936 in Germany, the Hindenburg was the largest rigid airship ever constructed and was promoted by the Nazis as a symbol of national pride. It started the first commercial air service across the North Atlantic and made several trips to the Americas. On one such trip, the hydrogen-filled airship violently and unexpectedly exploded in flames and crashed in New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 people on board. What non-flammable gas was originally supposed to provide the airship’s lift? More… Discuss