First East-to-West crossing of the Atlantic

The airship R34 became the first aircraft to make an East-to-West crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on 6 July 1919.

R34 made its first flight on 14 March 1919 and was delivered to its service base at East Fortune on 30 May of the same year.

R34 made its first endurance trip of 56 hours over the Baltic on the 17 to 20 June 1919.

It was then decided to go for the first return Atlantic crossing under the command of Major George Herbert Scott.

The R34 had never been intended as a passenger carrier and extra accommodation was arranged by slinging hammocks in the keel walkway.
Hot food was provided by cooking on a plate welded to the engine exhaust pipe.

The crew included Brigadier-General Edward Maitland and a representative of the US Navy.

R34 left Britain on 2 July 1919 and arrived in Mineola, Long Island, United States on 6 July.

The flight took 108 hours with virtually no fuel left.

As the landing party had no experience of handling large rigid airships, Major EM Pritchard jumped by parachute and so became the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe.

This was the first East-West crossing of the Atlantic and was done two weeks after the first non-stop Atlantic crossing by Alcock & Brown.
The return journey to Pulham in Norfolk was from 10 to 13 July and took 75 hours.


R34 landing in Mineola, Long Island, USA on 6 July 1919.

Specifications:

General characteristics

Length: 643 ft 0 in (196 m)
Diameter: 79 ft 0 in (24 m)
Volume: 1,950,000 ft3 (55,000 m3)
Useful lift: 58,240 lb (26,470 kg)
Powerplant: 5 × Sunbeam Maori, 275 hp (205 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 62 mph (99 km/h)


Source: Wikipedia

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