Originally published on August 21, 2023 (Episode 330)
Introduction
At 2:09 a.m. on October 5, 1930, the British airship R-101 crashed some ninety miles northwest of Paris. Just hours into a planned voyage to Karachi, the giant vessel struck the ground at a modest 13 miles per hour—yet the 5.5 million cubic feet of hydrogen that gave it lift ignited instantly. Within moments, forty-eight of the fifty-four aboard were dead, including Lord Christopher Birdwood Thomson, the Secretary of State for Air, who had pinned his political fortunes on the airship’s success.
The R-101 disaster killed more than the later and more infamous Hindenburg crash. Yet despite repeated failures, governments and engineers persisted in building airships—accepting astonishing risks in the name of progress, prestige, and imperial ambition. S.C. Gwynne tells the story of the R-101’s rise and fall in His Majesty’s Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World’s Largest Flying Machine (Scribner, 2023). In our conversation, Gwynne and I explore the origins of Britain’s airship program, the political stakes that propelled it forward, and the human consequences of technological overconfidence.
About the Guest
S.C. Gwynne is the author of multiple bestselling works of history and biography, including Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon.
For Further Investigation
S.C. Gwynne, His Majesty’s Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World’s Largest Flying Machine (Scribner, 2023)
Harold G. Dick and Douglas H. Robinson, The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships: Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg
E. A. Johnston, Airship Navigator: One Man’s Part in the British Airship Tragedy 1916-1930
Nick Le Neve Walmsley, R101: A Pictorial History
Nevil Shute, Slide Rule: An Autobiography
Related episodes
💬 Listen & Discuss
Why did governments persist in promoting airships despite repeated tragedies? Was it national pride, imperial ambition, or faith in technology that outweighed caution? Share your reflections in the comments, and pass this episode along to someone who enjoys the history of aviation and technology.
