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After repairs a second flight lasting 70 minutes was made on 8 April, and on the night of 3–4 June 1910 it made a flight from
Farnborough to London and back, setting off at 11:39 pm and returning at dawn the following morning. A second flight to London was made on 12 July under the command of
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of rubberised fabric. Rectangular horizontal stabilisers were fitted either side of the tail together with a fixed fin with a rudder mounted on the trailing edge below the tail. A long uncovered framework suspended below the envelope held the 35 hp
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It was used for the first experiments in mooring airships at a mast at
Farnborough, and was also used for experiments with aerial photography; during a royal inspection of Farnborough in 1913 a photograph was taken of the royal party from the air, the
217:. Its length was increased to 108 ft (33 m) and its capacity to 50,000 cu ft (1,400 m). The gondola was also rebuilt and the engine was replaced by a 50 hp (37 kW) Clerget driving a pair of four-bladed propellers.
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Captain W. P. L. Brooke-Smith, setting off from
Farnborough at 3:40 pm and, flying against a 12 mph (19 km/h) headwind, reaching central London at about six o'clock. After circling
194:, Beta was flown in the British Army manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain in September, proving its utility by observing troop dispositions and dropping a sketch map of their dispositions to General
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was mounted on the front of this structure to provide pitch control. As first built, the engine drove a pair of propellers which could be swivelled to provide
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First flown in April 1910 at
Farnborough, after which the engine was removed to make some handling experiments, during which its gondola was damaged.
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When all airships were taken over by the RNAS in
January 1914 Beta II became HMA No.17. During December 1914 and January 1915 it was based at
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205:. Although two-way radio contact was established, practical communication was made difficult by the noise of the engine.
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Beta II made many successful flights. It took part in the 1912 army manoeuvres, fitted expementally with a machine gun.
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water-cooled engine, which drove a pair of 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) diameter two-bladed propellers. An
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it returned to
Farnborough, making a short diversion to demonstrate the machine to the King and Queen, who were at
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as part of the
Dunkirk Squadron and was used for artillery spotting. It was then used for training at
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In 1911 the first trials with radio communication were made after a return flight from
Farnborough to
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parachuted to the ground and developed and printed in a mobile darkroom.
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The airship was rebuilt during 1912 and given a new enlarged envelope of
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constructed for experimental purposes in the United
Kingdom by the
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was taken for a half-hour flight in Beta II, under the command of
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596:. No. 42808. London. 25 August 1921. col B, p. 10.
460:. No. 39323. London. 13 July 1910. col D, p. 12.
445:. No. 39291. London. 6 June 1910. col A, p. 10.
581:. No. 40208. London. 10 May 1913. col A, p. 6.
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The gondola of the Beta II is in the collection of the
441:"The Army Airship: Night Voyage Over London". News.
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376:
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237:Beta II moored to a portable mast at Farnborough
632:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft
43:Experimental aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft
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121:, and was finally struck off charge in 1916.
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577:"The King's Visit To Aldershot". News.
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534:"No.1 (Airship) Squadron, Farnborough"
422:"British Army airship Sails to London"
335:25 mph (40 km/h, 22 kn)
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472:"British Army Airship "Beta" at Work"
261:. It was struck off charge in 1916.
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310:33,000 cu ft (930 m)
298:104 ft 0 in (31.7 m)
268:, but is not currently on display.
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304:24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
109:, it was used successfully by the
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456:"The Army Dirigible Beta". News.
138:of the British Army Airship No.3
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627:Airships of the United Kingdom
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492:"Beta and Wireless Telegraphy"
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367:. London: Putnam. p. 550.
1:
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190:Under the command of Colonel
637:Aircraft first flown in 1910
592:"An Airship Pioneer". News.
7:
105:in 1910. Reconstructed as
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611:British Aircraft 1809-1914
365:British Aircraft 1809-1914
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558:"The Mooring of Airships"
480:: 731. 17 September 1910.
320:, 35 hp (26 kW)
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34:
25:
20:
514:. Royal Air Force Museum
402:"Army Airship Out Again"
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283:General characteristics
272:Specifications (Beta I)
115:Royal Naval Air Service
500:: 96. 4 February 1911.
382:"British Army Airship"
266:Science Museum, London
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130:Design and development
35:Beta I at Farnborough
613:London: Putnam, 1962.
410:: 290. 16 April 1910.
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229:Major E. M. Maitland
223:On 20 June 1913 the
196:Horace Smith-Dorrien
103:Army Balloon Factory
556:(1 December 1921).
542:: 726. 5 July 1913.
181:St Paul's Cathedral
163:Operational history
65:Army Ballon Factory
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97:was a non-rigid
363:Lewis, P (1962).
215:goldbeater's skin
171:Gondola of Beta I
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390:. 30 April 1910.
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134:Beta 1 used the
113:and then by the
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45:Type of aircraft
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430:. 11 June 1910.
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259:RNAS Kingsnorth
225:Prince of Wales
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157:vectored thrust
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56:United Kingdom
52:National origin
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333:Maximum speed:
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71:First flight
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516:. Retrieved
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111:British Army
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83:Number built
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326:Performance
314:Powerplant:
192:John Capper
621:Categories
604:References
512:"Airships"
339:Endurance:
203:Portsmouth
609:Lewis, P
594:The Times
579:The Times
458:The Times
443:The Times
318:Green C.4
302:Diameter:
277:Data from
185:Aldershot
119:HMA No.17
74:25 April
153:elevator
144:envelope
518:3 March
341:5 hours
308:Volume:
296:Length:
255:Dunkirk
251:Firminy
209:Beta II
136:gondola
107:Beta II
99:airship
21:Beta 1
566:: 804.
563:Flight
539:Flight
497:Flight
477:Flight
427:Flight
407:Flight
387:Flight
125:Beta 1
95:Beta 1
346:Notes
290:Crew:
253:near
244:plate
149:Green
40:Role
520:2014
316:1 ×
140:Baby
93:The
76:1910
187:.
117:as
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494:.
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404:.
384:.
373:^
353:^
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87:1
522:.
292:3
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