This film is part of Free
Airship No. 9
The maiden flight of Britain's first successful rigid airship – just don’t call it a zeppelin…
Overview
This film captures the historic first flight of His Majesty’s Airship No. 9, the first British rigid airship to be flown successfully. HMA No.1, "The Mayfly", had been built in 1911 but broke up in high winds before it could be flown. Housed in a purpose-built shed on Walney Island off the coast of Cumbria, this big flying pencil had been planned since 1913 but wasn't launched until the end of November 1916.
After being flown to Yorkshire and then later Norfolk, HMA No. 9 was mainly used for testing, and was scrapped at the end of 1918 to make room for newer designs. In a striking example of innovative recycling, surviving photos show that the ship’s nose cone was later used as a marquee for an air base sports day - waste not, want not!
Related
Shower Baths in the Trenches Shower Baths in the Trenches
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins Silent
A humble scrub is all it takes to get these French troops in a lather.
The Scarecrow The Scarecrow
Comedy 1916 12 mins Silent
A tramp steals the clothes from a scarecrow, but when he realises two couples are using its pockets to pass messages, he sees an opportunity.
Tubby's Typewriter Tubby's Typewriter
Comedy 1916 11 mins Silent
Newlywed Tubby fancies another man's typewriter and ends up in hot water with his new wife
Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale
1916 8 mins Silent
Preston North End play Liverpool (probably) in a regional football competition during WWI.
Industrial Sidelights Industrial Sidelights
Interest film 1916 7 mins Silent
Goat farming, salmon farming and copper mining all feature in this enlightening oddity.
The Man with the Glass Eye The Man with the Glass Eye
Drama 1916 26 mins Silent
There's shades of Moriarty to the mastervillain in this wartime potboiler.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.